The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

D.C.-area forecast: Gloomy with showers likely for the inauguration today, then heavier rain Sunday and Monday

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January 20, 2017 at 5:00 a.m. EST

TODAY’S DAILY DIGIT
A somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of zero to 10.

5/10: Meh. Periodic rain into at least early P.M. Fortunately, we manage 40s to around 50 degrees. Hang in there.

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Cloudy with periodic rain. Highs: Mid-40s to around 50.
Tonight: Cloudy. Patchy fog/drizzle. Lows: Upper 30s to low 40s.
Tomorrow:  A.M. fog/drizzle possible. Mostly cloudy. Highs: 50s.
Sunday: Rain, turning steady. Highs: Around 50 to mid-50s.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

Get ready for clouds, periodic rain and perhaps gusty wind mixed in by Sunday. We may not see much sun until Tuesday, so take that Vitamin D3 to avoid SAD! At least our region could use this potential 1”-2” of rain coming our way through Monday.

Today (Inauguration Day): Overcast conditions with periodic rain looks probable. Dress in warm layers and stay dry with a poncho or rain jacket — although on the Mall, many attendees are allowed a small “tote” collapsible umbrella. Off-and-on rain may not taper until afternoon, but at least it looks like a generally light rain when it occurs. A more moderate period may focus on the midday before it ends. Temperatures should be able to reach the mid-40s to around 50 degrees. Luckily we have no major breeze to speak of, so wind chill and blowing rain are non-issues. Confidence: Medium-high

[Forecast timeline: Donald Trump’s inauguration weather will be dreary.]

Tonight: Drier. Inaugural ballgoers should stay dry for the most part. Breezes look to remain calm, preventing upper 30s to lower 40s from feeling much chillier than advertised. Drizzle and even some late-night fog is possible, so drive carefully if out late. Confidence: Medium

For related traffic news, check out Dr. Gridlock. Keep reading for the forecast into next week.

Tomorrow (Saturday): This one is drier and a bit more springlike for continued events on and around downtown. Some patchy drizzle and fog is possible in the morning, but generally it’s just mostly cloudy skies. We may see prolonged breaks midday if lucky. Highs in the 50s are expected, higher or lower in that range depending on sunshine. Mid-to-upper seems a decent bet for now. A couple of light sprinkles are possible by late afternoon. Breezes should remain light and variable. Confidence: Medium

Tomorrow night: Shower chances slowly but surely increase (from 30 percent toward 60 percent) as we go through the evening hours toward late night — but nothing too moderate in intensity until probably nearer dawn. Breezes remain calm, but even with a very light easterly breeze, low temperatures in the mid-40s to near 50 still feel raw. Confidence: Medium

A LOOK AHEAD

Sunday: Rain really arrives. By mid-morning it may be steady and getting moderately heavy at times. Northeast winds pick up toward 10 mph to 15 mph by afternoon. This looks like a classic nor’easter, given that wind direction! Just no snow. Temperatures are well above-freezing (and above-average) around 50 degrees to mid-50s. You still may want a warm, lined rain jacket. Confidence: Medium

Sunday night: Windy and rainy. Bundle up as temperatures remain raw in the low-to-mid 40s nearer dawn. Slight good news nearer dawn is that we may see a brief respite — or at least reduction in intensity — in the very late night hours overnight. Can’t make any guarantees, though. Confidence: Medium

A potential weather “write off” for Monday with rain and wind potentially dominating the day. While moderately heavy rain continues to belt down, northeasterly winds could gust between 20 mph and 30 mph at times. Not pretty. But we can certainly use this rain! High temperatures may struggle in these conditions, but current thinking is that upper 40s to low 50s are possible. Confidence: Low-Medium

Slow but we think steady clearing occurs on Tuesday as we finally see sunshine again. Hopefully! A drier day looks likely with little to no rain (stay tuned) and high temperatures around 50 to perhaps mid-50s! It should feel comfortable, without the rain beating down on you. Confidence: Low-medium