After a return of winter weather, spring is making a comeback Wednesday, first with a small chance of rain. Here’s what you need to know. Tuesday was cold despite some sunshine, with afternoon highs only in the mid 40s. “It certainly feels more like winter than late March,” NBC Washington meteorologist Chuck Bell said. Tuesday night will be cold with increasing clouds and lows in the upper 20s to low 30s.
More springlike warming returns Wednesday. The afternoon looks to be in the mid 50s to low 60s. Thursday will be even warmer but will bring a chance of thunderstorms and wind at times. Highs in the 70s. Friday will be dry and seasonal. The cherry blossoms have weathered the cold well. In a tweet, the National Park Service said there was “some scattered frost burn on some of the blossoms as a result of last night’s subfreezing temperatures, there is still plenty of color around the Tidal Basin this morning.”
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National Mall NPS spokesperson Mike Litterst said “the cherry blossoms fared fairly well” overnight. “We’re now a week plus into peak blooms, so the petals are increasingly vulnerable, especially in high winds or heavy rains. But that’s part of the normal bloom cycle,” Litterst said.
Radar
Forecast
Tuesday night: Turning cloudy. Staying dry. Freeze in rural areas. Wind: Variable 2-5 mph. LOWS: 28 — 35. Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Milder. Breezy at times. Wind: Southeast 8-18 mph. HIGHS: 56 — 62. Thursday: Cloudy, windy and warm. Scattered rain and thunderstorms. Gusts 30-40 mph possible. Wind: Southwest 18-28 mph. Chance of rain: 80%. HIGHS: 74 — 78. Friday: Sun and clouds. Blustery. Cool. Wind: Northwest 15-30 mph. Chance Of Rain: 20%. HIGHS: 54 — 60.
