7:00 AM | **50 mph wind gusts possible later today as a much colder air mass arrives...snow/ice to rain on Saturday and there can be some front end small accumulations*
Paul Dorian
6-Day forecast for the Washington, D.C. metro region
Today
Partly sunny, chilly, becoming very windy with gusts possible to 50 mph, highs near 50 degrees early in the day
Tonight
Partly cloudy, windy, quite cold, maybe a snow shower, lows in the mid-to-upper 20’s
Friday
Mainly sunny, windy, cold, mid 30’s for afternoon highs
Friday Night
Increasing clouds, quite cold, light and variable winds, near 25 degrees
Saturday
Mainly cloudy, cold, snow and sleet are likely to develop during the morning hours and should transition to rain and sleet and then to all rain by later in the day, accumulations are possible before the changeover of a coating to an inch or so, upper 30’s
Sunday
Becoming mainly sunny, windy, cold, upper 30’s
Monday
Mainly sunny, quite cold, lower 30’s
Tuesday
Mainly sunny, still quite cold, lower 30’s
Discussion
Temperatures climbed well into the 50’s on Wednesday which is well above-normal for mid-January but a much colder air mass arrives today following the passage of a strong cold frontal system. The much colder air mass will ride into the region on strong NW winds that can gust to 50 mph at times later today into early tonight. Strong high pressure will build into southeastern Canada on Friday and high temperatures here will struggle to pass the middle 30’s and therein lies a problem for Saturday morning. Low pressure will move from the Upper Midwest on Saturday to the central Great Lakes and precipitation will move east into our area most likely during the morning hours. Given the cold and dry air mass in place as we begin the weekend, there is likely to be a period of frozen precipitation at the onset with snow and ice accumulations possible of a coating to an inch or so. Temperatures should climb through the 30’s on Saturday allowing for a transition of the snow/ice to plain rain by later in the day. Another cold air mass will arrive on Sunday again riding in on strong NW winds and Monday and Tuesday promise to feature some of the coldest weather so far this season.
Meteorologist Paul Dorian
Perspecta, Inc.
perspectaweather.com