4 things to know about the weather
- Near record temps Wednesday
- A few raindrops possible Thursday
- Rain more likely Sunday
- Hurricane Rafael nearing Cuba
In all likelihood, Wednesday should be our final 80° day this year in the D.C. area.
D.C. has reached 80° as late as Nov. 18 (back in 1921), but the long-range pattern favors temperatures returning back to average next week.
So get out there and enjoy a mostly sunny 80° hump day. Clouds will return Wednesday night, helping to keep temperatures above 60° for most of the D.C. metro area.
It will still be plenty warm again during the day Thursday, but mostly cloudy skies will keep 80° out of reach. Highs should easily reach the mid/upper 70s, though. As a cold front passes through, there will be a chance for a few passing sprinkles of rain. However, the chance of rain is barely 20%, and any rain totals would be insignificant.
Sunny skies will return for Friday and Saturday. Highs will be near 70° Friday afternoon but closer to 65° Saturday.
Clouds on Sunday will bring our first real chance at measurable rainfall by late that afternoon. Rain totals of between 1/4" and 1/2" look likely.
Hurricane Rafael:
Hurricane Rafael will cross western Cuba on Wednesday and then will move through the central Gulf of Mexico on Thursday and Friday.
The environment is unfavorable for Rafael to maintain hurricane strength into the weekend. There is still a chance that Rafael could reach the Louisiana coast as a tropical storm by the end of the weekend, but that is a very low-confidence forecast.
Weather radar
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10-day forecast
Quickcast
WEDNESDAY:
Warm and breezy
Increasing clouds
Staying dry
Chance of rain: 0%
Wind: southwest 12-22 mph
Highs: 76°-82°
WEDNESDAY NIGHT:
Mostly cloudy
Incredibly mild
One or two rain sprinkles
Chance of rain: 10%
Wind: southwest 5-10 mph
Lows: 58°-66°
THURSDAY:
Mostly cloudy
Mild and humid
Widely scattered showers
Wind: northwest 5-10 mph
Chance of rain: 20%
Highs: 72°-78°
FRIDAY:
Sun and clouds
Cooler
Much lower humidity
Wind: northwest 5-10 mph
Chance of rain: 0%
Highs: 65°-70°
SATURDAY:
Mostly sunny
Seasonable
Light breeze
Wind: northeast 4-8 mph
Chance of rain: 0%
Highs: 58°-64°
Sunrise: 6:41 a.m. // Sunset: 5:02 p.m.
Average high: 62° // Average low: 44°
