Storm Team4 forecast: Expect colder temperatures after storms in DC, Maryland and Virginia

4 things to know about the weather:

1. Cold wind returns
2. Hard freeze coming Tuesday night
3. Next rain chance Friday PM
4. 60s for the weekend

Our mild start to the month of March is on hold for the next few days.

Through Monday, with an average temperature of 52.5°, this has been one of the top-10 warmest starts to March since 1872. 7.4° above average. That’s ahead of last year (50.2°) but still well behind the year before that (54.4°). It’s no wonder that the cherry trees at the Tidal Basin have raced into stage 3.

That stops Tuesday. Gusty northwest winds have blown in behind Monday’s severe storms and the next 36-48 hours will be quite a bit colder than average.

Highs Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday only reaching the low 40s is 15° below average. We also have a hard freeze coming Tuesday night.

The cherry blossoms should be alright but if you have any cold sensitive plantings already in the ground, you may want to protect them Tuesday night and Wednesday night too.

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

Nice weekend coming

South winds will return on Thursday bringing us back into the 50s by Thursday afternoon. Friday will get close to 60° but with increasing clouds and a small chance of rain by later in the day.

For now, the weekend looks quite nice. Highs both days should reach the mid-60s. Another shot of cold air will arrive early next week leaving us with highs in the 40s on Monday and Tuesday. That cold will hopefully be followed by a rainy few days.

Our drought has eased from earlier in the year but we could still use the moisture as the growing season starts to get into full swing.

QuickCast

TUESDAY:
Periods Of Clouds & Sun
Blustery And Cold
Daytime Chills Near 30°
Wind: Northwest 15-25 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 37° to 43°

TUESDAY NIGHT:
Some Clouds At Sunset
Clearing By Midnight
Hard Freeze
Wind: Northwest 5-15 mph
Chance Of Rain: 0%
LOWS: 22° to 28°

WEDNESDAY:
Morning Cloudiness
Mainly Sunny Afternoon
Still Quite Cold
Wind: Variable 5 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 38° to 44°

THURSDAY:
Partly Cloudy
AM Freeze Likely
A Bit Milder Afternoon
Wind: South 5-10 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 48° to 54°

FRIDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Seasonable
Few Showers Possible
Wind: Southwest 5-10 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 54° to 60°

Sunrise: 7:16       Sunset: 7:17
Average High: 57°  Average Low: 39°

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.