Capital Weather Gang from The Washington Post

Daily forecast for the Washington area

D.C.-area forecast: Chance of showers early today; rain possible for the Fourth, but not necessarily a washout

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

6/10: Clouds abound, but any showers shouldn’t be much more than a nuisance.

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Mostly to partly cloudy, early showers? Highs: Upper 70s to low 80s.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, slight shower chance. Lows: Mid-to-upper 60s.
Tomorrow: Increasing chance of showers and storms. Highs: Mid-70s to low 80s.

View the current weather conditions at The Washington Post headquarters.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

Well, I wish I had better news, although the forecast isn’t all bad. A majority of today should be dry, and tomorrow you may be able to sneak in at least a portion of your outdoor activities, before the chance of more numerous showers and storms increases during the afternoon into evening. A total washout of tomorrow afternoon and evening is not guaranteed, and the forecast may still fluctuate a bit. So read the details below carefully, and check back for updates.

Today (Sunday): A warm front is near enough to our south that we have a 40% chance of seeing some showers, especially across the southern half of the area and mainly during the morning hours. Most outdoor plans should end up OK, especially be late morning into the afternoon. Mostly cloudy morning skies may give way to some glimpses of afternoon sun. Nonetheless, the clouds help keep temperatures in check, with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s. Humidity rises slightly over yesterday, but remains on the low side for early July. Winds are light and variable in direction. Confidence: Medium

Tonight: Only a slight chance of a shower through a mostly cloudy evening and overnight, though rain chances may increase a bit for western areas toward morning. With light winds from the south and an increasingly humid air mass, areas of fog are possible as lows fall to the mid-to-upper 60s. Confidence: Medium

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 midweek…

Tomorrow (Independence Day): Rain is almost certainly in the forecast for the Fourth of July. The question is, when? It’s possible that we catch a break, or at least lighter and more isolated showers, through the morning and maybe into the early-to-mid afternoon. However, the chances for more numerous showers are on the rise by mid-to-late afternoon, with some thunder possible as well. There’s still some uncertainty to this forecast, so don’t assume a mid-to-late afternoon washout yet, but have a Plan B in mind for outdoor plans. Highs range from the mid-70s to low 80s, with higher humidity. Confidence: Low-Medium

Tomorrow night: Fireworks plans are in jeopardy with showers and storms likely during the evening and overnight. Although it’s not impossible we get lucky with a drier window around fireworks time. There’s also a chance the heaviest rains veer north of the area. Expect lots of clouds, more fog and mild temperatures, with lows in the low-to-mid 70s. Confidence: Medium

Pre-storm sunset at the United States Air Force Memorial on July 1. (Navin Sarma via Flickr)

A LOOK AHEAD

The heaviest of the rain should be out by Tuesday. But with the front still hanging around, we’re left with mostly to partly cloudy skies, and a continuing chance of scattered showers and storms. Highs reach the 80s to near 90 with high humidity. Any showers and storms should diminish and eventually end Tuesday night, with overnight lows expected in the low-to-mid 70s. Confidence: Low-Medium

We should finally break out into partly to mostly sunny skies by Wednesday, with weak high pressure likely confining any showers and storms to the mountains. Along with the sun, though, comes some summertime warmth and moderate-to-high humidity, as highs climb to the upper 80s to low 90s. Confidence: Medium

Dan Stillman contributed to this forecast.

Recommended for you

Going Out Guide

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