NoVA Weather: Rapid Warm-Up To Bring Spring In January

NORTHERN VIRGINIA — This week brought some snow and freezing weather that closed schools, but, weirdly, spring-like temperatures are just around the corner. The January warm-up is expected to bring relatively balmy temperatures this weekend.

The mercury is expected to rise more than 30 degrees from the high of 39 degrees on Thursday to a balmy 70-degree forecast for Sunday, according to AccuWeather.com . The warm air is being pushed up from the south by a storm.

Temperatures are already warming up on Friday, getting into the mid-50s. Accompanying the spring-like 60s to perhaps 70 degrees on Sunday could be some showers and gusty storms. The record high for Jan. 11 at Dulles International Airport is 71 degrees and the record high for Jan. 12 is 70 degrees.

After a forecast rise to 68 degrees on Saturday and 71 on Sunday, Monday will see a 10- or 15-degree drop, with a high near 56 degrees, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

The normal high for Jan. 12 is 42 degrees, according to the NWS. Based on energy usage, Jan. 15 is on average the day of the year when residents use the most energy to heat their homes in the Washington, D.C. region due to cold temperatures. Looking ahead to this week's weather, furnaces shouldn't have to work extra hard in the region on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

Here's the forecast for Northern Virginia beyond Monday in more detail, courtesy of the NWS:

Tuesday, Jan. 14
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. Chance of precipitation is 5o percent.

Wednesday, Jan. 15
Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.

Thursday, Jan. 16
A chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 52. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.