7:00 AM | ***Possible record-breaking warmth on Saturday and becoming very windy...noticeably colder on Sunday***

6-Day forecast for the Washington, D.C. metro region

Today

Some sun today and turning a bit milder, highs in the lower 50’s; S winds around 5 mph

Tonight

Mainly cloudy, chilly, chance of showers, lows in the mid-to-upper 40’s

Saturday

Mainly cloudy, becoming unseasonably warm with possible record-breaking afternoon highs, a couple of isolated morning showers and some patchy fog, more numerous showers develop late in the afternoon with a possible strong thunderstorm, winds will increase substantially later in the day and can gust past 40 mph by day’s end, near 70 degrees for afternoon highs (record high at DCA is 68 degrees set in 1979)            

Saturday Night             

Showers and possibly a strong thunderstorm in the evening, remaining mainly cloudy after midnight, very windy with gusts past 50 mph, turning colder late, upper 30’s for late night lows           

Sunday

Mainly sunny, breezy, noticeably colder, upper 40’s

Monday

Mainly sunny, chilly, lower 50’s

Tuesday

Mainly sunny, a bit milder, mid-to-upper 50’s

Wednesday

Partly sunny, mild, near 60 degrees

Discussion              

A warm up begins today in the Mid-Atlantic region, but it really intensifies on Saturday as winds will increase substantially as we begin the weekend from a southwesterly direction. In fact, winds on Saturday can gust past 50 mph and temperatures should soar towards the 70 degree mark around here which would threaten the December 11th record of 68 degrees set in 1979. Late day and evening showers are likely to accompany the approach of the incoming strong cold front and there can even be a strong thunderstorm as well in some spots.  Following the passage of the strong cold front, it’ll turn noticeably colder on Sunday with afternoon highs likely confined to the 40’s. Looking ahead, much of next week will turn out to be warmer-than-normal across the eastern two-thirds of the nation as strong high pressure ridging develops over the Great Lakes.

Meteorologist Paul Dorian