The region has begun cleaning up after a round of powerful thunderstorms and sometimes-severe weather made their way through the area Tuesday night.
Thousands of people are still without power in the area, particularly in Howard County, Maryland, where a tornado touched down for nearly 20 minutes Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service confirmed — an extraordinarily long-lived tornado in this region.
Hail was reported elsewhere in the area, and heavy, sudden rainfall caused floods in some places — the Cleveland Park Metro station, for example, was shut down due to flooding. It reopened later Tuesday night.
We get a one-day break to clean up, reset and get ready for more storms on Thursday. Wednesday will be a great day to get outside: Sunny skies, falling humidity and a westerly breeze are on tap, with afternoon highs in the mid- to upper 80s. The cold front that sparked yesterday’s storms will come back north as a warm front Thursday. As the more humid air returns, there could be a few showers and storms Wednesday night and Thursday morning, with temperatures near 70.
The real issue with Thursday will come in the afternoon, when another round of strong to severe storms is likely. Thursday’s storm chance is 80 percent and, just like Tuesday, damaging winds and flooding downpours are a real possibility. Storms will linger into Thursday night before finally quieting down early Friday.
High pressure will move in on Friday afternoon. Skies will clear and the humidity will drop once again just in time for the weekend, with highs in the mid-80s.
WEDNESDAY: Partly to mostly sunny; breezy and warm
Highs: 84-88
Rain Chance: 0%
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds; a shower or two
Lows: 67-73
Rain Chance: 30%
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy; strong storms possible in the morning and afternoon
Highs: 84-88
Rain Chance: 80%
FRIDAY: Gorgeous, sunny; low humidity
Highs: Low 80s
SATURDAY: Sunshine; low humidity
Temps: Mid-80s
SUNDAY: Beautiful and comfortable
Highs: Mid- to upper 80s
source: WTOP.com