Storm Team4 Forecast: Weather alert for rain, snow and plummeting temperatures

4 things to know about the weather:

1. Wind-Driven Rain This Morning
2. Chance For Wet Snow 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.!
3. More High Winds On Friday
4. Weekend Dry For Most

Warm weather ends with a crashing thud Thursday, with a blast of northwest winds gusting at or above 40 mph, a burst of rain and even a chance for snow.

All three of our local airports set new records on Wednesday … again! That’s two days in a row with afternoon highs at nearly 30° above average. Temperatures were still above 70° at 3 a.m., which is mid-summer warmth for the middle of the night!

Rain, wet snow and falling temps Thursday

The morning commute will be most unpleasant from a weather perspective. Temperatures will also come crashing down with many locations dropping 30-40° by Thursday afternoon.

All of our forecast models are showing the rain ending with a period of wet snow. That said, snow in a computer model is NOT the same as snow on the ground.

Could we get enough snow to briefly whiten the grass between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.? Yes. But paved surfaces will be too warm at the start, and solar radiation will prevent any concerns about road conditions.

It’ll be enough of a shock to be 45° colder than Wednesday without having to worry about shovelling. All the rain/snow will come to an end before sunset and skies will clear out this evening.

Temperatures will fall to near 30° by Friday morning, but warm front will move over the area. Clouds will return first thing and southwest winds will increase quickly, eventually gusting at or above 40mph from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., helping to push temperatures back into the 50s.

Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.

Weekend forecast

Saturday will be the better half of the weekend, with dry conditions and temperatures rising from near 40° to the mid-50s.

Another powerhouse storm will impact our area on Monday.

Clouds and southeast winds will increase on Sunday morning, and there’s a chance for a little rain by late in the day with temperatures nearing 60°.

Another blast of cold early next week

Expect gusty, rainy and mild conditions on Monday with highs in the low to mid-60s.

A blast of cold arrives Monday night and Tuesday’s highs will struggle to reach 40°. There’s even another chance for some wet snow in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday morning. Like Thursday, there’s not likely to be any accumulations great enough to cause issues.

The March lion will certainly be roaring quite a bit over the next few days.

QuickCast

TODAY:
Cloudy, Windy, Much Colder
Falling Temperatures
Rain Likely Before 2pm
Periods Of Wet Snow Possible
Gusts Over 40 mph
Wind: Northwest 20-30 mph
Chance of Rain: 90%
HIGHS: 55° to 36°

TONIGHT:
Clearing Skies
Wind Subsiding
Much Colder
Wind: Variable 5-10 mph
Chance Of Rain: 0%
LOWS: 28° to 34°

FRIDAY:
AM: Clouds, PM: Clearing
Windy, Gusts Over 40 mph
Near Average Temperatures
Wind: Southwest 20-30 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 48° to 56°

SATURDAY:
Sun & Clouds
Breezy In The Morning
Near Average Temperatures
Wind: Northwest/West 10 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 52° to 58°

SUNDAY:
Mostly Cloudy, A Bit Milder
Breezy By The Afternoon
Few Showers By Sunset
Wind: Southeast 15-25 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 56° to 64°

Sunrise: 7:24       Sunset: 7:12
Average High: 55°  Average Low: 37°

Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.