Skip to main content

Heavy rain, flood risk diminishes as showers move out of DC region

Heavy rain is on its way out of the D.C. region, after a number of jurisdictions in the area were under a flash flood watch Sunday morning. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch late Saturday night for Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland until 10 a.m. Sunday. Bands of moderate to heavy rain with thunderstorms that arrived late Saturday stuck around into Sunday morning.

X

To view this content from @NWS_BaltWash on X, click here.

An area of low pressure parked over the Chesapeake Bay on Sunday morning, but eventually moved out of the area to the northeast, taking the showers with it, according to Storm Team4 meteorologist Lauryn Ricketts. Overnight, the heaviest rain fell along and east of I-95. Rain totals reached about 2 inches in some areas and brought the risk of high water on roadways and along streams historically vulnerable to flooding, particularly in southern Maryland to central Virginia. “Since that area of low pressure’s still kind of hanging out in the Chesapeake Bay, we’re still seeing that ring of rain and wetness over the area,” Ricketts said. “But as we get through the middle part of the morning, it’ll start to lift out of here and, really, by this afternoon we will be dry.” While the worst of the weather is on its way out, Ricketts said some isolated, lighter showers will stick around later in the day Sunday before the entire region is looking dry by Sunday night. Temperatures will be abnormally cool Sunday, staying in the 70s with lots of cloud cover. Conditions were even worse just south of the National Capital Region. Some parts of central Virginia saw more than 9 inches of rain during the first half of the weekend. In Chesterfield County — just south of Richmond — police, fire and emergency medical teams evacuated people from their homes downstream from the Falling Creek Dam. More rain, and the continued risk for flooding, is expected in central Virginia on Sunday.

X

To view this content from @CCPDVa on X, click here.

Inclement weather around the District is less likely through Wednesday, but rain chances return during the midweek.



Forecast:

  • Sunday: Showers in the morning east of the Blue Ridge, moving out through mid morning with breezy conditions. Lingering afternoon shower with cloudy skies. Temperatures in the mid 70s.
  • Overnight: Partly cloudy to mostly clear with temperatures in the 60s.
  • Monday: Partly to mostly sunny with a 30% chance of a passing storm. Temperatures in the low to mid 80s.
  • Tuesday: Mostly sunny with a stray afternoon storm possible and less humid conditions. Temperatures in the mid 80s.
  • Wednesday: Partly sunny with afternoon storms possible and muggy conditions. Temperatures will be in the lower to mid 80s.

Current conditions:

Hot, humid week ahead for DC area with severe storm risk

A dangerous heat wave will grip the D.C. area through Thursday, with highs in the mid to upper 90s and heat index values between 100 and 105. Hot and humid conditions are expected through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service, which said to expect daily thunderstorm chances and a risk of severe thunderstorms. 7News Meteorologist Eileen Whelan told WTOP that most of Tuesday will stay dry, but a few late-day thunderstorms are possible, especially north and east of D.C. as storms drift south from Pennsylvania. Any storm could produce damaging wind gusts and hail, but Whelan reiterated "storm chances are low" on Tuesday. Due to a lack of air conditioning, Parkdale High School in Riverdale, Maryland, closed early at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Prince George's County Public Schools said in a social media post.
Read Next Story