D.C.-area forecast: Morning rain today but a dry and warm Wednesday

Thursday brings another rain chance as temperatures run up to 10 to 20 degrees above normal

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.

5/10: Clouds shroud the sky and light rain to drop but with warmer weather it’s not a complete flop.

Express forecast

• Today: Mostly cloudy, morning showers. Highs: 49-55.
• Tonight: Partly to mostly cloudy. Lows: 39-45.
• Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. Highs: 57-63.

Forecast in detail

Our shortened workweek tries to pack in a lot of weather, with three storm systems to affect us over the next six days (blame the onslaught of Pacific energy into the Western United States). We can certainly use the rain, with January featuring a deficit so far, but the associated cloud cover limits our sunshine considerably. Our warmest day is Wednesday, with low 60s possible, but our sunniest day may either be Friday (highs in the 50s) or Saturday (highs near 50) before showers return by Sunday.

Today (Tuesday): Periods of light rain roll through this morning up to about midday with still a chance for a few spotty showers this afternoon. Highs should range from the upper 40s to mid-50s with the warmer conditions possible if we sneak in some sun in the afternoon. Rainfall totals should be quite light (0.05 to 0.20 inches). Light winds are from the southwest at 5 to 10 mph. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: Partly to mostly cloudy conditions with lows staying above freezing from the upper 30s to mid-40s. Light winds are from the mild southerly direction at about 5 mph. Confidence: High

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Tomorrow (Wednesday): Clouds may be clingy enough for just partly sunny conditions on this week’s warmest day as highs hit the upper 50s to low 60s, nearing about 20 degrees warmer than normal. Light winds are from the northwest at 5 to 10 mph. Confidence: High

Tomorrow night: We shift back to cloudy skies with rain returning late at night. Lows range through the 40s. Confidence: Medium-High

A look ahead

Thursday features periods of rain, with the highest totals probable north and west of the District. Cloudy skies and rain try to hold temperatures back, but we should still manage the mid- to upper 50s to maybe even 60. It turns partly cloudy Thursday night after evening shower chances with lows in the 40s. Confidence: Medium

Friday is breezy with partly to mostly sunny skies returning as highs range in the warmer-than-normal low to mid-50s. Friday night should be partly cloudy with breezy conditions continuing as temperatures drop into the 30s. Confidence: Medium-High

For the weekend, Saturday is mostly sunny and slightly cooler with highs in the upper 40s to near 50. Saturday night could see an increase in clouds with lows in the upper 20s to middle 30s. Cloudy skies continue Sunday with rain chances increasing through the day (some models suggest it may delay until Sunday night) as highs again range in the upper 40s to near 50. Confidence: Low-Medium