Storm Team4 forecast: Nice day in the 60s but expect much milder temps and rain soon

4 things to know about the weather:

1. Nice day ahead
2. Much warmer Thursday
3. Rain on Friday
4. Freeze possible Saturday AM

Our average high climbs to 60° Wednesday and will stay above 60° until Nov. 10.

South winds will bring in some milder air for the next few days before a chilly rain arrives first thing Friday morning. Clouds will come along with the breeze so, though Wednesday will be nearly 10° warmer than Tuesday, it may not feel that much different.

Any small chances for rain Wednesday will be west of the Blue Ridge where a stray shower is possible. The D.C. metro area will stay dry until very late Thursday evening. Thursday itself will be quite mild and breezy.

After starting near 50° Thursday morning, southwest winds will push temperatures into the mid-70s by the afternoon.

Rain will arrive before sunrise on Friday and may not finally come to a stop until late afternoon or early evening. Rainfall totals of around 1/2 an inch are expected. Temperatures on Friday will still be near 60° (even with the rain) during the morning commute but will fall steadily throughout the day.

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Cooler weekend and cherry blossom watch

By the time the rain ends, we’ll be in the chilly 40s. Skies will clear out Friday night and it will be quite cold on Saturday morning. Downtown D.C. will fall into the mid-30s but most areas outside the Beltway will drop below freezing.

Those same areas may have another freeze Saturday night so if you have cold sensitive early plantings outside, they will need protection both nights. Other than the chill, the weekend will be nice and sunny.

Highs on Saturday will struggle to reach 50° but we’ll be back near average on Sunday. Much warmer weather is coming next week. Mid-60s on Monday, near 70° on Tuesday and a chance to be near 80° next Wednesday and Thursday.

The cherry blossoms will be at or near peak this weekend but may not last long. We had three 80° days at the end of March last year and that cooked the pedals right off the branches.

QuickCast

WEDNESDAY:
Clouds & Sunshine
Chilly Morning
Seasonable Afternoon
Wind: South 10 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 56° to 62°

WEDNESDAY NIGHT:
Passing Clouds
Cool And Dry
Steady Breeze
Wind: South 7-14 mph
Chance Of Rain: 0%
LOWS: 48° to 52°

THURSDAY:
Mild And Breezy
Increasing Clouds
Late Evening Showers
Wind: Southwest 12-24 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 70° to 76°

FRIDAY:
Breezy, And Rainy
Steadiest Rain Before 3PM
Falling Temperatures
Wind: North 10-20 mph
Chance of Rain: 90%
TEMPS: 62° to 48°

SATURDAY:
AM Freeze Possible
Sunny, Chilly Afternoon
Breezy At Times
Wind: Northwest 8-18 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 46° to 52°

Sunrise: 7:04       Sunset: 7:25
Average High: 60°  Average Low: 41°

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