Wind advisory in effect Tuesday with gusts possibly exceeding 40 mph

After an April shower Tuesday morning, the wind has moved in.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory in effect until 8 p.m.

“The wind is the big story today,” 7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whelan told WTOP. “We’ll have northwesterly winds during that time.”

She said the winds were between 15 to 25 mph sustained — but gusts will be in the 30 to 40 mph range, with some gusts even higher.

Fairfax County, Virginia, saw heavy wind gusts between 4:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m., leading to six downed wires, three trees hitting houses and one fire, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

As of 7 p.m., Dominion Energy was reporting more than 6,000 customers were without power in Northern Virginia. Pepco had about 2,200 customers out around that time, mostly in Montgomery County, Maryland.

It’s not clear if the wind was responsible for all those outages.

After afternoon highs in the 60s, overnight temperatures will be cooler, with lows in the 40s.

Wednesday will be the coolest day this week, with highs in the upper 50s and breezy conditions. Friday will bring the warm weather with highs in the 70s.

And Easter weekend is looking like a warm one.

“We’re in the mid-80s, believe it or not, for Saturday,” Whelan said. “And we’re around 70 for Easter Sunday.”

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Full forecast

TUESDAY:
Morning shower chance, then partly cloudy, windy
Highs: 60s
Winds: West 10-20+ mph, gusts up to 30-40+ mph
Skies will brighten this afternoon with strong winds and seasonable temperatures in the 60s. The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. for gusts up to 50 mph. The wind will slowly ease tonight as cooler air settles in.

TUESDAY NIGHT:
Partly cloudy
Lows: 40s
Winds: West 5-15+ mph
Dry and colder weather is expected overnight, with lows in the 40s. It will remain breezy enough that wind chills will fall into the 30s.

WEDNESDAY:
Sunny, breezy
Highs: 58-63
Winds: Northwest 10-20 mph, gusts up to 30 mph
Wednesday will be the coolest day of the week, with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. It will be sunny and breezy with wind gusts to 30 mph during the afternoon.

THURSDAY:
Sunny and comfortable
Highs: 65-70
Winds: Northwest 5-10 mph
Plan for a chilly start to the day with morning temperatures in the upper 30s to low 40s. Abundant sunshine and lighter winds will help temperatures climb into the mid to upper 60s.