Capital Weather Gang from The Washington Post

Daily forecast for the Washington area

D.C.-area forecast: After a blustery day, it thaws a bit during the dry New Year’s weekend

Marine One on Dec. 27. (Julie B via Flickr)

* Wind gusts above 40 mph possible today *

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

4/10: Potential flurries (exciting). Wind gusts near 40 mph? (Yuck.) Bundle up big time. Try to enjoy a.m. sunshine.

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Gusty wind. Flurry possible. Highs: Upper 30s to low 40s.
Tonight: Clearer. Less wind. Lows: 20s.
Tomorrow: Sunny morning. Breezier, cloudier afternoon. Highs: Low-to-mid 40s.
Sunday: Mix of clouds and sun. Late shower? Highs: Upper 40s to low 50s.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

Yep, today’s cold and blustery, but at least we thaw this weekend! You’ll want to prepare to be blown around today, so wear all the warm, wind-resistant layers you can find. NYE looks likely to stay dry, but early week looks wet.

Today (Friday): Bundle up. By mid-morning and into late afternoon, west-northwesterly wind 15-25 mph could gust toward 40 mph at times and create wind chills in the 20s. Skies should start out fairly sunny in the morning, but chances are we see some clouds before sunset. And maybe even some flurries — but with high temperatures expected in the upper 30s to low 40s, no accumulation is expected. Confidence: Medium

Tonight: Westerly winds slowly and steadily die down with gusts below 20 mph (max.) as the evening wears on. It’s clearer and cold, though, with low temperatures in the low 20s well outside the Beltway, with some spots in the upper 20s downtown. Scarf and gloves, for sure. Hope to see some of you at the CWG Holiday Gathering tonight too! Confidence: Medium-High

For related traffic news, check out Dr. Gridlock. Keep reading for the forecast into next week.

Tomorrow (Saturday): Sunshine should dominate over clouds until hopefully late afternoon. Calm morning conditions pick up a bit, into a southerly breeze 5-10 mph as the day finishes. High temperatures should range in the low-to-mid-40s. Confidence: Medium-High

New Year’s Eve (tomorrow night): A very slight chance of an isolated shower isolated late in the evening, but probably we all stay dry as we ring in 2017 (after our extra leap-second, of course). Temperatures at midnight should be in the low 40s downtown, upper 30s outside of the Beltway — ultimate low temperatures, around dawn, may only be a few degrees lower, thanks to southwesterly breezes 5-10 mph. Confidence: Medium-High

A LOOK AHEAD

New Year’s Day (Sunday): Some sunshine in the morning may get shrouded by afternoon. But you’re just staying inside and resting anyway, right? High temperatures should warm just a bit as the weekend ends, reaching the upper 40s to low 50s. The day looks mostly dry, but near sunset we do have an increased 25 percent chance of a shower. Confidence: Medium

Sunday night: Generally light showers become more and more probable as the evening (40 percent chance) wears into the late-night hours (60 percent chance). Low temperatures may actually occur in the late-evening hours, then climb slightly toward upper 30s to low 40s for much of the region. Confidence: Low-Medium

Looking very cloudy with possibly occasional showers for Monday and Tuesday. Drive safely and allow a bit more time if still coming back into town from a holiday road trip. A few showers, especially Monday, could be moderate intensity for a short bit. Breezes should remain relatively tame, as well as high temperatures both days. We should see upper 40s to low 50s (Monday) and upper 50s to low 60s (Tuesday). Confidence: Medium

Recommended for you

Going Out Guide

What to do and where to go in the Washington area, in your inbox twice a week.