Radar courtesy MyRadar | © OpenStreetMap contributors

Today’s daily digit

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

4/10: One of the colder days we’ve had this winter happens to coincide with Inauguration Day. Whipping winds, too, and maybe a flurry to set the swearing-in scene.

Express forecast

  • Today: Partly sunny and windy. Snow shower/flurry? Highs: Low-to-mid 40s.
  • Tonight: Mostly clear with diminishing winds. Lows: 20s
  • Tomorrow: Partly to mostly sunny, a bit breezy. Highs: Upper 40s to near 50.

Forecast in detail

We’re looking at a cold and blustery Inauguration Day here in the nation’s capital, and there could even be some snowflakes in the air, but no surprise snowstorm. We’ve got plenty of sun over the next several days as temperatures rebound warmer tomorrow and remain slightly above average on Friday. But we’re cold and windy again Saturday before a continued chilly but nicer Sunday.

Get our daily forecasts on your Amazon Alexa device.

Today (Inauguration Day): As luck would have it, Inauguration Day coincides with the windiest day of this workweek. Early morning clouds and perhaps a few show showers give way to a partly sunny day with a blustery chill and a flurry still possible. Morning temperatures rise through the 30s with afternoon highs in the low-to-mid 40s. But it will feel even colder with winds from the northwest about 15 to 20 mph and midday gusts near 35 to 40 mph. That means wind chills only in the mid-20s to mid-30s. Look for a noontime (swearing-in) temperature in the low 40s with a wind chill in the low 30s, and the chance of a flurry under partly sunny skies. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: Winds diminish as we get into the evening and become very light overnight. That together with mostly clear skies allows for maximum cooling, with lows dropping down into the 20s area-wide. Confidence: High

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest weather updates. Keep reading for the forecast through the weekend...

Tomorrow (Thursday): The breeze starts to pick up again, but this time from the southwest, which helps temperatures rebound nicely after the chilly start. Partly to mostly sunny skies lift morning temperatures into the 30s to low 40s, with afternoon highs reaching the upper 40s to near 50. The breeze is noticeable from the southwest about 10 mph with some higher gusts, but not nearly as windy as today. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: Winds lighten up again during the evening and overnight as they turn more from the west. Lows fall back to the upper 20s and low 30s under partly cloudy skies. Confidence: High

A look ahead

Partly sunny and still a bit breezy Friday as highs should manage the mid-40s before a colder Friday night with lows in the 20s. Saturday should see partly to mostly sunny skies, but with highs only in the mid-30s to near 40, and a gusty breeze knocking wind chills back into the 20s. Wind chills plummet into the teens as we get into Saturday evening, followed by Saturday night lows in the 20s with diminishing winds. Confidence: Medium-High

Sunday is still on the chilly side but definitely looks like the nicer day of the weekend. High pressure should provide mostly to partly sunny skies, with light winds and highs near 40. Confidence: Medium-High

Snow potential index

A daily assessment of the potential for at least 1 inch of snow in the next week, on a 0-10 scale.

1/10 (↑): Late Monday-Tuesday system bears watching with the potential for wintry precipitation, but models don’t have a good handle on it yet.