After unseasonably humid weather and heavy rainfall, the D.C. area is now dealing with strong winds, and thousands of customers around the area are without power.
Dominion Energy reports 5,500 homes and businesses don’t have electricity. Most are in Prince William County, with the rest in Stafford, Fairfax, Fauquier and Loudoun counties. In Maryland, Pepco says about 1,200 homes and businesses don’t have power in Prince George’s County.
Reagan National, Dulles and BWI have reported wind gusts of over 40 mph, and more is on the way this evening. The National Weather Service has posted a Wind Advisory for the WTOP listening area through midnight.
Commuters should be aware of high-standing water, especially along flood-prone roadways in Northern Virginia. The Fairfax County Police Department has a running list of road closures; for the latest road and traffic conditions, see WTOP’s traffic page or listen to updates every 10 minutes online or on the air at 103.5 FM.
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“Monday’s weather over-performed in every way possible,” Storm Team4 meteorologist Chuck Bell said. “The heavy rain is now over, but there are many areas still dealing with high water and downed trees, so use caution when getting out and about today … the biggest impact going forward will be the wind.”
As far as temperature, humidity and precipitation go, Monday would have been a better fit in late summer than one month into the fall: Reagan National, BWI Marshall and Dulles airports all tied their record daily high of 80 degrees yesterday afternoon.
Reagan measured a quick 1.5 inches of rain while Dulles received 2.5 inches, with high water reported on historically vulnerable roads including Interstate 66 near Centreville and Beach Drive from Northwest D.C. into Montgomery County, Maryland.
Doppler radar rainfall estimates for the day so far as of 11pm EDT. Just wow, especially considering how dry October was. Color key on left of the graphic. #wtop #dcwx #vawx #mdwx pic.twitter.com/21SdRvYBKA
— Matt Ritter, WTOP Multimedia Meteorologist (@MetMattRitter) October 26, 2021
The next significant weather event looks to come Friday morning into Saturday, when another 1 to 2 inches of rainfall are likely before clouds clear again on Sunday.
Forecast
Tuesday night: Mostly cloudy, breezy. A few passing showers. Lows in the mid 40s to around 50.
Wednesday: Partly to mostly sunny. Breezy and blustery in the morning, but a bit milder. Highs in the mid to upper 60s.
Thursday: Sunny morning with afternoon clouds and showers late. Highs in the low to mid 60s.
Friday: Rain, heavy at times. Totals of between 1 and 2 inches possible. Breezy and cool, with highs near 60.
