PM Update: Showery Friday, Weekend Mix Looms

Mild through tomorrow; Bob Ryan on climate change

* Snowmen Against Global Warming | Weatherman Falls Down on Job *

Lots of clouds helped keep temperatures in check today, but not before reaching highs in the mid-to-upper 50s. Some breaks of sunshine are evident this afternoon, but gray skies will rule over blue for the next few days. What about precipitation falling from the clouds? With only 2 days left in the month, we could certainly use whatever the sky can offer. There is still hope to keep this from becoming the driest February on record at National Airport.

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Tonight: Mostly cloudy skies and light winds from the south will keep temperatures up overnight. Look for lows mainly in the low-to-mid 40s across the area.

Tomorrow (Friday): We start Friday cloudy before a cold front brings a chance of showers by late morning or midday as highs reach the upper 50s to low 60s. Scattered showers should persist into evening, especially in southern and eastern sections, as the front begins to stall to our south.

Unfortunately, rain totals may not be particularly impressive, though there's a decent chance we'll get the .16" needed to keep this from being a record-dry February. If not, then Saturday's rain threat could still put us over the top.

Weekend: We're still watching for a potential wintry mix this weekend. Rain could develop as early as midday Saturday as highs reach the low 40s. The rain could mix with snow and sleet late Saturday night and Sunday as colder air works its way in -- Sunday looks windy with highs having trouble getting out of the 30s. Our current thinking is that any accumulation of snow and/or sleet would be mainly confined to locations north and west of the metro area. But this is a low-confidence forecast and could easily change one way or the other.

The early outlook for Monday? Mostly sunny but continued windy with highs in the upper 30s.

Bob Ryan on Global Warming: Bob Ryan, chief meteorologist at NBC Washington, has released much of a 6-part series on global warming, with the final installments expected today and tomorrow. The series covers everything from changing weather patterns, to how observations are made, what can be considered natural vs. unnatural climate variation, and more. CWG's Andrew Freedman will comprehensively explore the series in the near future.