8:51 p.m. update: Today’s high of 98 at Reagan National Airport was the hottest of the year so far!

We’re watching some storms out in West Virginia but it seems like they’re falling apart on their trek east and may dissipate before getting here.

Original post from 5 a.m.

* Heat advisory today from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. *
* Code Orange air quality today (unhealthy for sensitive groups) *


2/10: Pluto may be making the headlines, but today’s heat is downright Venusian.


Today: Partly to mostly sunny, HOT! Highs: Mid-to-upper 90s.
Tonight: Warm and sticky. 20% chance of a shower/storm. Lows: Upper 70s to near 80.
Tomorrow: Partly sunny, humid. Isolated p.m. storm? Highs: Low-to-mid 90s.


No if’s, and’s or but’s about it, it’s hot out there. Early storms stunted the warmth yesterday, but we’ll have no such luck today, which makes a bid for hottest day of the year so far. The heat and humidity stick around for the early part of the week, but (thankfully?) clouds and possibly showers and storms help take the edge off toward midweek. A cold front eventually pushes through, ushering in a still warm, but mercifully drier second half of the week.

Today (Sunday): We’re in for a steamy one. Partly to mostly sunny skies, and a light but warm down-sloping breeze from the west-southwest, help make today a contender for hottest day of the year. Highs head into the mid-to-upper 90s, and with humidity levels remaining in the “ugh” range, a heat advisory is in effect for “feels like” temperatures in the 100-105 range. Cooling showers and storms are likely confined off to our west, with only a slight (10%) chance that one pops up in the immediate metro area. Confidence: High

Tonight: The high heat oozes into the evening and overnight. Skies are partly to mostly cloudy, and with the extreme mugginess some fog is possible as lows stay up in the upper 70s to near 80. Yup, I said 80. Showers and storms continue to favor areas out west toward the mountains, with a 20% chance they’ll make east into the metro area. Confidence: Medium-High

Feeling sympathetic to those steamed crabs? Keep reading to see if and when we cool off…

Tomorrow (Monday): With a weak wave of low pressure slowly approaching, clouds are a bit more prevalent to start the work week. Still, partly sunny skies are enough to get us back into the low-to-mid 90s for highs. And with humidity remaining high, the heat index should top out near 100.  Could see an isolated storm pop up in the afternoon. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: Shower and storm chances increase a bit to around 30%, with activity expected to be isolated to scattered in nature. It’s not quite as oppressive, but we’re still nowhere near windows-open territory. Overnight lows run from the mid-70s to near 80. Confidence: Medium

Beating the heat along the Potomac near Aqueduct Falls. (Tom Mockler via Twitter )


A front hanging around the area on Tuesday leads to a partly to mostly cloudy and potentially stormy forecast. The overall chance of showers and storms stands at around 50-60%, as the coverage and timing of storms remain in question. If enough sun manages to break through early in the day, then we’ll have to watch for the possibility of some stronger storms. Either way, we could see heavy downpours in any storms that develop. The increased clouds should hold highs back in the upper 80s to low 90s. Rain chances diminish Tuesday night with lows near 70 to the low 70s. Confidence: Low-Medium

Wednesday brings with it a whole new ballgame! We’re still fairly warm, though that’s to be expected this time of year, with highs in the mid-80s to near 90. But high pressure moving in means mostly sunny skies and lower humidity, a welcome sight as we get a chance to dry out a bit. Confidence: Medium