4 things to know about the weather
- Helene Drowning The South
- Rainy Friday Here
- Saturday, Warm And Sunny!
- Rain Sunday Through Tuesday
Tropical Storm Helene is drenching parts of the South after landing as a Category 4 hurricane on the Florida coast just after midnight.
The storm isn't expected to hit the D.C. area, but there will be some rain on Friday before things clear up for a nice Saturday.
On Friday, we will get the outer-most band of tropical rains. A push of dry air coming south from Pennsylvania will limit rain totals in our area to 1 inch or less for most of the D.C. metro. Higher totals will be possible as you travel southwest towards Charlottesville and Roanoke.
That push of dry air is great news for our Saturday forecast. After some rain in the early morning, Saturday afternoon should turn generally sunny… and quite warm. Highs will reach the low to mid-80s tomorrow. A late-summer feel here in late September.
The clouds will quickly return for Sunday. Rain chances are back before noon on Sunday and will last all the way through Tuesday afternoon. Rainfall amounts over that period will be in the 1 to 2-inch range on average. Our weather looks dry starting next Wednesday and continuing into the weekend after this.
Weather radar
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Tropical Storm Helene expected to affect flights
The storm is moving to the north/northeast and is expected to bring sustained tropical storm force winds all the way into north Georgia and the western Carolinas. The higher elevations of the southern Appalachians will be particularly at risk of even stronger gusts.
The other half of this storm is the rain. Most of the Southern Appalachians had 3 to 7 inches of rain within the past few days before Helene arrived. An additional 3 to 8 inches is likely over the next 24 hours. Catastrophic, life-threatening, flash flooding is likely for areas north and east of Atlanta into Greenville-Spartanburg, SC and Asheville, NC. Significant flooding will also be a concern in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.
Expect major impacts to air travel Friday and Saturday.
Here's a full list of weather alerts in the DMV.
10-day forecast
Quickcast
TODAY:
Cloudy, Breezy, Rainy
DC Area: 1/4" to 3/4"
Higher Rain Totals West & South
Wind: East 15-30 mph
Chance Of Rain: 90%
HIGHS: 72° - 78°
TONIGHT:
Cloudy & Breezy
Rainy Evening
Less Rain After Midnight
Chance Of Rain: 80%
Wind: Southeast 10-22 mph
LOWS: 66° - 72°
SATURDAY:
Partly/Mostly Sunny
Warm And Humid
Isolated Shower Possible
Wind: South 5-15 mph
Chance Of Rain: <20%
HIGHS: 78° - 84°
SUNDAY:
Cloudy And Cooler
Rain Likely
Rainfall Around 1/2"
Wind: Northeast 5-15 mph
Chance Of Rain: 70%
HIGHS: 72° - 78°
MONDAY:
Cloudy And Cooler
Rain, Moderate At Times
Breezy
Wind: Northeast 10-15 mph
Chance Of Rain: 80%
HIGHS: 68° - 74°
Sunrise 7:01 Sunset 6:56
Average High: 77° Average Low: 60°
