Capital Weather Gang from The Washington Post

Daily forecast for the Washington area

D.C.-area forecast: Good weekend weather to be out and about in; warming into next week

It’s a good time for a bike ride. (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: About what you’d expect in late November. I could probably go for lighter wind myself.

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Mostly sunny, breezy. Highs: Near 50 to mid-50s.
Tonight: Mostly clear, breezy. Lows: Near 30 to near 40.
Tomorrow: Mostly to partly sunny. Highs: Around 50.

View the current weather conditions at The Washington Post headquarters.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

The rest of the holiday weekend will be ideal for heading out to grab a tree, fill the car with new goodies, or just about anything else you might find yourself doing. It might not be perfect for leaf raking, as there will be some gusty breezes to contend with, but even that is probably doable if you go at it with the right game plan. Another warming trend is underway as we start the work week. We may even make a run toward 70 at some point.

Today (Saturday): A few clouds blow by at times today, but the story is sunshine. That’s a pretty common story of late, so I would imagine you know more or less how it goes. As we are now closing in on December, daytime temperature averages are getting pretty low. As such, afternoon readings mainly in the low-to-mid 50s are just about normal. A stiff breeze from the north and northwest around 10 to 15 mph, with gusts around 25 mph or so, certainly adds an extra chill at times. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: Winds of the day die off a bit after sunset, as they tend to do. We don’t lose the wind entirely, though. With a freshly chilled air mass in place, lows are near freezing in many western and northwestern suburbs. Most other spots make the 30s as well. The city may stay near or even above 40. This is one of those nights that if the wind died off, it would probably be a little colder. However, northwest winds continue around 5 to 10 mph. 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): Tomorrow is a lot like today. Temperatures are likely a little cooler, and winds are hopefully a little lighter as well. Some clouds may drift by amidst otherwise sunny conditions. Highs are near 50 or into the low 50s, and winds blow around 10 mph from the northwest. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: If the wind of tonight keeps temperatures from dipping to their coldest potential, that doesn’t look to be the case tomorrow night. Breezes of the day almost entirely dwindle heading into the night. Thanks to clear skies and dry air remaining in place, lows are able to dive toward the mid-20s in the coldest spots to the mid-30s in the warmer places. Confidence: Medium

A LOOK AHEAD

High pressure is offshore on Monday. As a low pressure spins up in the central U.S., we’re in a zone of warmer winds blowing in from the south. This should help high temperatures rise toward the mid-50s to near 60. Skies are rather sunny overall, although we could see clouds on the increase by late in the day. Confidence: Medium

On Tuesday, a cold front is racing into the area. But we may see warmth continue to surge until it does. For now, it looks like it’ll be cloudy all day. Precipitation may even arrive early enough that we don’t have much chance to naturally warm. There is a wide range in temperatures possible given the lack of sun, and the onset of showers. Another mid-50s to near 60 high seems like the best bet at this moment. But if anything, we might trend toward the high side given the southerly flow ahead of the front. Not a huge rainstorm. Every drop counts these days. Confidence: Medium

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