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D.C.-area forecast: Mild and breezy today, rain likely on Inauguration Day

January 18, 2017 at 5:00 a.m. EST

TODAY’S DAILY DIGIT
A somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of 0 to 10.

7/10: Partly cloudy and mid-50s to near 60 is pretty nice for January, even with breeziness and risk of a passing shower.

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Breezy, passing shower? Highs: Mid-50s to near 60.
Tonight: Partly to mostly cloudy. Lows: Mid-30s to near 40.
Tomorrow: Partly to mostly sunny, light winds. Highs: Mid-50s.

View the current weather conditions at The Washington Post headquarters.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

Today’s not nearly as damp and dreary as yesterday, though a passing shower or two remains possible with a noticeable breeze. Can’t complain about mild temperatures today and tomorrow. But I’m sure we’ll get plenty of complaints about the chances for rain on Inauguration Day and again on Sunday.

Today (Wednesday): A rather mild start this morning for the middle of January, with early-morning readings in the upper 40s to near 50. Can’t rule out a passing shower or two today as some upper-level energy comes through. Otherwise we’re partly cloudy and breezy, with afternoon highs reaching the mid-50s to near 60, and winds gusting from the northwest near 25-30 mph. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: Winds diminish this evening into the overnight under partly to mostly cloudy skies. We’ll see lows well above average, in the mid-30s to near 40. Confidence: High

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Tomorrow (Thursday): With high pressure in complete control, tomorrow shapes up quite nice, at least by January standards. Winds are light and skies are partly to mostly sunny as highs head for the mid-50s. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: Skies should still be partly to mostly clear into the evening. But we could see increasing clouds overnight or toward morning, as our next weather system gets a bit closer from the west. Lows drop back to the mid-30s to near 40. Confidence: Medium-High

A LOOK AHEAD

Rain is likely (70 percent chance) at some point on Inauguration Day, probably starting sometime between mid-morning and early afternoon, and it could be on the steady side through much of the day. Mostly cloudy skies hold highs to the mid-40s to near 50. Rain chances decrease Friday night, but that doesn’t mean some showers won’t linger, with lows in the upper 30s to low 40s. Confidence: Low-Medium

Dry weather is favored Saturday with partly cloudy skies and highs somewhere in the 50s, perhaps near 60 if we get enough sun. Just a slight chance of a shower Saturday night as lows settle in the 40s. Confidence: Medium

A more significant chance of rain returns on Sunday, although timing is uncertain at this point, with plenty of clouds and highs in the 50s. Confidence: Low