Capital Weather Gang from The Washington Post

Daily forecast for the Washington area

D.C.-area forecast: Breezy today as cool and tranquil weather dominates the weekend

Biking with the birds. (chasingmailboxes via Flickr)

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

6/10: Close to normal when it comes to temperatures. Wind is a negative, at least at times.

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Mostly sunny, breezy. Highs: Upper 40s to low 50s.
Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows: 30-39.
Tomorrow: Increasing clouds. Highs: Mid-40s to near 50.

View the current weather conditions at The Washington Post headquarters.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

Our descent into winter continues in a mainly peaceful manner this weekend. Sunshine wins out today, and clouds increase tomorrow. We could even see a little wintry precipitation in the region Sunday night. If that happens, it’s of that conversational variety, which means it’s only something to talk about and doesn’t cause problems. It’s unsettled as the work week gets underway.

Today (Saturday): It’s a lot like yesterday, but probably sunnier overall across the area. The main issue to deal with is wind. Wind may actually be a touch stronger than it was on Friday, at least at peak. We’re talking 15 to 20 mph sustained during the midday into afternoon with higher gusts. Those winds make temperatures that rise within a few degrees of 50 feel cooler than they are, especially in the shade. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: Mostly clear skies continue into the night. Winds should more noticeably calm as well, especially by late evening into the overnight. With less in the way of air mixing going on, temperatures head downward easier than recent nights. Cold spots end up near 30, many folks are near freezing, and downtown is probably mid-to-upper-30s. Breezes around 10 mph early diminish to light by dawn. 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…

Tomorrow (Sunday): Clouds are on the increase during the day. If we start off with sun, it won’t stay sunny for too long. I think the daylight hours end up dry. It’s possible showers could be impinging on the area near sunset, though. High temperatures are mainly in the mid-40s to near 50. Confidence: Medium

Tomorrow night: Depending on when the showers come in, we might run the risk of a bit of frozen precipitation around the area. It seems like sleet might be more likely than snow, but either is possible. It was fairly mild during the day and any precipitation is likely light and showery, so I wouldn’t expect it to cause any issues. After any “wintry mix,” we should see all showers turn to rain overnight as the air warms above. Lows are mainly in the mid-and-upper 30s. Confidence: Medium

A LOOK AHEAD

Showers may persist into early Monday, but we should trend dry pretty quick. Getting rid of the clouds may be another story as low pressure lurks offshore and another works toward us from the southwest. Highs are in the upper 40s and low 50s. Confidence: Medium

Periodic rain is a good bet for much of Tuesday, as a dual-barreled low pressure system passes the region. One low goes inland, and another wants to pass offshore. This may tend to limit the higher end rainfall potential around here, but we should still get a decent dousing as it appears now. With all the clouds and rain around, temperatures probably don’t get out of the 40s. Confidence: Medium

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