D.C. area forecast: Breezy, brisk, and cloudy end to the week

Today: Very cloudy, breezy. 51-59. | Tonight: Still a bit breezy. Cloudy. 33-39. | Tomorrow: Sunnier, but very breezy. 53-59. | Sunday: Increasing sunshine after possible a.m. shower. Low-to-mid 50s. | A Look Ahead | Get Express Forecast by E-mail

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


50s would feel less chilly without the breeze and clouds. Self-destructive sunshine begets more clouds! Get the Digit on Twitter | Discuss on Facebook

Wouldn’t this type of gray weather make Eeyore happy? It is chilly enough over the coming days to contemplate a scarf, at times, with your coat before afternoon high temperatures in the 50s make us a bit more comfortable. We’ll get used to it soon enough though. Several days of below average temperatures should acclimate us relatively quickly to the cold-season’s growing presence!

Today (Friday): How far into the 50s can we get during the afternoon? Depends just how overcast skies remain. If we see some afternoon breaks, upper 50s are slightly possible. But if we remain gray and socked-in fully, low 50s may be all we can muster. The noticeable breeze may chill you a tad. It’s out of the west at 10-15 mph. Confidence: Medium

Tonight: Again, clouds remain, and only a few lucky ones may see a peek of the moon. Low temperatures in the mid-to-upper 30s should stay above frost threshold for 95% of us. You can thank the insulating clouds, and steady (10-15 mph) northwesterly breeze. Confidence: High

For related traffic news, check out Dr. Gridlock. Keep reading for the forecast through the weekend...

Tomorrow (Saturday): Finally, some sunshine? Many fewer clouds should allow us some alleviation of early-onset Seasonal Affective Disorder. High temperatures are again in the 50s, but sufficient cold air remains aloft that even sunshine can’t warm us much more than the mid-50s. If you are far south of town, you may have an outside shot of 60—assuming you have little in the way of clouds. Also reinforcing our cool, dry air will be northwesterly winds of at least 10 mph, but perhaps gusting to 25 mph a few times during the afternoon. After Sandy, that is nothing! Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: With less in the way of clouds, more heat can escape from the earth’s surface than recent nights. Low temperatures may dip again into the 30s, but this time with a higher chance of frost in the typical cold spots outside the Beltway. Northwesterly breezes of 5-10 mph may die down as we get toward sunrise, increasing the frost risk. Remember to set your clocks back an hour before bed, if you have clocks that don’t set themselves! Confidence: Medium

Sunday: Feel more rested with that “extra hour” of sleep regained? Get out early, before the sun sets around 5 p.m.! Speaking of which, sunshine should rule much of the day. While a few clouds may greet us during the morning as a weak disturbance passes to our south, shower chances are pretty low, 10% or less. The autumnal air is still stuck in place here, with high temperatures perhaps only in the low and mid-50s again. Confidence: Medium

Sunday night: Clouds could again insulate us and mitigate most of the frost potential, except maybe far north and west of D.C. By just before sunrise, low temperatures appear likely to hover—shivering us—in the mid-to-upper 30s. Confidence: Medium

Monday is appearing to be mainly dry and somewhat sunny, but check back with us this weekend to make sure we don’t shift the forecast. A few clouds are slightly possible if a storm system starts forming to our south sooner than it now appears it might. Given that a drier, sunnier scenario is more likely, high temperatures should be able to get up into the low-to-mid 50s. Confidence: Low

Be sure to vote, it’s election day Tuesday! As it appears now, weather shouldn’t inhibit you! Yes some question marks remain about the day’s forecast but it still appears any storm could hold off a bit longer. We should eke out a mainly sunny day, with only a low chance of a stray shower. High temperatures again around 50 to mid-50s will make you grab that coat for warmth! Confidence: Low