Cancel the picnic: Heavy rain will close out the work week with a flood risk for the D.C. region, sure to hamper any outdoor plans along with seesawing temperatures.
A strong frontal boundary will bring periods of heavy rain to the WTOP listening area started late afternoon Wednesday and is expected to last through sunrise Friday.
One to 2 inches of rain are in the forecast — and though a flood watch hasn’t been issued yet, low-lying areas and roadways could see high water, especially late Thursday into Friday.
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Here’s what else you need to know:
An icky Wednesday: Temperatures crashed into the 40s, with wind chills near freezing by sunset.
A dream of spring: Warm air rushes back into the area on Thursday morning, with highs back in the 60s after record-setting temperatures earlier this week — only to dive into the 40s yet again on Friday afternoon.
Plan for a rough Friday drive: “Flood watches (and perhaps even some warnings) are expected during this time,” Storm Team4 meteorologist Chuck Bell said. “The Friday morning commute promises to be a nightmare and delays at our local airports are likely.”
Stash away the shovel: The vast majority of the D.C. and Baltimore metro areas will be too warm for snow, with a chance of icing in far western Maryland, eastern West Virginia and north over the Pennsylvania stateline.
Temps fall this morning from the north to the south. Areas north in the 30s/40s while south of DC in the 50s! Most of the day spent in the 40s with AM showers & more dry through midday. More rain pushes in during the evening and continues overnight. pic.twitter.com/z6OTpd9C52
— Lauryn Ricketts (@laurynricketts) February 5, 2020
Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring, and his forecast is off to a good start: Monday’s high temperature of 67 degrees at Dulles Airport became the highest on record for a Feb. 3 there, breaking the previous record for that date of 66 degrees set in 1932.
Wednesday also marks the 10th anniversary of the aptly-named Snowmageddon, one of D.C.’s largest snowstorms ever. Up to 2 feet of snow fell from Feb. 5 to Feb. 6, 2010, a distant memory compared to this week’s record-setting temperatures.
Forecast
Wednesday: Overcast and rainy. Highs in the low to mid-40s.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy with rain likely. Highs in the upper 50s.
Friday: Wet and cloudy, with a few sun breaks. Highs in the mid-40s.
