Capital Weather Gang from The Washington Post

Daily forecast for the Washington area

D.C. area forecast: A mild Monday turns blustery tonight in week of topsy-turvy temperatures

Bluebells, April 2, 2016. (Erinn Shirley via Flickr)

*Freeze watches and warnings next two mornings*

TODAY’S DAILY DIGIT
A somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of 0 to 10.

6/10: Mild into the afternoon, but then showers and tanking temperatures late.

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Mild, late afternoon showers likely. Highs: 65-70.
Tonight: Windy, turning much colder. Lows: 30-36.
Tomorrow: Blustery, cold. Highs: 45-50.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

Saturday evening’s blast of wind marked the beginning of a turbulent period that continues right on through this week. Two more powerful cold fronts will sweep through the region, bringing significantly colder than normal weather in their wake. The first front sprints through the region late this afternoon and evening, knocking temperatures down Tuesday and Wednesday. The second big front comes through Thursday with very chilly weather Friday and Saturday.

Today (Monday): After a crisp start, temperatures shoot up rather quickly this morning, rising well into the 60s by mid-afternoon. But then, skies cloud over and showers are likely late this afternoon and evening with the next front dashing through the region. A rumble of thunder isn’t out of the question. Highs reach 65-70 degrees before rains move in. It’s yet another breezy day, with winds from the southwest at 10-20 mph, gusting to 25-30 mph. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: Some evening showers are likely, but most activity moves off to the southeast by sunset or so. Temperatures fall rapidly overnight, with lows near 30 in our colder suburbs to the mid-to-upper 30s downtown. Winds come out of the north at 10-20 mph, gusting to 30 mph, creating wind chills in the 20s late at night into Tuesday morning. Confidence: Medium-High

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Tomorrow (Tuesday): Sunny, but breezy and unseasonably cold. The combination of wind and cold produces wind chills in the 20s and 30s through the morning. Highs in the afternoon range from the mid-40s north of the Beltway to near 50 from the District south. Winds are from the north at 10-18 mph, with gusts to 25 mph. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: Skies are clear and winds settle down. Given the cold air mass in place, temperatures fall sharply, with lows from the mid-20s in our colder suburbs to the low 30s downtown. Confidence: Medium-High

A LOOK AHEAD

After a freezing start in most locations Wednesday, temperatures mount a nice recovery in the afternoon, reaching the mid-to-upper 50s courtesy ample sunshine. Clouds increase Wednesday night, with a slight chance of showers by morning. It’s much milder than previous nights with lows 45-50. Confidence: Medium-High

Showers are likely Thursday, with perhaps some thunder, gusty winds, and heavy downpours, mainly in the morning through mid-afternoon. Then, the second big cold front of the week passes by, shutting off the rain – perhaps in time for opening day for the Nationals, fingers crossed (we’ll keep you posted on this). Highs still manage the 60s before cooler air streams in during the evening. Confidence: Medium

The period Thursday night through Saturday is variably cloudy, cold and blustery. It’s dry more often not, but some intermittent, hit or miss showers are a good bit. It’s not out of the question some wet snowflakes are seen in our colder suburbs in the periodic shower activity. Lows Thursday night and Friday nights are in the 30s and highs Friday and Saturday are in the 40s to near 50. Confidence: Medium

Winds should settle down on Saturday night and Sunday and cloud cover should thin, but it’s still likely cooler than normal. Lows Sunday morning are in the 30s with highs in the mid-50s to near 60. Confidence: Medium

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