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St. Patrick’s Day brings a chill to DC area

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St. Patrick’s Day revelers needed to bundle up across the D.C. area with frigid temperatures and a chance for some conversational flurries Tuesday.

Temperatures ran 15 to 20 degrees below normal.

7News First Alert Meteorologist Steve Rudin said a few scattered snow showers or flurries could develop Tuesday evening, mainly along the Maryland–Pennsylvania border and from the Shenandoah Valley into southern Maryland.

Those flurries are not expected to lead to any measurable snowfall.

For most of the day, skies have been partly cloudy — a stark change from Monday’s weather.

Severe storms drenched DC region

Thunderstorms brought downpours, floods and damaging wind gusts in the 50 to 60 mph range Monday.

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.



FORECAST

TUESDAY NIGHT:
Scattered clouds
Lows: 25-32
Winds: Northwest 5-10 mph

WEDNESDAY:
Partly cloudy
Highs: 40-45
Winds: South 5-10 mph

THURSDAY:
Partly sunny
Highs: around 55
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph

FRIDAY:
Partly sunny
Highs: near 60
Winds: Southwest 5-10 mph

CURRENT CONDITIONS

POWER OUTAGES

Unhealthy air in DC region with smoky skies from Canadian wildfires

Air quality in the D.C. region is very poor Friday, as plumes of smoke blown down from Canadian wildfires make for hazy skies that reek. A code purple air quality alert has been issued for the D.C. area and the Baltimore area, meaning that the level of air pollution is unhealthy for everyone, especially those with health issues, according to the National Weather Service. It's strongly recommended that you limit your time outside so that you don't get exposed to the heat and smoke. The thick smoke in the sky Friday is similar to what happened during the summer of 2023 when the region was under code red, purple and maroon alerts, according to 7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whelan.
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