Howard County Heat Advisory — 2026-07-17

Friday morning: smoke, high near 90 degrees.

Morning, Howard County — it's Friday, July 17th. Today: a heat advisory as temps push near 90, so plan around the afternoon sun. Dumont Creamery and Cafe is open now in Woodstock for ice cream and boba. County Executive Ball is urgently looking for volunteers for the Transportation Board. And an Ellicott City man called police on himself after learning his own car got stolen while he was out burglarizing. All that, plus the library's full slate of story times, coming up.

Howard County is under a heat advisory today as temperatures climb near 90 degrees. The county health department issued the advisory in response to the high heat moving through the region this week. The National Weather Service forecasts mostly sunny skies for Friday, with smoke in the air and a light north wind. Overnight, areas of smoke return along with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, a 20 percent chance of rain, and a low around 73. The advisory means real risk for anyone outdoors in the afternoon — kids, older residents, and anyone working outside. Check the county's health department page for the advisory's exact hours.

The Howard County Board of Education is looking to fill one opening on the school system's Ethics Panel. HCPSS is seeking a citizen member willing to serve. Application details are posted on the district's news site.

Complete Street improvements begin along Cradlerock Way in Columbia. The work is part of the county's ongoing Complete Streets program, adding safety and accessibility upgrades to the corridor. Details are posted on the county's news site.

Dumont Creamery and Cafe opened last month in Woodstock's Waverly Woods Village Center, serving ice cream and boba — a new sweet stop on the county's west side.

Over on r/HowardCountyMD, locals are answering the unofficial welcome-wagon question: what's the one piece of advice you'd give someone moving to Howard County? The thread's still running, with tips ranging from traffic patterns to where to actually make friends. Worth a scroll if you're new — or just nosy.

Three things to have on your radar this week. The Howard County Department of Public Works is holding a community meeting on proposed improvements to the Whiskey Bottom Road intersection — time and location are posted on the county's website. Manor Hill Brewing's Pizza Trolley rolls out Friday, July 24th, serving Neapolitan-style pizza from a restored trolley car in Ellicott City. And County Executive Calvin Ball is urgently seeking volunteers for the county's Multimodal Transportation Board — applications are open now on the county's site.

In Columbia, the Sheriff's Office added AI translation technology to its body-worn cameras this week. In Ellicott City, a man called police last month after learning his own car was stolen while he was out burglarizing — WMAR called it 'karma.' In Elkridge, a firefighter was hospitalized after crews battled a house fire this week. Statewide, Maryland's Tax-Free Week starts August 9th, with a contest to win $1,000 in back-to-school savings. At the Elkridge Branch library, Toddler Play and Learn runs today from 9:30 to 10 a.m. At the East Columbia Branch, Little Learners Preschool Skills Stations runs 10 to 10:45. At the Savage Branch, it's Picture Book Parade with Craft, 10 to 10:30. At the Glenwood Branch, Play Partners for infants runs 10 to 10:30. Back at East Columbia, Storybook Friends follows at 10:30. And at Roger Carter Pool, a Dive-In Movie screening of The Super Mario Bros. Movie is on the schedule — check the county's site for the date.

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