Cloudy skies and a few drops of rain ended the day on Tuesday, but those have been quickly kicked out as gusty winds returned today. Steady winds of 10-20 mph, with gusts of 25-35 mph out of the northwest can be expected through the evening before it finally starts to calm down. These gusty winds, c ombined with a lack of rainfall and very low relative humidity values, have prompted a Red Flag Warning until 7 PM from DC and I-95 north and west out to the Alleghenies. These three ingredients will keep the threat for fire spread high until this evening, so take extreme caution if handling any sparks or open flames outdoors. Aside from how dry it is, these northwest winds are also keeping it chilly. Highs this afternoon will struggle to get back into the 40s and 50s. As it calms down tonight, it will get even colder under a mostly clear sky. Overnight lows will tumble into the 20s and 30s by Thursday morning, so be ready to bundle up. This shot of colder air won't last long with high pressure moving overhead and shifting east of the area toward the end of the week. A warming trend will kick off tomorrow, with temperatures back into the 60s under calmer conditions. A weak warm front will arrive and turn skies mostly cloudy on Friday, but this won't stop us from climbing close to 70 degrees. A few showers may come along with this warm front, but widespread, soaking rain is still not on the table yet to help with how dry we've been. Saturday could possibly be the warmest day of 2025 so far, with temperatures pushing 80 degrees as another warm front approaches. Once again, it will be cloudy but rain isn't likely. A better chance for rain comes on Sunday when the warm front actually crosses the region, but at best we'll only see isolated showers. It will remain warm into Monday until the cold front with this system crosses through. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will be possible with the warm and slightly more moist air in place. Even still, rain amounts aren't likely to be enough to bust out of our drought. It will turn chillier heading into next Tuesday. Have a great rest of your Wednesday! 7-Day Forecast: Today: Partly cloudy, breezy, and dry. Winds: NW 15-25 mph, High: 57 (53-61) Tonight: Mostly clear and calmer. Winds: WNW 4-8 mph, Low: 36 (29-38) Thursday: Partly cloudy skies. Winds: W 5-10 mph, High: 61 (58-64), Low: 41 (38-45) Friday: Mostly cloudy with spotty showers. Highs will be in the middle to upper 60s with lows in the mid-50s. Saturday: Mostly cloudy skies. Highs will be in the upper 70s to lower 80s with lows in the middle to upper 50s. Sunday: Cloudy with isolated showers. Highs will be in the middle to upper 70s with lows in the upper 50s to lower 60s. Monday: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and storms. Highs will be in the mid-70s with lows in the mid-40s. Tuesday: Partly cloudy skies. Highs will be in the middle to upper 50s with lows in the lower to middle 40s. ...read more read less