Radar courtesy MyRadar | ? OpenStreetMap contributors
With temperatures around 60 this afternoon, I think we can say our cold snap has ended. You’ll really notice it tonight compared with recent nights. Then tomorrow will feel like pure spring as gusty winds from the south team up with more humid conditions and ultimately lead to a storm chance. Of course, the cold front acting as a spark means Thursday readings in the 70s won’t last long.
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Through tonight: Skies that are partly cloudy this evening will trend cloudier overnight. Some quickly passing showers are possible in the predawn hours. With plentiful clouds and increasing surface moisture, temperatures will not fall below the low 50s in most spots.
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View the current weather at The Washington Post.
Tomorrow (Thursday): Much of the day should be dry, although occasional showers are possible. Skies will be mainly cloudy as a gusty south and southwest wind pumps in warmer air. Temperatures will head up toward the low and mid-70s. Some gusts to 40 or 45 mph are possible as well, meaning we may get a wind advisory. That’s even before the storms.
Storm odds will grow during the afternoon into evening, and the Storm Prediction Center has our region under a slight risk, or Level 2 of 5. It’s tough to specify a time frame. Models were bringing a squall line through at night with the front itself, but today’s high-resolution modeling shows more activity earlier. Since it is frequently the case that we deal with storms well ahead of the front around here, the earlier timing is enticing and would probably focus on late afternoon to evening. The main threat from any storms will be damaging winds, along with heavy rain and lightning, but a nonzero tornado chance also is tagging along.
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See Dan Stillman’s forecast through the weekend. And if you haven’t already, join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For related traffic news, check out Gridlock.
Pollen update: Tree pollen is running below average thanks to the cold snap, which is now waning. Today’s 13.74 grains per cubic meter count compared with an average of 200 this time in March, according to Susan Kosisky of the U.S. Army Centralized Allergen Extract Lab.
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