PM Update: Warmer air arrives

Temperatures in the 40s to near 50 through Sat.

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Welcome to the thaw! Relatively mild (at least compared to lately) temperatures returned today. Many spots are seeing highs reach near 40, or into the lower 40s -- pretty close to average this time of year. A still sometimes gusty breeze, from the west and northwest, has made it feel a bit cooler but not too bad. Mostly clear skies that arrived this afternoon continue through tonight and tomorrow.

Webcam: Latest view of D.C. from the Netherlands Carillon at Arlington National Cemetery. Courtesy National Park Service. Refresh page to update. See this image bigger on our Weather Wall.

Through Tonight: It's looking mostly clear and chilly overnight with decreasing winds. Temperatures won't have much trouble falling with dry air still in place. Lows should settle around 20 in the cold spots to the mid-and-upper 20s elsewhere.

Tomorrow (Thursday): Tomorrow appears to be one of the nicer days we've seen in some time. Light winds, plentiful sunshine and temperatures rising into the middle (maybe some upper) 40s should feel rather glorious after weeks of cold and wind.

See Dan Stillman's full forecast through the holiday weekend. And if you haven't already, join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Cold and oil shipping: The recent cold weather, not only in the U.S. but throughout the whole Northern Hemisphere, caused oil shipment costs and delays to rise significantly. At the same time, the cold snap raised demand throughout the hemisphere. Some better news is expected on both fronts as the cold wanes at least temporarily. The price of oil has dropped on recent news of a warm-up.