DC Area Forecast: Dry through mid-week, then stormy and freezing

Today, Tuesday): It’s another cold day. However, mostly sunny skies and lighter winds soften the chill. Look for highs reaching 40 to 45, with light northerly winds at about 5 mph. The air mass is still very dry, with dew points in the teens. Trust: High

Tonight: A few clouds at times but mostly clear with lows ranging from the low 20s in the outer suburbs to near the 30s in the city. Winds are light or near calm at times. Trust: High

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Tomorrow (Wednesday): There will likely be more sun, but some high clouds may work to filter the sunlight later in the day. Highs range from the lows to the mid 40s. Light winds coming from the east around 5 mph. Trust: High

Tomorrow night: Here come the clouds. Mostly cloudy conditions eventually prevail with low temperatures towards dawn ranging from the upper 20s (in our coldest areas) to the low 30s (in the center). Confidence: Medium-High

Thursday we should see patches of light rain starting in the morning, but that could initially be mixed with sleet and freezing rain in our normally cooler west and northwest areas (generally west of Route 15). Most of the day should feature single rain as highs reach 40 degrees. Rain could turn moderate to heavy at times by Thursday night and overnight as temperatures stay in the 40s or even rise slightly. Confidence: Medium

Friday has high volatility. The morning rain continues with temperatures rising to the warmer 50s before a strong cold front arrives from the Arctic in the midday hours. That front causes temperatures to drop 15 to 25 degrees in a few hours. Temperatures could be near freezing in the late afternoon or early evening.

There is a chance that some wet areas could suddenly freeze over, although strong winds can dry things out before that happens. The rain should stop fairly quickly around the time of the noon cold front, but could briefly change to snow before finishing.

Winds are strong in the morning, sustained at 20-30 mph with higher gusts. Stormy conditions in the afternoon produce a very low wind chill, but the sky can be partly sunny at times behind the front. Friday night is chilly, with lows in the upper single digits all the way up to the nineteen and freezing sub-zero winds at times with a gust or shower of snow possible. Confidence: Medium

Good night Y Christmas day they are quite cold with mostly sunny skies. Highs stay below freezing both days, with highs in the 20s and 30s. Wind chill is even lower. Saturday night should see mostly clear skies with lows in the teens, but a few single digits may reappear in our far west to northwest areas. Confidence: Medium-High

A daily assessment of the potential for at least 1 inch of snow in the next week, on a scale of 0 to 10.

1/10 (→): Snowfall or flurries are possible Friday afternoon through Friday night behind the Arctic blast.