4 things to know about the weather:
- Much colder pattern returns
- Rainy Monday
- Freeze threat, next two mornings
- Rain again on Friday
Our mild pattern is over for now and we likely won't see 70° again for another week.
Fortunately, this colder pattern will come with two good chances to pick up some much-needed rainfall. The first chance for rain is already waiting for you on the other side of the front door.
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Umbrellas will be needed for the rest of the day, with the rain not expected to end until late Monday night. Rainfall totals will range from about half an inch in the northern half of the DMV to around an inch in the southern half.
Our Friday rain chance will deliver similar amounts of rain with the same distribution - lighter to the north and heavier to the south of D.C. The rain is the good news part of this week's forecast. The bad news is the cold.
Sharp contrast in temps from last week
Reagan National has been 75° or higher on seven of the last nine days... above 80° on five of those days! That's WAY above our average highs which have been in the low 60s during that period. The early explosion of flowers, leaves and pollen has been a result of this warm spell and now those same plants are in danger of a harmful frost or killing freeze.
Temperatures will struggle to stay much above 50° Monday afternoon. As the rain ends and the sky clears, temperatures will fall into the 30s Monday night. The wetness and the breeze should help to limit the frost/freeze threat Monday night, but Tuesday night will be a totally different story.
Freeze threat ahead on Wednesday
Sunny skies and gusty winds are coming Tuesday. Tuesday's highs will stay in the 40s with wind chills remaining in the 30s all afternoon. Once the wind dies down after sunset, temperatures will plummet.
Nearly everywhere north and west of Dulles Airport will drop into the 20s. Even Downtown D.C. and Reagan National could drop to the freezing mark. That would be the latest freeze since 2016. If you have cold-sensitive plants, make efforts to protect them or risk losing them to the cold.
Sunshine will come back on Wednesday morning and afternoon highs will get back into the mid-to-upper 50s. We'll be back near 60° on Thursday as clouds return in the afternoon and rain chances return after sunset.
The upcoming weekend will remain cooler than average with plenty of clouds on Saturday and more sunshine on Sunday.
Weather radar
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10-day forecast
Quickcast
MONDAY:
Cloudy, Chilly & Rainy
Steadiest Rain Before Noon
Showers Into This Evening
Wind: Northeast 5-10 mph
Chance Of Rain: 100%
HIGHS: 48° - 54°
MONDAY NIGHT:
Showers Ending
Clearing After Midnight
Blustery, Much Colder
Wind: Northwest 12-24 mph
Chance Of Rain: 60%
LOWS: 32° - 38°
TUESDAY:
Mostly Sunny
Blustery And Cold
Daytime Chills Around 35°
Wind: Northwest 15-30 mph
Chance Of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 44° - 50°
WEDNESDAY:
AM Freeze For Many
Sunny Afternoon
Quite Chilly
Chance Of Rain: 0%
Wind: West 5-10 mph
HIGHS: 50° - 56°
THURSDAY:
A Bit Milder
Increasing Clouds
Showers Likely By Evening
Wind: South 10-20 mph
Chance Of Rain: 40%
HIGHS: 56° - 62°
Sunrise 6:43 Sunset 7:38
Average High: 65° Average Low: 46°
