Forecast: Unsettled, Uncertain Today and Friday
Mostly sunny and dry for the weekend
We're looking at a complex forecast over the next 48 hours as a cold front stalls close to our area; a few waves of low pressure will then ride along the stalled front, triggering scattered showers. Uncertainty in the positioning of the front means a low-confidence forecast for both temperatures and precipitation today and tomorrow. Luckily, though, high pressure -- and higher confidence -- returns in time for the weekend, bringing sunshine and dry weather back to the area, albeit with cooler temperatures.
Cloudy. Scattered showers. Upper 50s to low 60s. You'll wake up to mostly cloudy skies today with morning lows in the mid 40s to low 50s. Scattered showers are likely to visit parts of the area at times today, especially north and west of D.C. High temperatures will vary depending on location: in the mid 50s north and west; near 60 downtown; in the low to mid 60s to the south of D.C.
Expect overcast skies and a couple of showers tonight with lows only dropping to the upper 40s to low 50s.
Forecast Confidence: Low-medium
Overcast with showers. Upper 50s to low 60s. When you wake up Friday morning you'll see continued overcast skies. Plan on periods of scattered showers, especially from the afternoon hours on. Once again, steadier rain (and cooler temperatures) are expected to the north and west of D.C., with more spotty precipitation (and milder temperatures) to the south. Highs should again range from the mid to upper 50s north and west of town to the low to mid 60s south of town.
A period of steadier, heavier rain is possible Friday night, so bring the umbrella, with cooler overnight lows in the low 40s.
Keep reading for the forecast through the weekend and into next week. See NatCast for the forecast for Sunday night's regular-season opener at Nationals Park, and for Saturday night's exhibition game.
SATURDAY
Becoming mostly sunny. Low 50s. Though the morning may feature partly to mostly cloudy skies and a stray shower, high pressure will build into the region by early afternoon, fostering mostly sunny skies, lower humidity, cooler high temperatures in the low 50s, and a decent breeze from the north. Clear and chilly Saturday night with lows dropping to 30-35.
SUNDAY
Mostly sunny and chilly. Upper 40s to near 50. Plan on abundant sunshine and dry conditions on Sunday. But highs in the upper 40s to near 50 -- upward of 10 degrees below normal for this time of year -- will necessitate a jacket when you go outside. We'll see partly cloudy conditions Sunday night with lows from the mid 30s in the cooler suburbs to near 40 downtown.
A LOOK AHEAD
Scott Circle in Northwest Washington enjoys fair skies yesterday. By Capital Weather Gang photographer Ian Livingston.
Ironically, a very similar setup to the one we'll experience today and tomorrow (stalled cold front with waves of low pressure and scattered showers) may visit the area on Monday and Tuesday. At this point, however, the details are quite hazy. I'll call for mostly cloudy to overcast skies both days with a 50/50 chance for showers, highs ranging from 55-65 and overnight lows in the 40s.
It's possible that wet weather will linger into the day Wednesday.
By Josh Larson |
March 27, 2008; 5:00 AM ET
Forecasts
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Posted by: JB | March 27, 2008 09:48 AM
CRWS jet stream data: We are near the south edge of the jet. Forecast shows a subtropical streak developing over the GOM, however. The Southern Hemisphere jet is mainly south of continental areas though subtropical jets flow over Australia and South America.
Canadian lightning data: Isolated activity over the lower Ohio and central Mississippi valleys this morning. Also an isolated strike or two way out in the Atlantic.
Cloudy, wet and cool here in Ballston. We finally had a hint of spring yesterday.
They are expecting big crowds for the cherry blossoms, Nats, etc. this weekend. Too bad the weather is going "raw" boring forties to low fifties.
Posted by: El Bombo | March 27, 2008 10:36 AM
Not very wet.
Posted by: Period | March 27, 2008 12:00 PM
are we done for rain today? anyone think i can get a round of golf in?
Posted by: | March 27, 2008 12:30 PM
We may not see another solid area of rain like earlier, but the chance of scattered showers continues through the rest of the afternoon, diminishing this evening as the activity drifts north of the area.
Posted by: Capital Weather Gang | March 27, 2008 01:29 PM
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Normally the rain would be welcome, but we've got a soccer tourney this weekend in Fairfax City on fields that are suboptimal - patches of bare dirt which will turn to mud if even moderate rain falls between now and Saturday morning. Anyone have any idea how far the "areas west of DC" might extend, or how the odds of prolonged and/or soaking rain are shaping up at this point?