Wet week continues Wednesday in DC area
After persistent rain and some flooding in the D.C. area Tuesday, Wednesday morning will bring milder and warmer weather, but the chance for rain and storms remains.
7News First Alert Chief Meteorologist Veronica Johnson told WTOP some scattered storms may resume in the afternoon and evening, with a chance of damaging winds and some additional flooding.
“Already, your First Alert weather team, we’re going with a Storm Alert,” Johnson said. “And with the potential for some higher winds, we could see some downed trees. So again, gotta stay weather aware.”
Temperatures will continue to climb for the rest of the week, with highs around 80 Thursday and Friday — and storms are expected to continue through the end of the week.
“It’s not until Sunday, when a front comes in, we finally clear out the humidity and get a reset of the atmosphere,” 7News First Alert Meteorologist Jordan Evans told WTOP.
The showers are providing some much-needed relief to persistent drought conditions in the D.C. area. The rain first began Monday night, according to the National Weather Service, and led to flooding in parts of Fairfax County that lasted until early Wednesday morning.
In Allegany County in northwestern Maryland, two elementary schools had to be evacuated due to flooding.
Jonathan Dayton, spokesman for Potomac Fire Company No. 2, told WTOP the water level was over one foot high against the main entrance door at Westernport Elementary School.
“Definitely a very chaotic situation,” Dayton said. “You can see in pictures two, three, four … cars in the parking lot that were just floating, due to high waters.”
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FULL FORECAST
WEDNESDAY: STORM ALERT
Mostly cloudy; scattered showers, storms
Highs: 73-78
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph
Very humid air across the DMV will continue to keep us damp in the morning with a few lingering showers. There’s a chance we may see a few peeks of sun Wednesday, as afternoon highs climb into the 70s. Scattered showers and storms will develop during the afternoon and evening hours. Some storms may contain damaging winds. Due to this threat, the First Alert Weather team will be on a STORM ALERT for the afternoon and evening hours. Any storms that develop could also produce heavy rainfall that could lead to additional flooding.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT:
Scattered showers and storms
Lows: 60-67
Winds: East 5-10 mph
Any showers and storms from earlier in the day will begin to weaken into the early overnight. Low temperatures will dip into the 60s.
THURSDAY:
Partly sunny; isolated showers, storms
Highs: Around 80
Winds: East 5-10 mph
Another very humid day is in store with highs around 80 degrees. More sunshine and lower rain chances are in the forecast Thursday. While rain and storm chances are rather low, any storms that develop could contain heavy rainfall.
FRIDAY:
Partly sunny; showers and storms likely
Highs: 83-88
Winds: Southwest 5-10 mph
Friday brings a taste of summer in May with very warm and humid conditions. Afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms are possible. First Alert Weather will continue to monitor the risk for strong to severe storms.
THIS WEEKEND:
Storm chances continue Saturday as a cold front crosses the region. Behind the front, expect mostly sunny skies and drier conditions for Sunday.