Capital Weather Gang from The Washington Post

Daily forecast for the Washington area

D.C.-area forecast: In case you forgot what a brisk winter day feels like, we have a few coming up!

Blue sky in D.C. January 25. (John Sonderman via Flickr)

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

7/10: It’s still a bit windy at times, but at least it’s a sunny day with near-average temperatures for this time of year.

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Breezy. Partly cloudy. Flurries? Highs: 43-50.
Tonight: Mostly clear. Less breeze. Lows: Mid-20s to mid-30s.
Tomorrow: Mostly to partly sunny. Highs: Low-to-mid 40s.
Sunday: Trending mostly cloudy. Highs: Around 40 to mid-40s.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

We may be sick of wind and breeziness by the time Sunday rolls around. The next few days continue to feature a well-stirred atmosphere. Our bodies haven’t felt average January temperatures in a bit, so bundle up!

Today (Friday): It’s very breezy, but 15 to 25 mph westerly wind gusts aren’t as tumultuous as yesterday. We should have more sun than clouds, at least until nearer sunset. Despite the increasingly strong sun, cool and dry air will be riding in upon winds from the west — and that keeps it feeling chilly. High temperatures mostly range across the 40s. There could be a few flurries around, especially midday into afternoon and northwest of the city. Confidence: Medium-high

Tonight: Winds from the west should drop below 10 mph by late evening. It’s still cold, even without factoring in the wind. We likely bottom out just before dawn, in the mid-20s well outside the Beltway, to the mid-30s downtown. Skies should stay fairly clear. Combine that with our dry air, and that helps allow temperatures to drop off quickly. Confidence: Medium-high

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

Tomorrow (Saturday): Jury is still out. We have sunshine (woo!), but perhaps temperatures stay chilly (but around average). Are high temperatures in the low-to-mid 40s more tolerable if I promise slightly lower westerly winds in the 10-20 mph range? Okay, you’re right, still grab that heavy windbreaker and gloves. Confidence: Medium-high

Tomorrow night: This one may end up similar to Friday night, with partly-to-mostly clear skies, dying winds for late evening into early morning hours, and chilly but not Arctic air. By just before dawn, most locations outside the Beltway again eye the mid-20s. Mid-30s still may dominate inside the Beltway, particularly downtown. Confidence: Medium

A LOOK AHEAD

Sunday: Early sunshine may still be possible if you are up near sunrise, but clouds quickly take over. We may even have a sprinkle or light shower near sunset. Westerly breezes around 10 mph are still possible so consider dressing in multiple layers, especially when considering the lack of warm sunshine. High temperatures may get only to around 40 in northern and western suburbs. With, maybe, a few mid-40s downtown and south/east of town. Confidence: Medium

Sunday night: We are more confident in nearly-overcast skies rather than whether rain sprinkles turn into snow flurries and snow showers. Even if you see overnight flakes, we aren’t thinking much to any accumulation is probable. Most road surfaces are above freezing, but watch those bridges and overpasses, since low temperatures may dip to just above-freezing (~33F) downtown, to mid-20s in the typically colder suburbs. Confidence: Medium

Clouds could battle sunshine fairly effectively during Monday and Tuesday. We may even see a few snowflakes fly both mornings. We have a couple of weak disturbances moving through. Although no major issues are expected, we know that even the sight of flakes can snarl traffic around here — so stay tuned. Be sure to bundle up, since breezes may combine with limited sunshine to make high temperatures around 40 to mid-40s feel nippy at times both days. Confidence: Low-medium

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