Happening now: Wind chills still in the teens this morning but as we warm slightly today, breezes stay much tamer. Highs rise to near 35 under partial sunshine. Perhaps a brief snow flurry or shower.
What’s next? Snow showers late tonight may mix with rain tomorrow as highs get into the 40s. Perhaps a few more snowflakes Saturday night into Sunday. Roughly a 50% percent chance we see a dusting by Sunday evening from any of these snow chances. Generally cold Sunday through Tuesday.
Today’s daily digit — 5/10: Less wind and slightly milder temperatures give us a bit more comfort. Sunshine may give way to a brief flurry or snow shower. | 🤚 Your call?
The digit is a somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a 0-to-10 scale.
Forecast in detail
Today (Friday): Partly cloudy with some sunshine amid late morning into midday clouds that may bring a small chance of a conversational snow shower or snow flurry. Highs end up mainly mid- and upper 30s. A light but steady breeze blows from the southwest. Confidence: Medium-High
Tonight: Clouds increase. Snow shower chances after midnight with a dusting slightly possible. Not as cold, with lows in the mid-20s in the coldest spots to near freezing in the mildest. Confidence: Medium-High
Tomorrow (Saturday): Snow showers and rain showers, especially during the morning hours, with little to no accumulation. Mostly cloudy until more late day sun tries to peek out. Highs within a few degrees of 45 — warmer potential if we see a bit more sunshine and fewer showers. Confidence: Medium-High
Tomorrow night: Another slight chance of conversational snowflakes during the predawn hours. Most of us see little if anything. Lows in the upper 20s to mid-30s. Confidence: Medium
Sunday: Cold as a storm develops offshore. A few snow flurries or showers remain possible. Actual accumulation from this storm is unlikely, with that staying south or east of the region. It’s mainly cloudy, especially south and east of town. Low to mid-30s for highs. Confidence: Medium
A look ahead
Sunday night: Mainly clear skies and cold with lows generally in the teens to perhaps around 20 downtown. Be aware that with some breezes around, wind chills may be as cold as 0 degrees. Confidence: Medium
Similar or a touch less cold Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday. Highs move up to within a few degrees of 35. Plus, there’s a breeze to consider. Sunny skies should prevail. But nighttime wind chills near minus-10 degrees are possible. Confidence: Medium
The coldest batch of temperatures may center on Tuesday, with highs in the 20s. A breeze may continue, though skies may be even slightly sunnier than Monday. We rebound toward milder conditions midweek. Confidence: Medium
Snow potential index — 2/10 (→): Dusting briefly possible Saturday morning on grass. Saturday night and Sunday snow probably stays south and east but close enough to watch.
The snow potential index is a daily assessment of the potential for at least 1 inch of snow in the next week, on a 0-to-10 scale.
Today in weather history: Snow, ice, rain and wind in 2022
On this day in 2022, a messy storm brought a wintry mix of precipitation and strong winds that cut power in some areas. About 1 to 3 inches of snow fell across the region before changing to ice and rain. The District received a calendar-day record 2.6 inches of snow before the changeover.
Here are other notables for the day:
- Average high: 44
- Average low: 30
- Record high: 73 (1953)
- Record low: 2 (1893)
- Record precipitation: 1.00 inches (1909)
- Record snowfall: 2.6 inches (2022)
Jason Samenow contributed to this report.
