FORECAST: Coldest air of the season arrives tonight
Nov 12, 2024
Northerly winds persisted overnight as colder air continued to funnel into the region. With the same gustiness out of the north continuing today, it's staying chilly as we head through the afternoon. Temperatures have recovered a bit, back into the upper 50s and lower 60s, but this is a significant step back from the warm afternoon we had yesterday. Winds will continue at a pace of 15-25 mph, with an occasional stronger gust, until this evening, when Canadian high pressure moves overhead. Clear skies and lighter winds will lead to our coldest night so far this season, with most of the DMV falling into the 20s. Around the Beltway and near the bay, it could stay in the lower 30s, but this will be the exception to an otherwise cold night and early Wednesday AM.
Those winter jackets will be helpful for the rest of the week as this chillier air persists. Despite plenty of sunshine, Wednesday afternoon will be even colder, with highs only back into the upper 40s and lower 50s under a light northeasterly wind. Clouds will start returning near the end of the day as the next storm system approaches. Light precipitation will arrive across the mountains west of I-81 early Thursday morning when colder air will still be lingering in the valleys. This could lead to a few hours of a wintry mix at the highest elevations, which is not enough to cause any significant problems, but we'll watch for it. Outside the mountains, the rest of the DMV will see light rain spread east through the middle of the day and continue into Thursday night. This rain won't add up to more than a quarter of an inch for most, but it will soak an otherwise parched ground after weeks of little to no rain.
Conditions will trend drier and clearer as we head into Friday and this storm system lifts away from us. It will get warmer as more sunshine returns, but not too unseasonably warm. Highs on Saturday and Sunday will reach the lower to middle 60s, with breezy northerly winds on Saturday helping to keep the warmup in check. Another weak wave of low pressure will be possible early next week, increasing the cloud cover and dropping temperatures again. With this system, a few spotty showers look possible, but precipitation chances are still a little tricky to lock down with this disturbance this far out.
Have a great rest of your Tuesday!
7-Day Forecast:
Today: Mostly sunny and breezy. Winds: NNW 15-25 mph, High: 61 (55-63)
Tonight: Mostly clear and cold. Winds: N 5-10 mph, Low: 32 (24-33)
Wednesday: Mostly sunny early, turning partly cloudy late. Winds: ENE 3-5 mph, High: 53 (48-56), Low: 37 (30-40)
Thursday: Cloudy with scattered showers, a mix of rain and snow could fall in the mountains early. Highs will be in the 50s with lows in the lower to middle 40s.
Friday: Partly cloudy with spotty AM showers. Highs will be in the middle to upper 50s with lows in the 40s.
Saturday: Mostly sunny skies. Highs will be in the lower to middle 60s with lows in the upper 30s to lower 40s.
Sunday: Partly cloudy skies. Highs will be in the 60s with lows in the middle to upper 40s.
Monday: Mostly cloudy with spotty showers possible. Highs will be in the 60s with lows in the middle to upper 40s.