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A somewhat subjective assessment of the weather of the day, on a scale of 0 to 10.
6/10: Too high, you say, for the sunny but chilly 40s? You just wait for what’s coming.
- Today: Mostly sunny and cold, light wind. Highs: low to mid 40s.
- Tonight: Growing clouds, late winter mix? Casualties: upper 20s to mid 30s.
- Tomorrow: First mix north and west? Rain, sometimes heavy. Maximum: 40 seconds.
Today is the day to prepare for the cold and wind that arrives on Friday and will last through the weekend, especially since tomorrow looks like a rainy day. It’s not exactly hot today, with highs only in the 40s, but it’s not terrible, with mostly sunny skies and light winds. Our northern and western suburbs could see a touch of a wintry mix early tomorrow morning before changing to rain, then early Friday is when the arctic front arrives, sending us into freezing weather for the eve and Christmas Day.
Today (Wednesday): Another cold one out there as we start from this morning’s lows in the low 20s to near 30. Lots of sunshine doing what it can, lifting afternoon highs into the low to mid 40s with light winds . Confidence: High
Tonight: Clouds increase this evening, then skies turn cloudy overnight as low pressure develops to our south. Light rain or a wintry mix could reach our southern and western suburbs by about 4am. Nighttime lows range from the upper 20s to mid-30s. Confidence: Medium-High
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Tomorrow (Thursday): A brief period of wintry mixing is possible, mainly north and west of DC, before 9am or so, but any major ice concerns should be limited to north of Frederick and west of Leesburg . It turns into a rainy day for the metro area, with rain increasing in coverage during the morning and heavy at times during the afternoon into the evening. Afternoon temperatures should climb into the low 40s as winds become breezy from the southeast in the afternoon into the evening. Confidence: Average
Tomorrow night: Rain moves from west to east during the evening hours, but skies remain cloudy overnight. Temperatures range from 40 degrees to 50 degrees, thanks to a relatively mild breeze from the south. Confidence: Average
Rain showers come early Friday, between 6 a.m. and approximately noon, possibly ending in snow showers. A light coating on the grass can’t be ruled out, especially north and west of DC. Most of us start the day in the 40s, but we’re in the 20s and 30s around lunchtime, and the teens into the 20s in the late afternoon or evening with clear skies. West winds gusting, generally between 30 and 40 mph, with a few possible gusts to around 50 mph, should dry things out pretty well. But any wet spots that remain will certainly freeze (what we call a “flash freeze”) during the afternoon into the evening. Confidence: Average
friday night winds continue to gust near or above 30 mph with mostly clear skies. Overnight lows plummet into the upper to mid-teens, with wind chills in the single digits down to about minus-5 degrees. Confidence: Medium-High
Christmas weekend it is partly to mostly sunny and absolutely cold. Both days begin with morning lows in the upper to mid-teens before battling afternoon highs in the 20s to near 30. Winds on Saturday, with west gusts around 20 -30 mph, keep the wind heaters in the digits and teenagers all day. long It won’t be as windy Sunday, but there’s still enough breeze to keep wind chills from rising past the low 90s into the 20s. Confidence: Medium-High
High temperatures should rebound into the 30s and near 40s Monday and Tuesday.
A daily assessment of the potential for at least 1 inch of snow next week, on a scale of 0 to 10.
1/10 (→): As the Arctic front moves through the area early Friday, the rain showers could turn to snow showers before it’s over. We don’t usually see accumulation in situations like this, but we can’t rule out a light coating on the grass, especially north and west of DC