Capital Weather Gang from The Washington Post

Daily forecast for the Washington area

D.C.-area forecast: A wet Saturday morning gives way to a pleasant holiday weekend.

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

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Morning rain, drying afternoon. Highs: Near 50.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows: Low 30s to near 40.
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. Highs: Near 50.

View the current weather at The Washington Post headquarters.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

The most difficult weather of this holiday weekend comes right away. And while snow might be more proper for the time of year, it complicates matters a lot, so we can be somewhat thankful we’re dealing only with rain. Once we get past this morning, there won’t be a whole lot to worry about, at least when it comes to things falling from the sky.

Today (Saturday): Rain should be at its peak this morning, and probably on the early side. We’re not talking about a ton of rain, but we could see more than half an inch across much of the area if conditions are optimal. The rain is certainly still needed, given that conditions remain fairly dry long-term across the region. Rain ends from west to east around midday. Exactly when is a little up in the air, but it should generally be in the 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. window. Skies then head partly cloudy during the afternoon. Highs reach the upper 40s to around 50. Winds are from the west and northwest around 10 mph. Confidence: Medium

Tonight: Skies are partly cloudy through the night. Winds from the north stay up around 5 to 10 mph with some stronger gusts. It is cool, as winter tends to be, but not too much so. Lows end up ranging across the 30s, which might be near 40 downtown. Confidence: Medium-High

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates. For related traffic news, check out Dr. Gridlock. Keep reading for the forecast through the weekend…

Christmas Day (Sunday): If you’re planning to be out and about, the weather is about as cooperative as it can be at this time of year. Skies are partly cloudy, and temperatures are mild. In this case, mild means upper 40s to lower 50s. Winds are light from the north. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: Skies range from mostly clear early to increasingly cloudy late. With high pressure moving by to the north, we should be a touch colder than tonight. That still keeps most spots in the 30s, with a range of about 30-38 expected. Confidence: Medium-High

The White House Christmas tree. (John Sonderman via Flickr)

A LOOK AHEAD

Many of us are fortunate enough to have Monday off, and the weather remains mostly cooperative for the extended holiday. That big storm wrapping up over the central United States is sending a cold front our way, so clouds are likely to increase through the day. I think most of us stay dry during the sunny hours, as highs rise to near 50. There could be a scattered shower, especially north, during the afternoon, and the risk of showers grows overnight as lows reach the mid-30s to near 40. Confidence: Medium

The cold front passes on Tuesday, but we might see a surge of real warmth before it does. What kind of warmth? It could be near or above 60! It’s not the best day to enjoy those temperatures, though, as at least occasional showers are possible throughout the day. By evening, the front is passing through, and winds out of the northwest return. Confidence: Medium

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