D.C.-area forecast: A Saturday to get outdoors, with showers possible Sunday

Sunrise on Friday in Old Town Alexandria. (Lee M./Flickr)

Today’s daily digit

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

7/10: It’s hard not to like a mild Saturday in January, even in this oddly warm month.

Express forecast

• Today: Partly to mostly sunny. Highs: Mid-50s.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows: Mid-30s to near 40.
• Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy. Afternoon showers. Highs: Upper 40s to low 50s.

Forecast in detail

Through yesterday, Washington was coasting toward a top-five warmest January on record. There has only been one day that had an average temperature that was below normal for the date. We won’t be adding to that very small list this weekend, but it’s not impossible we’ll try before the month winds down. Before any cold air comes back, temperatures should try to top 50 both days this weekend in the city.

Today (Saturday): It only seems proper to wrap up this warm January with a warm weekend. Today’s temperatures are close to 10 degrees above average. Add in the sun, and we’ll continue to see some crocuses blooming and other midwinter oddities. High temperatures should make the mid-50s in most spots. Winds are out of the south-southwest around 10 mph. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: Some clouds float by at times. We should still see plenty of stars. Not as chilly as recent nights, with lows mainly in the mid- and upper 30s. Confidence: Medium-High

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Tomorrow (Sunday): Don’t let morning breaks in the clouds fool you, — raindrops are a good bet during the day. Some showers probably arrive from the west during midday into the early afternoon. Most of this activity is light, but it could pester any plans, especially west of town. Given the clouds and occasional showers, temperatures are held back a bit, probably within a few degrees of 50. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: We continue to see a chance for some raindrops, mainly light, as a low-pressure area develops off the coast to our southeast. Temperatures should fall to lows in the upper 30s and lower 40s. Confidence: Medium

A look ahead

Showers may linger into Monday morning as weak low pressure scoots by offshore. We should try to clear out a bit midday and in the afternoon. It could turn gusty, especially as a cold front passes. Before that, highs are in the mid-50s or so. Confidence: Medium

Colder air begins to press in by Tuesday. It’s uncertain whether some precipitation may try to work into the area or if it stays dry. This is the beginning of a period where we may see some wintry weather threats emerge. Highs are around 40 or into the low 40s. Confidence: Medium

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 (↑): Nothing looks too enticing yet, but it’ll become more favorable for wintry weather mid-to-late next week.