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Springing Into Spring?

Josh Larson @ 8:35 AM

Expect about 48 hours of temperatures much below normal before noticeably milder air approaches from the south and west. We'll step into the 50s this weekend and probably into the 60s by the middle of next week; in between, however, we'll have to contend with mostly cloudy skies and occasional showers this weekend into the start of next week. Scroll down for more on yesterday's snow.

Today


Forecast Confidence: HighSunshine returns. After a very cold start to the day (with temperatures ranging from 10-20 degrees!) look for increasing amounts of sunshine as the day wears on, with temperatures quickly rising to a still-chilly 40 degrees for highs. Clear and very cold tonight with lows from the mid teens in the burbs to the low 20s downtown.

Tomorrow


Forecast Confidence: MediumSunny + chilly. Look for mostly sunny skies on Friday with a continued chill in the air as temperatures will struggle to reach 40 degrees during the afternoon hours. Overnight, partly cloudy and not as cold with lows in the upper 20s across the burbs to near freezing downtown.

The Weekend


Forhttp://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifecast Confidence: High-Very HighMilder but dreary. We'll look for mostly cloudy skies on Saturday with much milder highs from 50-55. Mostly cloudy Saturday night with a stray shower possible and lows near 40. Expect overcast skies on Sunday with an occasional shower, though much of the day will be dry. Overcast Sunday night with scattered showers and lows in the low to mid 40s.

Yesterday's Snow


The Alberta Clipper that brought yesterday's snowfall to our region generally dropped the as-advertised 1-2" in the immediate DC metro area, though accumulations to the east fell short of the 2-4" predicted here. Some areas in western Maryland and West Virgina hit the "jackpot," so to speak, with 5-10" falling in some localities. (Official snowfall totals can be viewed here.)

As a result of the clouds and snowfall, temperatures stayed below 30 for highs, which is pretty impressive given the fact that our average high now is approaching 55 degrees. This particular prognosticator thinks those are the last flakes we'll see again until next winter...

Pictured above: CapitalWeather.com photographer, Kevin Ambrose, captured this shot on the Mall, looking towards the Capitol, mid-afternoon yesterday.

LARSON'S LONG-RANGE


Pattern Overview
A look at model guidance suggests that the amplified jet stream pattern that has been responsible for our recent below-normal temperatures, by providing a trough aloft over eastern North America and allowing cold air to seep into our region from Canada, will begin to break down over the coming few days. It will likely be replaced with a much less amplified, flatter flow pattern that will keep cold air locked well away to our north. We'll look for near-normal temperatures returning this weekend and then above-normal temperatures for next work week.

Next week's forecast
Forecast highs/lows: 61/44 (normal = 55/37)
Forecast precip: Above normal.

Forecast Confidence: High-Very HighMonday will feature mostly cloudy skies and scattered showers possible with afternoon highs from 55-60, with overnight lows in the mid 40s. Continued mostly cloudy on Tuesday, with a slight chance of a stray shower and quite mild high temperatures from 60-65 with overnight lows in the mid to upper 40s. Wednesday looks mostly sunny and dry with highs once again from 60-65 and lows in the mid 40s. From this far vantage point, it looks like clouds and rain may return Thursday into Friday, with slightly cooler highs in the mid to upper 50s with overnight lows from 40-45.

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