Tomorrow (Saturday): Overcast skies and showers (40% chance) are slow to clear the area, as our cold front struggles to move away. Another area of low pressure could come up along the front from the south, spreading showers until perhaps midday. We’ll watch the threat, so you can better plan outdoor activities. Most areas only get into the upper 50s but some mid-60s are possible if skies can get sunny by mid-afternoon. 10 mph westerly winds become noticeable 20 mph winds as the afternoon wears on. Confidence: Medium

Tomorrow night: Dry, chilly air—the core of the air mass change behind the cold front– moves in. We may have to use “blasting in” as the description, since west-northwest winds increase toward 25-35 mph overnight. I also can’t rule out (25% chance of) a shower. Low temperatures downtown may hover around 40 by just before dawn, with the 32 degree freezing mark being eyed by locations north and west of town. Bring in those sensitive plants if you can, just to play it safe. Confidence: Medium

Sunday: This should be the gem of the weekend–if you can put up with cooler air –as sunshine returns en masse. Early spring air should prove invigorating and still worth getting outside for! High temperatures may top out in the upper 40s north and west of town, to perhaps low 50s downtown. Current thinking (silver lining) is that northwesterly winds slowly and effectively die down as the day wears on. Confidence: Medium-High

Capitol Magnolias, March 26 (Nathan Jones via our CWG Flickr group)

A LOOK AHEAD

Sunday night: Chilly but nothing we can’t handle. Low temperatures by just before dawn should bottom in the upper 20s outside of the Beltway, to perhaps mid-30s downtown. Clear skies may prevail and northwesterly winds should finally calm. It may be a good night to bring in those plants again, even locations in upper northwest D.C.! Confidence: Low-Medium

Sun may win over the clouds on Monday, but showers (25% chance) and a cool breeze can’t be completely ruled out either. At this point, I think any rain drops should remain short in duration and light in intensity. We’ll tweak the forecast as needed, once we get closer and the detailed data becomes clearer. High temperatures may still make it to around 60 to mid-60s for high temperatures, so be sure to warm yourself on the sunny side of the street, if chilly in the shade. Confidence: Medium

It’s drier but cooler on Tuesday, most likely. High temperatures may be roughly 10 degrees cooler than Monday, with 50s being about the warmest we can attain. Cooler air may have you grabbing for that jacket again but at least there is lots of sunshine to warm you. Note it is a strong sun at that – use sunscreen! UV strength doesn’t correlate to temperature whatsoever. Confidence: Low-Medium