Forecast: Mild Showers, Then Cold Rain
Some icing possible well north and west late Thursday
* Why Is Local Snow Declining? | Later: The Science of Snowflakes *
Today: Showers. Cloudy. Low-to-mid 60s | Tonight: Showers continue. 35-43 | Tomorrow: Rain. Touch of sleet N&W? Mid 30s to near 40 | A Look Ahead
FORECAST IN DETAIL
We have an interesting and involved forecast for the next couple of days. It starts with mild air and showers today. Followed by a cold rain Thursday into Thursday night and a chance of some wintry precipitation north and west of D.C. And possibly ending with some snowflakes early Friday. No significant accumulation of snow is expected, and any icing on roads should be limited to areas well north and west of the city.
Today (Wednesday): Bring the umbrella, but not the parka. We'll see showers -- more to the north and west, less to the south and east -- and maybe a thunderstorm. Ahead of the low-pressure area and cold front triggering the showers, winds from the south gusting to near 25 mph should help push highs into the low-to-mid 60s (record high for the day at Reagan National is 67, set in 1966), even with cloudy skies. Confidence: Medium
Tonight: Shower activity continues as the next storm forms to our south. Despite winds from the north, it won't be a particularly cold night for December. Lows in the mid 30s to low 40s. Confidence: Medium
Keep reading for the forecast through the weekend. Check out our Weather Wall for the ultimate overview of D.C. area conditions.
Tomorrow (Thursday): Here comes the next storm, with precipitation moving in from the south during the morning. We're looking at primarily rain -- and heavy at times -- in the immediate metro area. That said, don't be surprised to see a few pellets of sleet mixed in north and west of the city, in Montgomery and northern Fairfax counties. But with temperatures steady in the mid 30s to near 40 during the day, icy roads won't be a problem.
Further north and west -- in Frederick County, and northern and western Loudoun County -- could be a different story. There, temperatures are likely to be closer to freezing, and sleet along with the possibility of freezing rain could cause some travel problems toward evening as the sun goes down.
Tomorrow Night: Precipitation continues, with some icing on roadways a concern in the areas well north and west of D.C. mentioned above. Some snowflakes may mix in as precipitation tapers after midnight with lows in the low-to-mid 30s. Confidence: Medium
Snow flurries and showers are possible Friday morning. Accumulation is doubtful, but I guess I wouldn't rule out a dusting somewhere if a particularly intense area of snow showers develops. Skies should become increasingly sunny, but winds will be gusty from the northwest and highs only in the upper 30s, maybe touching 40 in some spots. Winds begin to let up Friday night with lows in the 20s. Confidence: Medium-High
The weekend should be sunny and rather typical for this time of year, with highs in the low 40s on Saturday and probably upper 40s on Sunday. Confidence: Medium-High
By Dan Stillman |
December 10, 2008; 10:20 AM ET
Forecasts
Previous: PM Update: Warm & Wet Wednesday. Then What? |
Next: The Science and Wonder of Snowflakes
Posted by: --sg | December 10, 2008 7:19 AM
Those itching for snow may want to hop a flight to Mississippi today -- Winter Storm Watch up there.
Posted by: Ian-CapitalWeatherGang | December 10, 2008 8:52 AM
Up there? Mississippi is well south of us.
Posted by: MKadyman | December 10, 2008 9:27 AM
Correct MKadyman. Perhaps I was looking at the map upside down.
Posted by: Ian-CapitalWeatherGang | December 10, 2008 10:01 AM
"Up there" as in has been posted or "has gone up/been issued."
Posted by: JJones-CapitalWeatherGang | December 10, 2008 10:04 AM
Of course the rain breaks up over our mountains, but not those in Pennsylvania. So typical.
Posted by: rocotten | December 10, 2008 10:46 AM
So, let's hypothetically say that someone has to drive from Bethesda to Baltimore tomorrow afternoon at some point, and has flexibility on when he leaves. Is it fair to say that so long as I'm on the road while it's still light out, I'm not going to have an issue with freezing roads?
Posted by: JedinBethesda | December 10, 2008 11:50 AM
Hey Jed -- Nothing for you to worry about in terms of freezing roads. Any iciness would be well north and west of I-95, and even then probably not until tomorrow evening or overnight. That said, no matter what time you go, it is likely to be a nasty, rainy commute.
Posted by: Dan-CapitalWeatherGang | December 10, 2008 12:00 PM
as usual, no snow... again
Posted by: tengoalyrunr30 | December 10, 2008 12:03 PM
Winter storm watch in MS?! THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT! SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY OUT OF WHACK!!!
Posted by: mchristinaw | December 10, 2008 4:37 PM
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Hey, I like that Express Forecast - it drew my eye.