D.C. area forecast: Summery air dwindles, then exits; perfect autumnal days might be few

Today: Some sun between showers. Afternoon thunder? 79-84. | Tonight: Showers wane, slow clearing. 50s to near 60. | Tomorrow: Clearer, calmer, cooler. 70-75. | Sunday: Increasing clouds, shower risk. Low-to-mid-70s. | 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


Still a bit humid, with some pesky showers or t’showers around. I await the return of autumn and clearer skies. Get the Digit on Twitter | Discuss on Facebook

Summertime remains somewhat in control still, but it’s arguably more tolerable than recent. As we remain in close proximity to a cold front, showers and thundershowers are possible through much of today — highest odds perhaps to our south. Saturday is a gem, most likely! But, Sunday and into the workweek the “niceness” may be punctuated by chances of cloudiness with showers. Your umbrella could only get one full day off? Stay tuned!

Today (Friday): Midday into early afternoon may be your best bet for seeing some sunshine and performing outdoor activities sans umbrella. Otherwise, we have a 40% chance of morning showers early, then maybe a lull before a risk of a few more showers and t’showers during the heating of the day. A few strong storms can’t be ruled out, but that chance seems better to our south as we may primarily be north of the front. High temperatures in the low-to-mid 80s are reachable. A breeze switching to the northwest slowly brings in drier air, but probably not too dry just yet. Confidence: Medium

Tonight: Shower chances remain, especially south of town. Even if your home isn’t getting wet, skies overhead should stay substantially cloudy through around midnight. Assuming our front fully clears the area before sunrise, and we see breaks in the clouds, low temperatures could get a bit more refreshing — 50s in the suburbs to near 60 downtown. Confidence: Medium

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

Tomorrow (Saturday): Finally, more abundant sunshine and a return of autumnal conditions. Welcome back! As long as your garden has enough water at the moment, there’s little reason not to enjoy blue skies and high temperatures in the 70-75 degree range. Light north breezes make it extremely pleasant. Bike ride, anyone? We might not fully kick the clouds, particularly if the front doesn’t get too far. Confidence: Low-Medium

Tomorrow night: It really should be a calm evening overall, with skies fairly clear. Low temperatures in the colder spots in the mountain and valley part of our region could see upper 40s, but probably mid-50s is the coolest we can do downtown. Confidence: Medium

Sunday: Some clouds could start meandering through our area again. Shower chances start by midday and increase from 20% toward 40%, by late afternoon. Clouds may be pervasive by then, and they should help keep temperatures from getting too warm, though low-to-mid 70s seem possible, as this isn’t a super cool air mass Confidence: Low-Medium

Sunday night: Evening showers may continue (30% chance) to pester, so take along that umbrella. Hopefully before sunrise we can clear out a bit and allow low temperatures to get into the 50-57 degree range — more clouds mean warmer low temperatures. Confidence: Low-Medium

Monday may still have some clouds to contend with, in concert with autumnal temperatures in the upper 60s to low 70s. The more sun we get, the higher our afternoon high temperatures. At least the air should be fairly dry, but stay tuned for updates from us. Confidence: Low

Tuesday should be alright, but we may have a 20-30% chance of some showers throughout the day. Not a washout, by any means. I can highlight comfortable temperatures, mid-70s appearing probable, as we start receiving some warmer air again. Confidence: Low