Heavy rain, flash freeze and frigid cold: Wild weather on the way for D.C. area - The Washington Post

Before that, the portion volition spot chiefly rain, though our colder locations whitethorn spot a precise little wintry premix connected the storm’s beforehand extremity Thursday morning. Winter upwind advisories have been issued for occidental Loudoun and Frederick counties, arsenic good arsenic locations westbound of that for the imaginable of little than 1 inch of snowfall and a airy coating of ice.

The rainfall could beryllium dense astatine times, prompting a flood ticker from the National Weather Service from Thursday greeting to Thursday night.

After the soaking rainfall connected Thursday volition travel a wintry shock. A mega-cold beforehand volition blast the portion Friday greeting causing temperatures adjacent 40 to plummet toward the teens by evening. This Arctic battle volition acceptable up the region’s astir frigid December upwind since astatine slightest 2004 and the coldest Christmas since 1989.

Here’s what to expect into the weekend:

Most of the precipitation Thursday volition beryllium rain. Rainfall totals of astir 1.5 inches should beryllium communal crossed the D.C. area, with immoderate spots adjacent 2 inches.

4 a.m. to 7 a.m. Thursday: Precipitation should statesman to get from the west, moving into areas chiefly westbound of Interstate 95. A precise airy glaze of crystal is possible, chiefly successful elevated areas acold westbound and northbound of the Beltway, possibly pursuing a coating of snow.

7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday: Rain should overtake the remainder of the area, with immoderate spotty freezing rainfall west. It whitethorn instrumentality until precocious greeting to get temperatures supra 32 degrees westbound of Route 15 (from Warrenton to Leesburg to Frederick). Temperatures are expected to emergence done the 30s elsewhere, with rainfall expanding successful sum and strength done aboriginal afternoon.

1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday: Frequent periods of rainfall should persist, dense astatine times. There could beryllium a rumble of thunder. Temperatures are expected to emergence to adjacent 40 degrees successful our colder areas to the northwest to the mid-50s to the southbound and southeast. There whitethorn beryllium beardown winds, with gusts of 40 mph.

7 p.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. Friday: It’s expected to crook showery precocious evening, and winds should easiness slightly. Much of the overnight could beryllium dry, but showers are a increasing hazard toward dawn. Temperatures should stay mild into the overnight earlier cooling toward 40 degrees by sunrise.

We’ll apt awaken to temperatures adjacent 40 degrees connected Friday, and that whitethorn beryllium arsenic precocious arsenic they get for a while. Between astir 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., an Arctic beforehand volition expanse through, with expanding winds and plummeting temperatures.

“Onset of beardown winds with the front’s accomplishment could beryllium rather abrupt and dramatic,” Capital Weather Gang terrible upwind adept Jeff Halverson said. “With the crushed precise bedewed from the rain, isolated treefalls and spotty powerfulness outages are possible.”

During the transition, immoderate snowfall oregon mixed precipitation whitethorn fall. Any lingering bedewed spots connected paved surfaces could crystal over.

“Weather models person been advertizing the imaginable for snowfall showers down the front,” said Wes Junker, CWG wintertime upwind expert. “Even without immoderate snows showers, puddles connected roads are apt to freeze, truthful determination could beryllium slick spots.”

If determination is immoderate snowfall arsenic the beforehand passes, the accidental for icy roads increases, Junker said. If the beforehand comes done without precipitation, beardown winds could assistance adust retired pavements earlier they person the accidental to freeze.

By aboriginal afternoon, upwind chills should plunge to the azygous digits and teens successful astir areas due to the fact that of upwind gusts betwixt 40 and 50 mph. Temperatures volition rapidly driblet done the 20s during the afternoon.

Gusts should easiness somewhat into evening but inactive stroke astir 25 mph to 35 mph done Friday night, starring to upwind chills adjacent zero. Wind chills into the minus-teens to minus-30s are apt successful the mountains to the west.

If you indispensable question Friday, see carrying exigency supplies specified arsenic blankets, nutrient and h2o successful lawsuit of delays.

Under wide skies, lows connected Christmas Eve greeting are expected to scope from astir 10 to 15 degrees (maybe a small warmer downtown). Expect day highs of lone 20 to 25 degrees with upwind chills nary higher than the teens.

On Christmas Day, lows volition scope from the azygous digits to midteens. Afternoon highs whitethorn extremity up milder than Saturday’s but inactive lone scope the mid- and precocious 20s.

It’s adjacent to a warrant that this volition beryllium the coldest two-day Christmas vacation since 1989. That year, the precocious was 23 with a debased of 10 connected Christmas Eve, and the precocious was 29 with a debased of 11 connected Christmas Day. A fewer acold records successful the portion could fall.

If the debased somesthesia dips to astatine slightest 16 degrees either Saturday oregon Sunday, it volition lucifer the coldest of 2022.

If it dips to 15 oregon lower, it would beryllium the coldest since January 2019. Since 2000, lone 3 December days person seen temperatures of 15 degrees oregon lower, astir precocious successful 2004.

Jason Samenow and Dan Stillman contributed to this report.