7:00 AM | 80 degrees or higher on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

6-Day Forecast

Today

Partly sunny, very mild, highs in the mid 70’s

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, mild, chance for a shower or two across the northern suburbs, some fog possible late, lows in the upper 50’s

Tuesday

Partly sunny, warm, near 80

Tuesday Night

Mostly cloudy, mild, low 60’s

Wednesday

Partly sunny, warm, low 80's

Thursday

Mostly cloudy, warm, breezy, showers and thunderstorms late in the day and at night, near 80

Friday

Mostly cloudy, cooler, chance for showers, low 60’s

Saturday

Partly sunny, chilly, upper 50’s

Discussion

Much milder air has moved into the Mid-Atlantic region as high pressure shifted off the east coast over the weekend and this promoted a southwesterly flow of air around here boosting temperatures into the 60’s on Sunday and likely to near 75 degrees today. Clouds will dominate the skies tonight and a shower is possible across some of the northern suburbs and some patch fog can form late at night. Temperatures will then soar to 80 degrees on Tuesday and well into the 80's on Wednesday. Thursday will continue to feature very mild conditions, but late day and nighttime showers and thunderstorms will signal the return of colder air to close out the week.

Elsewhere, the cold weather is not completely gone yet from the country. In fact, there can be quite a spring snowstorm over the next couple of days from the Rockies to the Northern Plains which will include such cities as Denver, Cheyenne and Rapid City where 6-12 inches can fall by tomorrow night. On the powerful western storm's warm southeastern flank, severe weather is likely to break out later today as well as tomorrow afternoon across the southern Plains and in southern sections of the Midwest.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/wFF6A-e466o

7:00 AM | Get ready DC, here comes spring and the cherry blossoms!

6-Day Forecast

Today

Clouds give way to sunshine, breezy, highs near 60 degrees

Tonight

Mostly clear, cold, lows in the mid 30’s

Saturday

Partly sunny, cool, mid 50’s

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy, chilly, upper 30’s

Sunday

Partly sunny, even milder, middle 60’s

Monday

Mostly cloudy, quite mild, maybe a shower, near 70

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy, still quite mild, maybe a shower, low 70's

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy, quite mild, chance for showers, low 70’s

Discussion

A coastal storm has skirted the I-95 corridor and it is already pulling away from the coast which will allow for clouds to give way to sunshine. Temperatures should reach the 60 degree mark this afternoon and then fall back a little on Saturday before springing ahead on Sunday (60's), Monday (70+) and Tuesday (70+). Along with the warm up, there will be lots of clouds around early next week and a shower cannot be ruled out from time-to-time. The milder pattern will continue right into the mid-week time frame.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/TTfOHk4VwIU

7:00 AM | Should climb to the 60's by Sunday as spring really kicks into gear

6-Day Forecast

Today

Mostly sunny early, some clouds late, not quite as cold, but still below normal, highs in the low-to-mid 50’s

Tonight

Becoming mostly cloudy, chilly, some rain possible towards morning, lows near 40 degrees

Friday

Cloudy, cool, periods of rain during the morning hours, some PM clearing possible, upper 50’s

Friday Night

Becoming partly cloudy, cold, mid-to-upper 30’s

Saturday

Becoming mostly sunny, cool, upper 50’s

Sunday

Partly sunny, mild, low-to-mid 60’s

Monday

Mostly cloudy, even milder, low 70's

Tuesday

Partly sunny, still quite mild, low 70's

Discussion

A storm that has been gathering strength near the Gulf of Mexico in recent days will only skirt the I-95 corridor on Friday bringing us some light rain amounts during the morning hours. The low pressure system then moves quickly away from the coast by early Saturday and a warming trend will commence with temperatures reaching the upper 50’s on Saturday and then up into the 60’s by Sunday afternoon.

7:00 AM | Still windy and cold for today, but warmer weather is in sight following late week rain

6-Day Forecast

Today

Mostly sunny, still windy and cold, highs around the 50 degree mark

Tonight

Mostly clear, cold, lows in the mid-to-upper 20’s

Thursday

Mostly sunny early, some clouds late, milder, mid-to-upper 50’s

Thursday Night

Becoming mostly cloudy, cold, rain likely after midnight, lows near 40

Friday

Cloudy, chilly, periods of rain during the morning and mid-day hours, upper 40's

Saturday

Mostly sunny, milder, mid-to-upper 50’s

Sunday

Partly sunny, mild, low 60’s

Monday

Partly sunny, very mild, mid-to-upper 60’s

Discussion

Today will be a repeat of yesterday weather-wise with some sunshine, windy and cold conditions. Temperatures will once again hold mainly in the 40’s, perhaps touching the 50 degree mark which is well below normal for this time of year. A storm that has been gathering strength near the Gulf of Mexico will head towards the Mid-Atlantic coast by Friday and a chilly rain is likely here late tomorrown tonight and during the first half of Friday. The low pressure system pulls well off the coast by the weekend and a warming trend will commence with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50’s by Saturday afternoon and then the 60’s on Sunday and Monday.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/yiVyJ-vwv-Y

12:00 PM | Winter flips to spring early next week; March recap

Discussion

After a mild beginning to the week, another Canadian cold shot has arrived in the Mid-Atlantic region and it will stay below normal for much of the week. In fact, temperatures today and tomorrow will likely average some 10 degrees or so below normal in the I-95 corridor from DC-to-Philly-to-NYC despite some April sunshine and there will be a stiff NW wind on both days to make it feel even colder than the actual air temperature. Furthermore, in perhaps the last gasp for winter, a coastal storm early Friday will likely bring some chilly rain to the I-95 corridor, and there could even be some ice pellets in higher elevation, interior Mid-Atlantic locations to close out the work week. However, after that storm passes by, the weekend will bring a noticeable warmup with high temperatures likely approaching 60 degrees in many Mid-Atlantic locations on Sunday afternoon and all signs point to a different type of pattern setting up for the next couple of weeks. While it won’t stay above normal each and every day, the overall cold pattern that we’ve experienced in recent weeks does change by early next week and there should be more numerous mild days in the eastern US as we progress through the month of April.

As far as March is concerned, it ended up well below normal temperature-wise throughout the I-95 corridor and much different than one year ago. Philly was 2.3 degrees below normal for the month which made it the coldest March since 2005 and the 3rd month in the last 5 with below normal temperatures (other two being February and November). March 2012 was 8.7 degrees above normal in Philly. DC was 3 degrees below normal this March, 13 degrees colder than last March, and the substantial turnaround in monthly temperatures from one year ago has made a big difference in the timing of the peak for the cherry blossoms. March 2012 saw a peak on March 20th and this year’s peak has yet to occur – probably in the next 5-7 days. Farther north, Central Park in New York City officially ended up 2.4 degrees below normal for March with no days even reaching the 60 degree mark whereas March 2012 brought high temperatures as lofty as 78 degrees.

7:00 AM | Great day for the Nats home opener on Monday, but much colder conditions for today

6-Day Forecast

Today

Mostly sunny, becoming quite breezy and colder than yesterday, highs only reaching the upper 40’s

Tonight

Mostly clear, cold, lows near 30 degrees

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, still breezy and cold, near 50

Wednesday Night

Mostly clear, cold, near 30

Thursday

Mostly sunny early, clouds late, not quite as cold, but still below normal, near 55

Friday

Cloudy, chilly, periods of rain likely during the morning and mid-day hours, low 50’s

Saturday

Partly sunny, milder, mid-to-upper 50’s

Sunday

Partly sunny, mild, low 60's

Discussion

Much colder air has moved into the region and temperatures will be below normal for much of the week. The wind will kick up today adding insult to injury as it’ll feel even colder than the actual temperature would suggest. It’ll stay dry through Thursday, but a storm will gather lots of moisture over the Gulf of Mexico over the next couple of days. This low will head towards the Mid-Atlantic coast by Friday and produce a chilly rain around here Thursday night and part of Friday. It’ll turn noticeably warmer next week throughout the eastern part of the country.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/EYkCu0riInA

7:00 AM | Mild for Opening Day as the Nats begin the 2013 season; chilly week after today, but warmer next week

6-Day Forecast

Today

Partly sunny, windy and mild, chance for a couple of afternoon showers, highs in the low 60’s

Tonight

Partly cloudy, turning colder late, lows in the low 30’s

Tuesday

Partly sunny, colder, upper 40’s

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear, cold, near 30

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, cold, low 50’s

Thursday

Mostly sunny, a bit milder, mid 50’s

Friday

Mostly cloudy, cool, some rain likely, mid 50’s

Saturday

Partly sunny, cool, upper 50’s

Discussion

It’ll be a mild day for Opening Day as the Nats begin the 2013 season this afternoon at Nationals Park. While temperatures should climb to the mild lower 60’s, a couple of afternoon showers cannot be ruled out and the winds will kick up. A secondary cold front will pass through the region by tonight and it will usher in the return of below-normal air for much of the week. It’ll stay dry into the late week time period and then we’ll have to watch a system as it heads towards the coast by week’s end. It could throw some rain our way by Thursday night and Friday. Looking ahead, while much of this week will be on the chilly side, there are signs for warmer conditions in the Mid-Atlantic region for next week.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/8ag6r6nyP8Y

7:00 AM | Nice on Saturday and continued mild on Sunday, but rain will develop during the afternoon hours

6-Day Forecast

Today

More sun than clouds, a bit milder, highs in the low-to-mid 50’s

Tonight

Partly cloudy, cold, lows in the low 30’s

Saturday

Mostly sunny, even milder, upper 50’s

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy, chilly, upper 30’s

Sunday

Increasing clouds, mild, showers develop during the afternoon hours, upper 50’s

Monday

Partly sunny, mild, chance for more showers, upper 50’s

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy, colder, chance for showers, upper 40’s

Wednesday

Partly sunny, chilly, breezy, upper 40’s

Discussion

High pressure will take control of our weather as we begin the weekend providing us with a pretty decent Saturday featuring plenty of sunshine and slightly milder conditions. However, clouds will increase on Sunday morning and showers will move in during the afternoon hours as a cold front moves towards the East. A secondary cold front early next week could cause more showers and it will usher in colder-than-normal air for the Mid-Atlantic region for the middle of the week.

11:45 AM | Quiet sun continues to baffle solar scientists; solar cycle 24 on pace to be weakest cycle since 1906

Discussion

We are currently over four years into Solar Cycle 24 and it continues to “underwhelm” and be on a pace that would make it the smallest sunspot cycle since Cycle 14 which peaked in February 1906. Solar activity has been very low over the past several days with only one sunspot region currently visible on the Earth side of the sun and this is despite the fact that this cycle is rapidly approaching an expected solar maximum during the latter part of 2013. There is, however, a growing feeling that, based on the recent inactivity, the peak may have already happened during the latter part of 2011 - much earlier than originally forecasted. Another theory suggests that there may be a “double-peak” solar maximum for this cycle which would mean there could be a sharp spike in sunspot activity still to come later this year or in 2014.

Cycle 24 began after an unusually deep solar minimum that lasted from 2007 to 2009 which included more spotless days on the sun compared to any minimum in almost a century. While a weaker solar cycle does not rule out the threat for strong solar storms, it does suggest that they will occur less often than during the stronger and more active cycles. The increasingly likely outcome for a weak solar cycle continues the recent downward trend in sunspot cycle strength that began over twenty years ago with solar cycle 22. In addition, there are some solar scientists who are already predicting that the next cycle, 25, will be even weaker than the current one. According to some research studies, weak solar cycles with extended lengths may actually have a downward effect on global temperatures in the medium and longer range. Weak solar cycles tend to last longer than the strong ones. There have been historical periods with minimal sunspot activity that lasted for several decades such as from the mid 1600’s to the early 1700’s when the so-called “Maunder Minimum” occurred and this period was quite cold globally.

Another interesting aspect to these solar cycle predictions is that this apparent long-term period of weaker and extended solar cycles looks like it will coincide with a cold phase of the Pacific Ocean (negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation). The Pacific Ocean slipped into a cold phase a few years ago and these longer-term oceanic phases tend to last for two or three decades. We’ll continue to periodically report on the latest sunspot activity and also the Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies here at “thesiweather.com” to monitor any changes that may unfold.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/3YX8n07Zosg

7:00 AM | Milder this weekend, but rain threatens by later Sunday; colder air returns early next week

6-Day Forecast

Today

A mix of clouds and sun, breezy and chilly, chance for a couple of afternoon showers, highs near 50 degrees

Tonight

Partly cloudy, cold, lows in the low-to-mid 30’s

Friday

Partly sunny, cool, low 50’s

Friday Night

Partly cloudy, cold, low 30’s

Saturday

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

Sunday

Increasing clouds, mild, chance for rain late in the day or at night, near 60

Monday

Partly sunny, mild, showers possible, upper 50’s

Tuesday

Colder, partly sunny, breezy, chance for showers, near 50

Discussion

High pressure will build into the region over the next couple of days and a warming trend will finally boost temperatures to seasonal levels this weekend. However, clouds will increase on Sunday and showers will move in during the afternoon as a cold front moves towards the East. Colder air will return by Tuesday behind this next cold frontal system as the below normal temperature pattern continues for awhile longer.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/E6kMQdzeTz0