Northern Virginia Weather: Weekend Brings Big Changes

STERLING, VA—Darn it! The injustice of it all. I mean—I mean—a lot of folks have been stuck behind desks this week unable to enjoy the brilliant sunshine and now along comes a weekend that's expected to be rife with cloud cover and the ever-present specter of showers. So predicts the National Weather Service and other area forecasting outlets.

There's still hope for at least some sun both Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures on the warm side. So there's that. And as the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang points out: "Sunday looks better than it once did (but) showers are possible just about all day, although the heaviest and most widespread should favor early."

Or maybe the forecast simply will turn out to be wrong. Maybe. Or not. So there you go. Here's the detailed forecast from the National Weather Service's area bureau in Sterling:

Friday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 3am, then a chance of showers. Some storms could produce small hail, gusty winds, and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. North wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm, then rain and possibly a thunderstorm between 9pm and 3am, then rain after 3am. Low around 63. East wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday: Rain before 9am, then showers likely after 9am. High near 72. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday Night: Showers likely before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 79.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 79.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Thursday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Chance of precipitation is 50%.