Capital Weather Gang from The Washington Post

Daily forecast for the Washington area

D.C.-area forecast: Springlike to start the week, but winter may storm back by Thursday

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

6/10: Unless you’re looking for snow, it’s hard to complain about 50 degrees in early February.

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Partly sunny. Highs: 49-54.
Tonight: Increasing clouds, shower possible pre-dawn. Lows: 40-45.
Tomorrow: Morning shower possible, then mild. Highs: Near 60.

View the current weather conditions at The Washington Post headquarters.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

Like much of the winter so far, the week begins milder-than-normal. Temperatures could hit 60 Tuesday and Wednesday, even as we dodge a few showers. But Wednesday night, colder air start to spill into the region as a wave low pressure passes by and rain could even change to snow for a time. Mid-winter-like cold then grips the region Thursday and Friday before temperatures moderate again next weekend.

Today (Monday): This day looks a lot like yesterday. The morning’s a little chilly but, under a mix of clouds and sun, highs should reach the low 50s in most spots. Light winds from the northwest become out of the south during the afternoon. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: Most of the night is dry, but clouds increase as the night wears on and a shower is possible during the predawn hours as a warm front approaches. Lows range from 40-45. Confidence: Medium-High

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Tomorrow (Tuesday): It’s cloudy early on and a few showers are possible. But we should see breaks in the cloud cover by the afternoon and winds from the south (at 10-15 mph, with gusts to 20 mph) draw in very mild air. Highs make a run at 60 degrees. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: Skies are mostly cloudy and we can’t rule out a shower, but the night is notable for it’s mild temperatures. Lows only dip down to 50-55, which is a good deal warmer than our average highs at this time of year. Confidence: Medium-High

Early bloomers by the Washington Monument, Feb. 5, 2017. (Joe Flood via Flickr)

A LOOK AHEAD

Wednesday is variably cloudy and still warm for the time of year with temperatures in the 50s to near 60. A cold front passes through during the day, and we can’t rule out a shower. But – at night – a wave of low pressure is likely to pass just to our south, spreading rain into the area. As colder air oozes south into our region, rain may mix with and change to snow. The best chance of a changeover to snow and perhaps some slushy accumulation will be in our colder north and west suburbs. Lows are 30-35. Confidence: Low-Medium

Cold high pressure builds into the region Thursday and Friday with skies becoming sunny and highs 35-40. Nights are clear and cold, with lows in the 20s. Confidence: Medium

Mild air returns next weekend, which we favor to be partly sunny and dry. Highs are likely near 50 Saturday and into the 50s on Sunday. Overnight lows are in the 30s. 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.

1/10 (↑): Rain might change to snow briefly Wednesday night, but we’d lean against accumulation at this point.

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