DC: More Heat, Then Storms, Then Much Cooler

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

September 11,2013; 8:35PM,EDT

 

 

After a brief spell of late-summer heat, a couple of rounds of thunderstorms will roll through the Washington, D.C., area, followed by some of the coolest weather of the season so far.
Washington, D.C., climbed into the 90s for the second day in a row Wednesday, but the clock is ticking on the hot, humid weather. Temperatures will peak close to 90 degrees on Thursday before storms come calling.
In order for Reagan National Airport to officially have its hottest day of the season, temperatures would have to surpass the mark set on July 17, when the temperature reached 97 degrees.

Storms will tend to be very spotty into Thursday midday and mainly centered over the Appalachians to the northwest. However, storms Thursday afternoon and night will occur on a regional basis.
Any storm through Thursday can be locally strong with blinding downpours and gusty winds. A few areas could be hit with travel delays and sporadic power disruptions.
RELATED:
Forecast Temperature Maps
Washington, D.C. Interactive Radar
Locally Severe Storms: I-90 Wednesday, I-95 Thursday
The storms will not break the hot and humid conditions until Thursday night.
With the humid air and spotty rain around Wednesday night, some areas may start foggy Thursday morning.
By Friday, Canadian air will settle in over the region with much lower temperatures and humidity, as well as a gusty breeze. Some people will feel refreshed, while others may mind the sudden chill. That breeze should prevent fog Friday morning.
The pattern Friday into the weekend could yield some of the lowest temperatures of the season so far for the metro area and the region in general. High temperatures may fail to reach 70 degrees in some locations on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Gabrielle is forecast to remain well offshore of Delmarva waters this week, but it affected Bermuda Wednesday with showers, gusty winds and rough seas.
Windswept rain from Gabrielle are forecast to spread from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland, Canada, Friday into Saturday.