Windy conditions yank down temperatures in DC region for MLK Day

Members of the National Guard stand near the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Tidal Basin, and Jefferson Memorial, on Jan. 19, 2026 in D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. was an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister who was a leader of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)(Getty Images/Al Drago)

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is bitterly cold in the D.C. area and temperatures are expected to plummet overnight.

The holiday is full of sunshine but wind chills are in the 30s Monday afternoon, according to 7News First Alert Meteorologist Jordan Evans. Be prepared for windy conditions with gusts ranging from 10 to 20 mph.

By Monday night, temperatures will drop into the teens with wind chills near zero degrees.

“We will see clear skies overnight, and that will set the stage for a very cold morning tomorrow,” Evans said.

Tuesday could be the coldest day of the season so far, according to 7News First Alert Meteorologist Steve Rudin.

An arctic front will arrive in the D.C. region by Tuesday, keeping wind chills around zero degrees in the morning hours. Even though there will be plenty of sunshine, highs remain below freezing in the upper 20s.

Wednesday will be another mostly chilly but sunny day, with highs in the 40s. Thursday will be the warmest day of the week, with temperatures in the mid to upper 40s.

Friday temperatures will drop throughout the day with highs in the low 40s, setting up a chilly weekend. There is a possibility of snowfall on Saturday and Sunday, with the forecast still evolving.



FORECAST

MONDAY NIGHT: COLD ALERT
Mostly clear
Lows: 10-20
Wind Chills: 0s
Winds: Northwest 10 mph

TUESDAY: COLD ALERT
Sunny and cold
Highs: 25-30
Wind Chill: 10s
Winds: West 10-20 mph

WEDNESDAY:
Mostly sunny
Highs: 38-45
Winds: South 10-20 mph

THURSDAY:
Partly cloudy
Highs: 43-48
Winds: Northwest 10-20 mph

CURRENT CONDITIONS

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