WASHINGTON — In a pattern that would have made snow lovers very happy this past winter, the greater D.C. area is poised to get two straight days of beneficial rain.
With a blocked pattern over the Atlantic and North America, several disturbances in the jet stream will carve out a deep trough (or dip) of low pressure in the east, sending two waves of low pressure up the seaboard before heading out to sea. Combined with all the rain will be a stiff, unseasonably chilly northeast wind, so indeed, this qualifies as a nor’easter. After all, it’s that northeasterly wind that gives those storms that term. It just so happens most of them produce winter weather, but not this time.
It’s really going to be two areas of low pressure moving up the coast. The first low was already in existence on Sunday, increasing the cloud cover in the afternoon and bringing lots of rain to southern Virginia and the Carolinas. Rain will be overspreading the area in time for the Monday morning commute while temperatures will have fallen to the morning lows. The rain from the first system will taper to drizzle Monday night, when the system basically falls apart, favoring the second system. That’s when more rain will move in for Tuesday. If it’s not pouring for Tuesday morning’s rush, then it will be soon after.
We mentioned the morning lows on Monday: The thermometer will barely move the rest of the day and then temperatures will only drop a little bit Monday night. Just off the surface winds will have more of a southerly component with the second storm, so that could mix in some warmer air with the rain and the thermometer will show some upward movement finally Tuesday night.
It’s not really until Wednesday when we experience some clearing and westerly winds sloping down the mountains and therefore, some warmer temperatures.
But it’s not going to just stop at “warm.” In the wake of these storms, storminess will return to the western part of the country. Summer-like heat in a ridge of high pressure will build in the nation’s midsection and that will shift east toward us.
At that time, all the low-level moisture leftover from the rain will turn into somewhat uncomfortable humidity levels. So Thursday will look and feel like summer. A weak cold front will try to move through on Friday with a chance for a brief shower or a thunderstorm, but it may not have much success considering the strength of this ridge of high pressure.
At any rate, these rains will definitely help the pollen situation and the short-term drought. (Undoubtedly, we’ll get a plant-life growth spurt and more pollen later on.) But we still need two to three times as much rainfall if we’re going to get to totally wipe out the multiyear, long-term drought conditions. So we can’t really call this a “drought buster.”
(Data: The Weather Company | Graphics: Storm Team 4)
(Data: The Weather Company | Graphics: Storm Team 4)
(Data: The Weather Company | Graphics: Storm Team 4)
(Data: The Weather Company | Graphics: Storm Team 4)
(Data: The Weather Company | Graphics: Storm Team 4)
(Data: The Weather Company | Graphics: Storm Team 4)
(Data: The Weather Company | Graphics: Storm Team 4)
(Data: The Weather Company | Graphics: Storm Team 4)
Daily weather highlights
MONDAY
— Rain on-and-off
— Brisk, chilly wind out of the northeast
— Rain occasionally heavy at times, especially later in the day
— Temperatures not rising much above the morning lows
TUESDAY
— More rain, heavy at times; if not first thing in the morning, arriving again during the day
— Brisk, chilly wind most of the day
— Heavier rain late in the day will coincide with possibly rising temperatures in the evening
WEDNESDAY
— Gradual clearing skies
— Westerly winds drying us out
— Much warmer temperatures climbing above average
THURSDAY
— Lots of sunshine
— Feeling like summer in terms of temperature and humidity
FRIDAY
— Sun with increasing clouds
— A few showers or thunderstorms possible
— Likely not as warm as Thursday, but there is uncertainty regarding how far south the cold front makes it
— Nationals back in town but game not necessarily affected by storms
Editor’s Note: The WTOP Workweek Weather Blog is intended as an in-depth yet plain language summary of the business week’s weather potential in the D.C. area along with an explanation of the contingencies and uncertainties that exist at the time of publication. For the latest actual Storm Team 4 forecast, check out the main WTOP Weather Page.
