“Nice” may be a relative term for Thursday’s weather after Wednesday’s nasty wind and cold air but at least you won’t have to hold on to your hat as you walk through the Washington region now that the chilly gusts are blowing out.
Still, don’t forget to pack your Thermos of hot coffee: Snow and rain are primed to plague Friday and temperatures won’t get anywhere near 50 until Saturday.
“After starting out in the teens and 20s, most areas will get back to around 40 for high temperatures,” Storm Team4 Meteorologist Chuck Bell said.
Clouds will hang over the area before giving way to the sun, but it is expected to remain dry.
Friday is another story.
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It marks the first chance for wet winter weather.
“By Friday, rain and a wet snow are possible,” Storm Team4 Meteorologist Lauryn Ricketts told WTOP. “And it’s going to mix with the rain.”
At least there’s good news.
“No significant accumulations of snow are expected since the bulk of the moisture will be coming through during the daylight hours,” Bell said, though there could be enough to whiten the ground areas north and west of the District.
The possible mix should switch over to a cold rain by Friday afternoon and temperatures will be in the 40s.
Then the rain largely washes out Saturday, making it likely to be the best day of the weekend with clouds but temperatures in the 50s, though rain chances remain for the evening.
As Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, so does some more rain, which will make it difficult to enjoy the seasonably warm temperatures in the 60s.
For this time of the year, normal highs are in the low 50s and normal lows are in the low 30s, making this week about 20 degrees colder than usual. It’s not likely, however, that the weather will set any records.
According to the National Weather Service, record lows for March 7 came in the late 1800s, with lows reaching 13 degrees about 130 years ago.
The warmer days ahead mean the National Park Service should begin updating its cherry blossom forecast regularly. Right now, the blossoms are at Stage 1 of 6.
Forecast:
THURSDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Not as cold. Lows: upper 20s to low 30s.
FRIDAY: Cloudy with a mix of light wet snow and rain. Minor accumulations possible on grassy areas. Highs: upper 30s to low 40s.
SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. More seasonable. Highs: upper 40s to low 50s.
SUNDAY: Cloudy with showers. Breezy and much warmer. Highs: low to mid 60s.
Current conditions:
WTOP’s Dan Friedell and Jennifer Ortiz contributed to this report.
