From warm and stormy to cold and blustery: St. Patrick’s Day brings a chill to DC area
With any luck, St. Patrick’s Day revelers won’t have to dodge raindrops, but they will need to bundle up across the D.C. area Tuesday.
A cold and blustery St. Patrick’s Day is ahead for the D.C. region, and temperatures will run 15 to 20 degrees below normal.
Strong northwest winds will make conditions feel even colder, with wind chills in the 20s and lower 30s for much of Tuesday, despite some sunshine.
7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whelan said the District remains dry, though a few snow showers may brush the mountains.
Severe storms drenched DC region
Monday night thunderstorms brought more rain and damaging wind gusts in the 50 to 60 mph range and higher to a region that had already seen downpours and floods.
They also ushered in a cold front that rapidly dropped evening temperatures from the 60s to the 40s, and overnight temperatures into the upper 20s and low 30s.
Area utilities reported thousands of customers lost power.
Monday’s storms included a 2 p.m. squall that dumped 3 to 5 inches of rain on the D.C. region and flooded some creeks and roads.
The high winds closed the Bay Bridge to traffic for a time. 7News First Alert Meteorologist Matt Ritter said one wind gust on the bridge was unofficially measured at 87 mph.
A tree fell on Rock Creek Parkway in D.C., closed the roadway just north of the zoo tunnel around 10 p.m.
Wednesday brings a slight improvement, though temperatures remain below average for mid March. Winds will be lighter, and most of the region stays dry aside from a few lingering mountain snow showers.
A noticeable warmup then builds Thursday and Friday, with highs returning to the 50s and near 60 to close out the workweek.
- Listen to WTOP online and on the radio at 103.5 FM or 107.7 FM.
- Current traffic conditions
- Weather forecast
- Closings and Delays
- Sign up for WTOP email alerts
- Get custom alerts with the WTOP app for Apple and Android phones
FORECAST
ST. PATRICK’S DAY: Partly sunny, cold. Highs between 38 and 45, with wind chills between 25 and 35.
Winds: Northwest 15 to 25 mph, gusts 30 to 40 mph
TONIGHT: Scattered clouds. Lows between 25 and 32.
Winds: Northwest 5 to 10 mph
WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. Highs between 38 and 45.
Winds: South 5 to 10 mph
THURSDAY: Partly sunny. Highs around 55.
Winds: Southeast 5 to 10 mph
FRIDAY: Partly sunny. Highs near 60.
Winds: Southwest 5 to 10 mph