Forecast: A Splendid Saturday before 80s strike on Sunday

Today: Mostly sunny a.m., increasing clouds p.m. 70-75. | Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Light shower possible. 52-58. | Tomorrow: Partly to mostly sunny. 80-85. | 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


Should be close to a 10 with high temps in the 70s, but clouds might cover the sky a bit late in the day. Get the Digit on Twitter | Discuss on Facebook

It’s going to be crowded out there this weekend as everyone soaks up the awesomeness. Today gets our warm stretch going, with temperatures into the 70s across the area, and by tomorrow that might seem cool. 80s are a good bet both Sunday and Monday as warm air shoots north in the environment out ahead of the major severe weather maker expected to impact the Plains and Midwest this weekend. No real cool air in the near future, either.

Today (Saturday): We start off with lots of sunshine and a nice crisp early morning. But temperatures rise quickly as the sun creeps higher. Overall, it’s a near-perfect springtime day with temperatures ranging from around 70 to the mid-70s. An afternoon breeze near 10-15 mph should feel quite splendid, too. However, clouds may thicken a little late as a warm front swings through. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: Skies are probably partly to mostly cloudy early, but more cloudy than not overnight. We could even see a few light showers or sprinkles in the area (20% chance) particularly between late evening and just after midnight, but odds are quite low and they don’t appear to be the type which would get you that wet if the occur. Lows reach the low 50s in the outer ‘burbs to the upper 50s in the city. Confidence: Medium-High

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Tomorrow (Sunday): There may be a few clouds around early, though the trend would be for sunnier times if that’s the case. The day ends up partly to mostly sunny, and increasingly humid (you might begin to notice it at least a little) as highs rise near 80 and toward the mid-80s across the area. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: If you didn’t notice any mugginess earlier in the day and you’re out after dark, you might as dew points near 60 degrees. With dew points that high, we’re destined not to see very cool overnight lows, and they’ll range from near 60 to the mid-60s. If winds die enough, we could in theory have some low clouds or fog, but it’s been so dry of late I would not bet on it. Confidence: Medium-High

On Monday, the “heat wave” peaks. Mostly sunny skies and a mild starting point boost temperatures to highs in the mid-80s many places, with some spots potentially rising into the upper 80s and near 90. The warmth is not quick to leave overnight either, so it’s another one with lows mainly in the 60s. Confidence: Medium-High

We sneak a wind shift in here for Tuesday, which should mean lower temperatures, back in the more comfortable 70s. Skies are partly sunny, and I think this one might end up dry, though we’ll be needing to watch for increased shower odds late, or heading into the overnight. Confidence: Medium