Forecast: Scorching Summer Heat is Here
* Heat Advisory Monday, Noon to 10 PM (except far N&W: map) *
* Resources: Tips to Stay Cool from the CDC | EPA on Extreme Heat *
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Today: Partly to mostly sunny and hot. 92-98. | Tonight: Mostly clear & muggy. 73-78. | Tomorrow: Sunny and hot. 96-100. | A Look Ahead
FORECAST IN DETAIL
The extreme heat we here at Capital Weather Gang have been advertising for quite a few days now is finally upon us. As a sprawling area of high pressure builds in from the south and west, we'll see abundant sunshine, moderate (to at times high) humidity, and the hottest temperatures we've seen all summer. The hottest day will be tomorrow, when temperatures will make a run for the century mark. Excessive heat continues through Tuesday, with some relief possible by mid-week.
Today (Sunday): If you were up early this morning, it may still have been in the 70s where you were, but by mid-to-late morning temperatures were zooming up through the 80s. A good deal of sun and steamy downsloping winds from the west (around 10 mph) will combine to produce afternoon highs in the mid-to-upper 90s across the area. If there's any solace, humidity will be in the sticky as opposed to oppressive range and scattered cloud cover may hold highs in the low 90s northeast of the District. But in most places, heat indices may still reach or even pass 100 during the hottest part of the day.
As Jason cautioned yesterday, there are a number of major sporting events today that will coincide with the height of the afternoon heat: The Legg Mason Tennis Final, the Nationals game against the Diamondbacks and the D.C. United match-up against Real Madrid. Make sure you wear light colored clothing and stay hydrated! Confidence: High
Tonight: In a word: muggy. Mostly clear skies and relatively high humidity levels will not make for ideal sleeping weather. Overnight lows will drop to the low-to-mid 70s across the cooler spots to the upper 70s downtown. Confidence: High
Keep reading for the continued hot summer weather...

A beautiful evening at the Georgetown waterfront on Friday. By CWG photographer Ian Livingston.
Tomorrow (Monday): We can except very similar conditions on back-to-work Monday as those we'll experience today. That means continued mostly sunny skies, moderate humidity levels, and roasting afternoon highs ranging from the mid-90s to 100. Heat indices may top 100 at times. An isolated thundershower cannot entirely be ruled out during the late afternoon or evening hours, but the vast majority of the area is likely to stay dry. Confidence: Medium-High
Tomorrow Night: It will be another uncomfortably warm night Monday night, with muggy conditions, an isolated thundershower, and overnight lows dropping to the mid-70s across the "cooler" suburbs to near 80 downtown. Yuck! Confidence: Medium-High
As a cold front approaches the region on Tuesday, we can expect a bit more in the way of clouds than today and Monday. These partly cloudy conditions will also help to hold temperatures down just a bit: I'm thinking low-to-mid 90s. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible (40% chance) during the late afternoon and evening hours. Not quite as oppressive or warm overnight, with lows in the low-to-mid 70s. Confidence: Medium
The outlook for Wednesday is for partly sunny skies and the possibility for some scattered showers or thunderstorms. And, for the second day in a row, not quite as hot as the preceding day. I'm expecting highs to top out around 90, with overnight lows -- for the most part -- in the low 70s. Confidence: Medium
By
Josh Larson
| August 9, 2009; 4:00 PM ET
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Posted by: HenryFPotter | August 9, 2009 10:06 AM | Report abuse
@HenryFPotter
It's mostly sunny here in NW DC, but I do see on satellite imagery some patchy cloud cover. Some of that will erode this afternoon, but it may remain in a few spots, particularly northeast of DC, possibly holding back temperatures a few degrees (low 90s instead of mid-to-upper 90s).
Posted by: Jason-CapitalWeatherGang | August 9, 2009 10:30 AM | Report abuse
West wind starting to kick in, DCA up to 89 already. Mid 90s should be no problem in my opinion.
Posted by: Ian-CapitalWeatherGang | August 9, 2009 10:59 AM | Report abuse
Ian--I agree. I was just referring to spots northeast of DC.
Posted by: Jason-CapitalWeatherGang | August 9, 2009 2:29 PM | Report abuse
Current temp. in Burke: 91.2 with scattered clouds in the sky.
The NWS has an area of low pressure just off the coast of Africa at a medium potential for development. How exciting!
Today, my family went to the soccer game, but I decided to stay home because I knew it would be oppressive out there. It's nice to stay inside a nice, cold house in this summer heat!
Posted by: Yellowboy | August 9, 2009 3:33 PM | Report abuse
There is a heat advisory for the area:'
A LARGE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE PASSING OVER THE MID ATLANTIC WILL
BRING THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES OF THE YEAR SO FAR TO NORTHERN
VIRGINIA...MARYLAND...AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA EARLY THIS WEEK.
TEMPERATURES WILL RISE INTO THE 90S ACROSS AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF
INTERSTATE 95 BY NOON...WITH AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES REACH THE
UPPER 90S. THESE HIGH TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH RELATIVE HUMID
VALUES NEAR 50 PERCENT WILL CREATE SEVERAL HOURS OF HEAT INDICES
NEAR 105 MONDAY AFTERNOON OVER THE BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON
METROPOLITAN AREAS AND ADJACENT PORTIONS OF MARYLAND AND NORTHERN
VIRGINIA.
A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS
EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY
WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE
POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED
ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND
NEIGHBORS.
Posted by: Yellowboy | August 9, 2009 3:35 PM | Report abuse
If we can stay around 80 tonight for a low in DC 100 should be a decent possibility tomorrow. Once we lost the patchy clouds in and around DC temps soared again last two hours -- 95 at DCA now.
Posted by: Ian-CapitalWeatherGang | August 9, 2009 4:00 PM | Report abuse
It will fall below 80 at DCA overnight. Dewpoints are too low for a low that warm.
Severe Thunderstorm watch just issued for areas just north and east of the District.
Posted by: Curmudgeon4 | August 9, 2009 5:46 PM | Report abuse
Severe thunderstorm watch until 11pm
MARYLAND COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE
ANNE ARUNDEL BALTIMORE CALVERT
CAROLINE CARROLL DORCHESTER
FREDERICK HARFORD HOWARD
KENT MONTGOMERY PRINCE GEORGES
QUEEN ANNE'S TALBOT WASHINGTON
WICOMICO
MARYLAND INDEPENDENT CITIES INCLUDED ARE
BALTIMORE CITY
Posted by: Curmudgeon4 | August 9, 2009 5:48 PM | Report abuse
Curmudgeon4, perhaps, though dews will rise this evening into overnight as we lose the daytime push of compressed westerly winds. We should go back to 70+ at DCA and you're not going to get to the DP either way. 77-79 certainly possible if not a given.
Posted by: Ian-CapitalWeatherGang | August 9, 2009 6:44 PM | Report abuse
Ian, agree with your observations. It's just unusual to see temps stay above 80 even at DCA.
It would be interesting if we had an official observing site in the downtown business district of DC. That would be an area that I wouldn't be surprised to stay at or above 80 overnight.
Posted by: Curmudgeon4 | August 9, 2009 6:54 PM | Report abuse
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Did the models predict these clouds? Are they going to break soon?