Capital Weather Gang from The Washington Post

Daily forecast for the Washington area

D.C.-area forecast: Gusty and cool today. A pleasantly warm weekend ahead!

TODAY’S DAILY DIGIT
A somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of zero to 10.

6/10: Not a frigid Friday, but . . . brisk. Gusty winds over 20 mph at times. At least temperatures eye 60 degrees or so!

EXPRESS FORECAST

Today: Slowly clearing. Gusty wind at times. Highs: Upper 50s to low 60s.
Tonight: Clear. Slowly waning breeze. Lows: Mid-30s to mid-40s.
Tomorrow: More sun than clouds. Highs: Around 70 to mid-70s.
Sunday: Sun early, clouds and possible shower later. Highs: Low-to-mid 70s.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

Can you wait a day for pure weather excellence? Brisk conditions mean business today, but they fade into memory soon enough. Our weekend, while about 10 degrees warmer than normal, looks attractive on the whole. There’s some breeze Saturday, and Sunday’s a little cloudier, with maybe a shower. Just small details among mostly beautiful weather, really.

Today (Friday): It’s somewhat windy, but at least skies are headed toward clear. Drier air is riding on the coattails of 15-to-20 mph northwesterly winds. With a bit of a wind chill, despite high temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s, we may need only one extra layer. Heavy windbreaker, perhaps? Okay, maybe a light coat, especially if walking on the shady side of the street! Confidence: High

Tonight: Clear and a bit chilly. As breezes slowly calm to around 5-to-10 mph in the evening out of the north-northwesterly direction, their direction shifts slowly more toward the southwest by dawn. Our bodies may still be acclimating a bit, so consider some sort of heavy jacket with wide-ranging predawn low temperatures bottoming out in the mid-30s in the cooler spots away from the Beltway to perhaps mid-40s downtown. Confidence: Medium-high

For related traffic news, check out Dr. Gridlock. Keep reading for the forecast into next week.

nice day Tomorrow (Saturday): Oh yeah! Almost as good as it gets? More sun than clouds and moderate 5-to-10 mph breezes out of the southwest. We should all feel fairly comfortable overall, but a bit of weather whiplash can’t be invalidated either. High temperatures around 70, possibly as high as mid-70s. Not bad for leaf peeping, Halloween parties or any local sports. Confidence: High

Tomorrow night: Probably more stars visible than clouds. Breezes from the southwest should stay moderate around 5 mph. So if you do go out with your telescope, you may not have to bundle up too much. Low temperatures stay fairly mild, likely in the mid-50s to low 60s. Confidence: Medium-high

D.C. view looking northward over the Potomac from V.A. – Oct. 26. (John Sonderman via Flickr)

A LOOK AHEAD

Sunday: Sunshine may hold for the morning, so run that Marine Corps Marathon as quickly as possible, ha! Clouds could gather by afternoon. We’ve got a quick-moving upper-air disturbance, and we need to watch it for an afternoon shower (30 percent possibility). The highlight should be the high temperatures again, continued above-average but awesomely autumnal in the low-to-mid 70s. This assumes clouds and showers stay at bay until at least early afternoon. Confidence: Medium

Sunday night: Showers are about 30 percent possible early in the evening, but skies should slowly clear before dawn. Low temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s may not be windows-open weather overnight, but at least you shouldn’t need the heavy coat either. Confidence: Medium

More sun than clouds and fairly seasonable air for Halloween Monday and into Tuesday. I think breezes should remain calm, with high temperatures both days hitting at the least upper 50s and perhaps the mid-60s. Keep an extra layer handy, especially if your costume is one with thin or very breathable material! While dry conditions are currently expected, it’s an autumnal air regime for sure, and it could feel chilly after dark. Stay tuned for small forecast tweaks as needed, once we get closer to next week. Confidence: Low-medium

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