If you’re commuting Thursday, plan ahead for potentially slow and difficult driving through foggy conditions.
Even though the National Weather Service has pulled its Dense Fog Advisory for the immediate D.C. metro region, drivers could still have their visibility reduced until the weather clears later this morning.
Drivers should use their headlights, slow down and leave plenty of stopping distance between the vehicle in front of them when encountering fog.
Roads are still slick from the rain Wednesday night and Thursday morning. For some, there was record-setting rainfall, so use extra caution.
The fog impacted one regional school district’s schedule: Queen Anne’s County Public Schools announced a 90-minute delay for virtual and in-person learning Thursday, with no morning kindergarten.
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“Light winds and moisture trapped at the surface has lead to some dense fog and low clouds across much of the region,” a National Weather Service forecaster said Thursday morning. “Fog will be persistent through midmorning, but should burn off before noon.”
Wednesday’s storm shattered daily rainfall records in both D.C. and Baltimore, bookending a monthlong dry spell that led to an elevated wildfire danger.
Reagan National Airport reported a preliminary 24-hour rainfall total of 1.69 inches on Wednesday, and Baltimore-Washington International Airport a total of 1.55 inches.
If those observations are verified, it will have been the wettest March 24 in decades for both D.C. and Baltimore — whose existing rainfall records for that calendar date were set in 1905 and 1989, respectively.
Clouds linger with increasing winds into Thursday afternoon, with scattered showers and an isolated thunderstorm possible, mainly west of the Blue Ridge.
Saturday will bring lighter winds and temperatures in the 60s. Sunday will be windy again, with the chance of a storm.
Forecast:
Thursday: Clouds and some sunshine after a foggy morning. A few showers possible this afternoon, especially west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Highs in the lower 70s.
Thursday night: Showers and an isolated thunderstorm possible, mainly after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s.
Friday: A chance of showers before 11 a.m. then becoming sunny. Winds out of the southwest at 15 mph to 25 mph, with gusts to 40 mph. Highs around 80.
Saturday: Sunny. Lighter winds. Highs in the lower 60s.
Sunday: Windy, cloudy with showers and a chance of a storm. Winds gusting to 30 mph. Highs around 70.
Monday: Mostly sunny and windy. Winds out of the northwest, up to 25 mph. Temperatures in the upper 50s.
