It's cold outside.
(How cold is it?)
It's so cold that Friday will be the coldest day in the Washington area in five years.
Cold enough for you? We thought so.
The temperature in the District Friday morning was 12 degrees. That's the lowest it's been since Jan. 10, 2004, when the temperature dropped to a bitterly cold 8 degrees.
Wind chill advisories are in effect until noon Friday for the District as well as areas west and north.
High temperatures will only be near 20 degrees, and some areas will be near 0 Saturday morning. Cold temperatures combined with northwest winds of 5 mph to 15 mph with occasional higher gusts will produce wind-chill values as low as 5 below zero.
A wind chill advisory means that very cold air and strong winds will combine to generate low wind chills. This will result in frostbite and lead to hypothermia if precautions are not taken. If you must go outside, make sure to wear a hat and gloves. Fashionable hats and gloves are options. Just make sure they work.
Also, make sure your pets are inside during this cold weather. If it's too cold for you to be outside, it's too cold for your dog, too.
The cold will moderate a bit by Inauguration Day, but it still looks like a cold breezy day with temperatures near 32 at noon on Tuesday.
For the complete forecast, click here.
Here are some cold-weather facts for you to bust out at the office today:
The all-time record low for the District is -15 on Feb. 11, 1899.
The last time the high was in the teens was on Feb. 4, 1996.
The record low for Saturday (Jan. 17) is -5. That was set in 1982. The low this Saturday is expected to bottom out at about 5 degrees above zero.
