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Forecast: Cool air streams in for windy weekend
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Wicked afternoon winds spoil pleasant tempsToday: Chance of a morning shower, then windy. Falling from the 70s. | Tonight: Windy and cold. 40-45. | Tomorrow: Partly to mostly sunny, breezy and cool. 61-66. | A Look Ahead | Get Express Forecast by E-mail
FORECAST IN DETAIL
A strong cold front blasting through the region this morning puts an abrupt halt to the summery weather we've had so far in the month of May. Temperatures which had been mostly in the 80s tumble to the wintry 40s by late tonight as strong winds this afternoon usher in unseasonably cool air. The chilly, windy conditions persist through Mother's Day before some moderation early next week.
Today (Saturday): The cold front brings a 30% chance of a shower or thunderstorm this morning -- most likely between 8 a.m. and noon (from west to east). Once the front clears, skies part this afternoon but winds from the west accelerate -- reaching 20-30 mph with some gusts to 40-50 mph. Temperatures in the 70s this morning should hold mostly steady before falling late in the afternoon. Confidence: Medium-High
Tonight: Don't go out without your jacket this evening. Temperatures will steadily fall through the 60s and 50s during the evening and into the 40s by early morning. It's practically mid-May but with winds from the northwest at 15-25 mph, I've gotta mention wind chills, which will go as low the 30s by morning. Confidence: Medium-High
Keep reading for the forecast through early next week...
Tomorrow (Sunday): Temperatures will be about 10 degrees colder than average for Mother's Day, but at least partial sunshine will brighten the day. High temperatures will only the reach the low-to-mid 60s with a gusty breeze persisting from the northwest at 15-25 mph. Confidence: High
Tomorrow Night: Winds start to slacken but it will remain quite cold. Under clear skies, lows may dip into the upper 30s in some of the colder suburbs with low-to-mid 40s downtown. Confidence: Medium-High
Just a few clouds in Thursday's spring sky over the Capitol. By CWG photographer Kevin Ambrose.
Temperatures start to recover a bit on Monday. Despite the chilly start, full sunshine will warm high temperatures to the mid-to-upper 60s. Unlike the past couple days, we'll have light winds. Clear skies early Monday night will yield to increasing clouds late at night, with lows in the mid-to-upper 40s. Confidence: Medium-High
Flow from the south probably keeps the warming trend going on Tuesday but we'll have clouds and a chance (40-50%) of showers as a frontal system gradually approaches. Highs should head up to around 70. Confidence: Medium
By
Jason Samenow
| May 8, 2010; 4:30 PM ET
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Posted by: PatHarrison | May 8, 2010 6:35 AM | Report abuse
Centreville VA After a brief flash of sun we are getting a rain shower. Big fat raindrops & breezy. Outdoor activities will have to wait a little.
Posted by: FIREDRAGON47 | May 8, 2010 8:47 AM | Report abuse
@PatHarrison
Our forecast states no chance of rain this evening,but it will be cool and windy with temperatures dropping into the 50s.
Posted by: Jason-CapitalWeatherGang | May 8, 2010 9:08 AM | Report abuse
WIndy and pouring right now in Lake Ridge.
Posted by: meta2 | May 8, 2010 9:16 AM | Report abuse
Luckily only one tiny shower on the radar in lower MD... clear otherwise. Just windy... ugh! Any debris getting into your eyes?
Kevin, nice photo from the Canadian embassy!
Posted by: Camden-CapitalWeatherGang | May 8, 2010 12:49 PM | Report abuse
Hurricane season--as delineated by the first Atlantic tropical wave to appear on the ITCZ--began yesterday! This is a far better indicator for the start of hurricane season than the artificial "official" dates of May 15 for the Eastern Pacific and June 1 for the Atlantic/Caribbean.
This morning there are three easterly tropical waves on the ITCZ between the Guianas and the African coastline. All of these waves are between the Equator and 10 North latitude, so it is unlikely that any cyclonic spin will form in the next week or so.
As the ENSO leaves El Nino for a neutral state and sea surface temperatures are above normal, tropical cyclone formation in the Atlantic could increase as the season progresses while East Pacific tropical cyclone formation could start out strong then fall off as the season progresses. It's possible that continued oil-spill effects in the Gulf of Mexico might hinder tropical cyclone development/intensification.
As a reminder, the east Pacific hurricane season "officially" begins in a week; the Atlantic/Caribbean season in three weeks.
Posted by: Bombo47jea | May 8, 2010 1:02 PM | Report abuse
Locally the high winds due to the extratropical synoptic situation are rather unusual this late into spring.
Normally any high winds we get in May or June are due to severe thunderstorm development and are of short duration. Our next good chance for precipitation appears to be about midweek as a frontal boundary tends to stall over the region.
Posted by: Bombo47jea | May 8, 2010 1:17 PM | Report abuse
Wind wind go away. It's wicked windy!!
Posted by: TheDubb | May 8, 2010 1:50 PM | Report abuse
Can we have some honest to goodness rain in southeastern Montgomery County, please? Like a good soaking rain that goes on for more than 3 seconds? Thanks!
Posted by: Murre | May 8, 2010 4:14 PM | Report abuse
It's about as pleasant out there as a Wind Advisory day could be.
Posted by: Dan-CapitalWeatherGang | May 8, 2010 4:25 PM | Report abuse
How are the winds going to be Sunday morning say from 8-11?
Posted by: snowlover | May 8, 2010 4:29 PM | Report abuse
@snowlover
Not quite as strong as this late afternoon and evening. But still pretty breezy -- around 15-25 mph with gusts near 30 mph.
Posted by: Dan-CapitalWeatherGang | May 8, 2010 4:42 PM | Report abuse
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Attending an out door wedding in Round Hill Va this evening. How wet and chilly is it likely to be?