DC-area outlook: Welcome rain arrives Tuesday, then dries out by Thanksgiving

A slightly subjective assessment of today’s weather on a scale from zero to 10.

5/10: A mediocre day with clouds rising and temperatures chilly.

  • Today: Increasing clouds. Heights: 45 to 50.
  • Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Low: 35 to 40.
  • Tomorrow: Rain develops, windy. Highlights: Close to 50.

We’ve seen less than an inch of rain over the past 55 days, but a softening is finally on the way. Today is dry, but a juicy storm will come through tomorrow and tomorrow night, bringing much needed precipitation. We dry out Wednesday and remain rain-free through Thanksgiving. Late Friday to early Saturday there is a risk of a new wave of precipitation.

Today (Monday): After a lovely, sunny Sunday, the clouds rise and it’s also a good 10 degrees cooler. Elevations struggle to reach 50 degrees. The wind is from the north around 10 mph. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: The sky is mostly cloudy and it is quite chilly. Lows range from the mid-30s to about 40 (downtown). Confidence: Medium-High

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Tomorrow (Tuesday): We wake to cloudy skies and rain develops before long. It may be cold enough (in the 30s) that the rain may very briefly mix with sleet in our colder areas. The rain will increase in intensity during the afternoon as highs struggle to reach 50. East wind 10 to 20 mph, with some gusts as high as 30 mph during the afternoon. Confidence: Medium-High

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Tomorrow night: Rain may be heavy during the evening (plan for a slow commute) before tapering off after midnight. Storm totals between 1 and 2 inches should be widespread. Winds out of the southeast changing to out of the west late in the evening, sometimes at 30 mph. Low temperatures are in the 40s. Confidence: Medium-High

We get pretty good weather Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day. Both days are dry with highs mostly in the 50s to 55s. Wednesday will likely offer more cloud cover and be on the windier side compared to Thanksgiving. Both Wednesday and Thursday nights are cool with lows in the 30s. Confidence: Medium-High

Clouds may increase some Friday as a storm system develops to our south. It is unclear whether this storm will come far enough north to bring us rain or stay to our southeast. If we did get rain, it would probably fall mostly on Friday night. Highs are in the low 50s Friday with lows near 40 Friday night. Confidence: Low-Medium

There is a slight chance of rain early Saturday, otherwise it should be dry and unseasonably cool weekend. Highs both days are pretty close to 50, with lows in the 30s. Confidence: Medium