Capital Weather Gang from The Washington Post

Daily forecast for the Washington area

D.C.-area forecast: Midwinter chill today and Sunday before milder air moves in with precipitation

The Capitol basking in December sunshine. (Tim Brown via Flickr)

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

3/10: Too cold. Too windy. Is it spring yet?

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Mostly sunny, breezy. Highs: Mid-30s to near 40.
Tonight: Mostly clear early, increasing clouds. Lows: 19-29.
Tomorrow: Increasingly cloudy. Late shower? Highs: Near 40.

View the current weather conditions at The Washington Post headquarters.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

Other than a brief respite with milder temperatures on Monday, winter is here for as far as the eye can see. Then again, it is winter as far as the climatological calendar goes, so I suppose we should expect it. For now, the threats of wintry precipitation are not too significant. Although there are hints that we might need to bring the Snow Potential Index out pretty soon.

Today (Saturday): Much like yesterday, sunshine is dominant. And also much like yesterday, that sunshine doesn’t do us much good. It stays rather bone-chilling for those of not yet accustomed to real winter chill. Temperatures struggle through the 30s, reaching the mid-30s to near 40 for highs. With winds out of the north and northwest around 10 to 15 mph, and stronger gusts, wind chills remain in the 20s most or all of the day depending on location. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: I think this could be one of those nights where we see rapid drops in temperature right after dark, to near overnight lows, before clouds begin to really move in. Clouds tend to cap falls, or at least slow them significantly. But in this case we’ll end up quite cold one way or another. Some of the suburbs may make it into the upper teens while most of the area ends up in the 20s. Even the warm spot of downtown should head for the mid-to-upper 20s. Winds become considerably lighter, but may still around 5 mph at times. 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): We may still have some clearer times, perhaps enough for a good sunrise, before clouds tend to thicken through the day. It should stay dry though, for most of the time at least. A slight chance of showers presents itself by the sunset period, and that could be mixed with a snowflake or sleet if it happens. Highs are within a few degrees of 40, and winds are turning to the south around 5 to 10 mph. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: Any showers that work into the area through midnight or so may have some wintry precipitation mixed in. It’s warming upstairs, so snowflake odds dwindle pretty fast, and sleet or brief freezing rain north and west shouldn’t cause much issue. Temperatures are marginal and tend to warm slightly through the night. There might not be much precipitation just yet, anyway. Lows range from near freezing to near 40 as south winds continue. Confidence: Medium-High

A LOOK AHEAD

Better odds of showers work their way into the region for Monday. A cold front is approaching from the west, but out ahead of it southerly winds persist. This pumps in somewhat milder air. Probably enough to get us into the 50s, and perhaps as high as the mid-and-upper 50s. Rain odds should dwindle by late day as the cold front passes. Confidence: Medium

Coming off low temperatures in the 30s, Tuesday is close to normal for early December on the whole. Any morning clouds give way to increased afternoon sun, as highs rise to the mid-40s to near 50. Confidence: Medium

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