City and state officials point to cold weather as the culprit for the stench in the Baltimore region many experienced Wednesday morning.

Many Baltimoreans took to social media sites Reddit and Bluesky and even The Baltimore Banner’s tip inbox to identify the stench they smelled during their commutes.

Cold weather not only impacts how we feel but, apparently, what we smell, as city and state officials blame arctic temperatures for the Wednesday morning odor.

“Weather conditions this morning — including light winds and the effect of the snow on the ground — led to everyday pollutants being slightly concentrated but noticeable throughout much of the Baltimore metropolitan area, which is likely what people in the area experienced this morning,” a spokesman for the Maryland Department of the Environment said in an email to The Banner.

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The cold weather-infused stink follows a polar vortex moving through the area this week, causing a drop in temperatures into the single digits, prompting school closures and delays and pushing the presidential inauguration indoors. The National Weather Service predicted frigid temperatures in teens to 20s and 20-30 degrees below zero wind chills across the Northeast on Wednesday.

According to Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper Alice Volpitta, freezing temperatures have the potential to block exhaust fumes.

“Smelly air from the hundreds of industrial facilities and sewer vent stacks around the City that would normally go unnoticed is suddenly being pushed back down to earth by the cold,” she said.

The cold can also slow down or solidify things people typically discard down drains and weaken pipes, which could also be what some Baltimoreans are smelling, Volpitta said.

“Both of these factors combined will result in more sewage overflows and more water main breaks (which can trigger sewage overflows),” Volpitta said in a statement shared with The Banner.

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She also said now would not be a good time to pour fats, grease and oils down the drain “because the cold temps will turn them into solid blockages quicker than ever.”

Another potential reason for the smell, Volpitta said, could be how accumulating snow and ice over the past two weeks have posed difficulties for those collecting trash and recycling, with the buildup possibly causing foul smells across the region.

According to the MDE, “This is likely dissipated for today, but we do expect similar conditions the next couple of mornings.”