Capital Weather Gang from The Washington Post

Daily forecast for the Washington area

D.C.-area forecast: Chilly today and Tuesday but a slow warming trend toward Christmas

Sunset, Dec. 17, 2016 at Fort Smallwood. (BytheBayPhotos via Flickr)

Sunset Dec. 17 at Fort Smallwood. (BytheBayPhotos via Flickr)

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

4/10: It’s a chilly day, but at least the wind isn’t too strong and the sun shines brightly.

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Mostly sunny, cold. Highs: 34-38
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows: 18-25
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. Highs: Near 38-44.

View the current weather conditions at The Washington Post headquarters.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

After our wild weekend, the weather settles down considerably this week. It’s colder than normal today and tomorrow but then fairly seasonable through the end of the work week. We have no wintry precipitation to worry about and rain chances are limited to spotty showers on Thursday and at some point over the holiday weekend. Even with the minor rain chances, both Christmas Eve and especially Christmas Day should be milder than normal.

Today (Monday): We’ll have a good deal of sunshine, but it’s a cold one. Highs range from the low-to-mid 30s in our suburbs to the upper 30s downtown (and south and east). Winds are from the north at about 10 mph. Confidence: High

Tonight: We may have a few clouds, but skies are mostly clear. Temperatures drop off pretty fast with lows in the upper teens in our colder areas to the mid-20s downtown. Light winds. Confidence: 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 (Tuesday): Mostly sunny and not quite as chilly as Monday. Highs should approach 40 in most spots, and I think low to mid-40s are doable downtown and to the south and east. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: Skies are clear and it’s seasonably cold. Lows range from near 20 in our colder areas to the upper 20s downtown. Calm winds. Confidence: Medium-High

A LOOK AHEAD

Wednesday through Friday are relatively tranquil for travelers and last-minute shoppers. Highs each day are in the 40s (closer to 50 Wednesday and closer to 40 Friday), with lows mostly from 25-30 in our colder areas and 30-35 around the city and elsewhere. There’s an outside chance of a shower Thursday afternoon or evening as a weak cold front zips by, but otherwise skies are partly cloudy. Confidence: Medium

Temperatures are likely to be milder than normal for both Christmas Eve and Christmas. Cloud cover will probably be variable and a few sprinkles or light showers aren’t out of the question either Saturday or Sunday as a warm front lifts through the region. Any rain should be short-lived and minimally disruptive. Highs Christmas Eve are probably about 45-50 and 50-55 on Christmas Day. Lows are mostly in the 30s to near 40. Confidence: Medium

SNOW POTENTIAL INDEX
A daily assessment of the potential for at least 1 inch of snow in the next week, on a 0-10 scale.

0/10 (→): Disappointingly, no snow chances through Christmas. SPI going back into hibernation.

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