***DCA reaches 99 degrees...one more day of intense heat and humidity...70's by Friday following back door cool frontal passage...scattered showers and strong storms between now and then***

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

Today

Mainly sunny, very hot, humid, isolated late day showers and thunderstorms are possible, any storm that forms can be strong-to-severe, highs in the upper 90’s; NW winds around 5 mph

Tonight

Partly cloudy, very mild, scattered showers and thunderstorms, any storm can be strong-to-severe, lows in the upper 70’s

Thursday

Partly sunny, not quite as intense as far as the heat is concerned, humid, good chance of showers and thunderstorms, any storm can be strong-to-severe, low-to-mid 90’s for afternoon highs

Thursday Night             

Mainly cloudy, mild, good chance of showers and thunderstorms, any storm can be strong-to-severe, lower 70’s for late night lows

Friday

Mainly cloudy, cooler, chance of showers and PM thunderstorms, lower 80’s for highs though northern areas could be limited to the 70’s

Saturday

Partly sunny, warmer, humid, chance of showers and thunderstorms, near 90 degrees

Sunday

Partly sunny, very warm, humid, chance of showers and thunderstorms, near 90 degrees

Monday

Mainly sunny, very warm, humid, chance of showers and thunderstorms, lower 90’s

Discussion

The official high temperature yesterday recorded at Reagan National Airport (DCA) was 99 degrees which was just short of the record for the date. The very strong upper-level ridge of high pressure parked overhead during the past couple of days will begin to break down later today and also shift slowly to the south. At the same time, surface high pressure will build across southeastern Canada and the combination of these two systems will allow for the formation of a back door cool front that will push southwestward from northern New England over the next couple of days. As a result, relief is in sight here in terms of temperatures and precipitation chances will be on the rise. There can be isolated shower and thunderstorm activity later today and early tonight and that threat of rain should increase on Thursday. Any storm that forms either late today or on Thursday in the Mid-Atlantic region can reach strong-to-severe levels. Unsettled weather conditions will continue on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and a look ahead to next week suggests temperatures could be quite reasonable as the calendar shifts from June to July.

Meteorologist Paul Dorian
Arcfield Weather