After intense rain, flood risk, sun will come out Saturday in DC area

After intense rain with some in the D.C. area experiencing flooding, skies will clear Saturday before risk of showers and storms come back to cap off the weekend. Here’s what you need to know.

The National Weather Service issued flash flood watch and flood warning Friday for areas in Southern Maryland and Virginia, which have all expired early.

Clouds and rain kept temperatures around 70 Friday, and after the showers end, there will be some areas with dense fog.

Skies will clear on Saturday, and it will be warmer — around 80 degrees.

Sunday will be a warm day with a risk of late afternoon showers and thunderstorms as another cold front comes.

Storm Team4 meteorologist Chuck Bell said Sunday will be in the low to mid-80s, and as another cold front approaches, there will be a scattering of thunderstorms by mid- to late Sunday afternoon.”

Behind the front the weather will be “beautiful on Monday with sunshine, warm temperatures and low humidity,” Storm Team4 meteorologist Mike Stinneford said.



How much rain fell in the last two days?

Friday’s rainy weather was courtesy of a cold front to the Northeast that is being pushed into the area by high pressure over New England, acting like a wedge and forcing the warm and humid air upward, Bell said.

The greatest threat for additional flooding were right on top of some of the same areas that were hardest hit already. Culpeper, Warren, Fauquier, Prince William, Stafford, Spotsylvania and Rappahannock counties already received 4 to 8 inches of rain Thursday.

The National Weather Service reported several trees and wires down in the Culpeper area, where about 7 inches of rain fell Thursday night, and there were more than a dozen calls for roads blocked by flooding. Several families in the area were displaced due to the storm’s effects.

Forecast

  • Saturday: Cloudy morning, with sunshine later. Chance of rain is 20%. Highs in the mid-70s to low 80s
  • Sunday: Partly cloudy and warm. Scattered thunderstorms with a 40% chance of rain. Highs in the low to mid-80s.
  • Monday: Mostly sunny and comfortably warm with lower humidity. Highs in the low to mid-80s.

Current conditions

Abigail Constantino

Abigail Constantino started her journalism career writing for a local newspaper in Fairfax County, Virginia. She is a graduate of American University and The George Washington University.

Matt Small

Matt joined WTOP News at the start of 2020, after contributing to Washington’s top news outlet as an Associated Press journalist for nearly 18 years.

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