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What a day! Thunderstorms rocked the region, the mercury spiked and then reversed course as winds raged. Less volatile, dry weather arrives this weekend, but it’s still more more like March than late January. Saturday’s a good 10 degrees warmer than average, and even Sunday’s temps are a notch above the norm.

Through Tonight: It’s a bit blustery this evening, but the gusty wind from the west at 10-20 mph (gusting to 25-30) gradually ramps down overnight. Temperatures also steadily drop, bottoming out from 33-39 (suburbs-city). Wind chills will fall from the 40s this evening to near freezing by morning.

The weekend: Both days feature partly to mostly sunny skies and a breeze (10-15 mph, with some higher gusts). Saturday’s on the mild side, with highs in the mid-50s. Partly cloudy and turning chilly Saturday night, with lows from the upper 20s to low 30s (downtown). Sunday’s noticeably cooler than Saturday, with highs in the mid-40s.

See Camden Walker’s forecast into early next week. And if you haven’t already, join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For related traffic news, check out Dr. Gridlock.

Rainfall totals: The showers and thunderstorms which punched through the region this morning generally dropped 0.25-0.75” of rain although there were pockets of higher (northeast of the District) and lower amounts (west of the District). At the airports, Reagan National received 0.63”, Dulles 0.19” and BWI 0.89”.

Plant hardiness zones, an indicator of the coldest winter temperature, have shifted north and northwest since 1990 around Washington, D.C. (USDA; Patterson Clark and Laris Karklis - The Washington Post) Planting zones are retreating north all over the country, but the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) won’t state the obvious: the shift is a rock solid indicator of climate change.

On Wednesday, the USDA released a new plant hardiness zone map, which contours the nation according to average annual lowest winter temperatures. The new zones analyze these temperatures for the period 1976-2005, updating a 1990 version of the map, which covered 1974-1986.

Interactive map: USDA upgrades Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Although these zones, which serve as a guide to the kinds of plants that can grow, have shifted north in most areas, USDA shied away from making a climate change connection.

“The map is not a good instrument for determining climate change,” said Kim Kaplan, a spokeswoman for the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. “It’s not that there hasn’t been global climate change it’s that the map isn’t a good (vehicle) for demonstrating it.”

A massive snow pile in Oakton, Virginia, January 26, 2012. How long will our snow piles last?

Do you remember Snow Pile Watch 2010, when our monstrous snow piles lasted into May? Those were good times, the snowstorms were big and the snow piles were even bigger.

This year, unfortunately, we cannot seem to replicate any part of that record-breaking winter season. Instead, we have had two small snow events that barely allowed for a sled run. And, now there is even more bad news for us snow lovers, the February 2012 outlook appears quite bleak for snow and wintry weather.

So, I have finally had enough of the bad snow news and the various discussions of canceling winter early. In an effort of unbridled denial that this winter is actually awful, I have started Snow Pile Watch 2012.

I took the camera with me Thursday morning and I photographed an assortment of both amazing and scary snow piles across western Fairfax County. These photos will surprise and astound even the most doubtful of our winter weather enthusiasts. Sit back and be amazed.

Continue reading for some amazing and scary snow piles.

Weather map shows cold front moving through region at 10 a.m. (National Weather Service) More than one deafening crash from the heavens jolted the metro region this morning. The noise was so loud, jarring, and out of season, some did not immediately think “thunder” when they heard the clamor, but were concerned it might be something else, like a blown transformer, a plane crash, a sonic boom, or a bomb. Rest assured, it was thunder. Here’s what happened...

A warm front moved through overnight and very warm, moist unstable rushed northward, pushing temperatures above 60 degrees. This morning, a dynamic cold front collided with this unseasonably mild, juicy air. The result: a line of springlike showers and thunderstorms.

9:55 a.m. update: Showers and, yes, some heavy thunderstorms, have mostly exited the region (a few lingering in Southern Md. and near the Bay should depart shortly). Temperatures have likely reached their highs for the day (in the low 60s!) and should fall this afternoon through the 50s. Look out for some gusty winds as well, as described below...

Today's Daily Digit

 

A somewhat subjective rating of the
day's weather, on a scale of 0 to 10.

 

Discuss
on

The a.m. showers & temps near 60 are tolerable, but 30-35mph gusts w/ falling p.m. temps are excessive.
 
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Today: Morning showers, windy and clearing p.m. 60s by noon, then falling. | Tonight: Breezy, chilly. 28-37. | Tomorrow: Mix of sun and clouds. Breezy. 50s. | Sunday: Partly cloudy. Evening flurry? Upper 40s. Get Express Forecast by E-mail

Grab a raincoat this morning, but one which also breaks the wind for you this afternoon as we dry out. While it won’t be a true wind chill, temperatures will be falling through the 50s, as winds really gust. Breezes slowly diminish into tomorrow, when we can still expect somewhat mild temperatures. It isn’t until Sunday when January returns with some 40s. Other than today’s rain and perhaps a flake or two on Sunday, we appear to be entering a pretty dry period. Want warmth back? Just hang on for the 50s to return as we get into the work week.

Snow Potential Index: 1 (→) - Hmm… a flake -- ok, maybe two -- on Sunday? (Insert continued disappointment ->here<-).

 

The SPI is a daily assessment of the potential for accumulating snow for the next week on a 0-10 scale. Get the 'SPI' on Twitter

 

Today (Friday): With over a 90% chance of showers during the morning, keep an umbrella nearby. The ending time for this band of showers should be 9am to noon or so, progressing from west to east. High temperatures in the upper 50s to lower 60s should peak in the morning, then fall slowly back toward the low 50s by dinnertime. Skies will slowly clear as winds shift to the northwest during the afternoon. Gusts could approach 35 mph, but generally blow from 15-20 mph. Rainfall probably ranges from 0.3-0.6” total. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: It remains very breezy, at least until about midnight or so, out of the northwest at 10-20 mph. Skies may actually have some breaks in them for a while, but could cloud up again during the wee hours of the morning. Be sure to bundle up because of the wind chill and then, overall, pretty chilly-feeling temperatures before sunrise in the range of upper-20s to mid-30s (downtown). Confidence: Medium

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