9:30 a.m. — Wind advisory in effect 10 p.m. tonight until 10 a.m. Friday
As the strong cold front sweeps through the region tonight into early Friday, sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph are possible. This has prompted a wind advisory from the National Weather Service.
“Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects,” the advisory states. “Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.”
You may want to tie down or bring inside any loose outdoor objects. Gusts could be particularly strong in showers that come through overnight.
The advisory covers most of the D.C. and Baltimore areas but does not include southern Maryland and locations south of Prince William County in Virginia. However, a high wind warning is in effect for the Blue Ridge Mountains where gusts could reach 65 mph.
The strongest gusts in the immediate D.C. area, over 40 mph, are expected a little after midnight although there may be a second surge around sunrise Friday. Winds should slowly start to ease on Friday afternoon but it will remain breezy until late Friday night. Another round of gusty winds are possible Saturday afternoon.
Today’s daily digit
A somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of 0 to 10.
8/10: Spring warmth is first rate, and showers hold off until late.
Express forecast
- Today: Mainly cloudy and breezy. Highs: 64-68
- Tonight: Showers with gusty winds. Lows: 44-50
- Tomorrow: Clearing and blustery. Highs: 48-52 early
Forecast in detail
We get a quick taste of spring today before gusty winds blow it all away tomorrow. Wind-swept showers pass through tonight, and then it is nothing but clear sailing through the weekend. Cool weekend temperatures flip warmer in time for Presidents’ Day.
Today (Thursday): Sunshine is hard to come by, but gusty south winds push temperatures up nicely anyway. A shower is possible late but unlikely. Highs reach the mid- to upper 60s. Confidence: Medium-High
Tonight: Showers are likely to develop as the evening wears on and continue off and on through the night. Amounts are mostly light, or around a quarter of an inch. Strong winds build from the south with gusts up to 45 mph. Overnight lows are mainly in the upper 40s. Confidence: Medium-High
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Tomorrow (Friday): Showers taper off quickly in the early morning, and skies quickly clear. Winds shift to the northwest early, with gusts up to 40 mph, ushering in much cooler air. This drops readings from upper 40s to lower 40s during the day, with wind chills in the 30s. Confidence: Medium-High
Tomorrow night: Winds ease overnight, and under clear skies, temperatures dip to chilly levels. Lows range in the 20s. Confidence: High
A look ahead
A quick-moving snowstorm over the Great Lakes on Saturday shoves colder air into our area on gusty winds. This makes highs in the upper 40s less comfortable despite a mostly sunny day. The overnight period is clear and calm, with lows in the upper teens to lower 20s (mid-20s downtown). Confidence: Medium-High
Sunday starts calm and chilly, but winds pick up strongly from the south by afternoon. Highs are still mainly in the upper 40s, and sunny skies prevail. Lows drop to the low to mid-30s. Confidence: Medium-High
Mostly sunny skies and notably warmer temperatures on Presidents’ Day (Monday) encourage outdoor activities for those enjoying a day off. Highs top out in the upper 50s to lower 60s. Confidence: Medium
