D.C.-area forecast: Serious September heat wave starts today, then sizzles through midweek

A somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of 0 to 10.

6/10: An “unofficial” end-of-summer sizzler with highs in the 90s and plenty of sun. Find a pool or body of water to cool off in!

  • Today: Mostly sunny and hot. Highs: Mid-90s.
  • Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows: Near 70 to mid-70s.
  • Tomorrow: Mostly sunny and hotter. Highs: Upper 90s.

High pressure dominates much of this week with plenty of sunshine and building heat. Temperatures jump into the low to mid-90s today before surging to the mid-90s to near 100 Labor Day through at least Wednesday. That’s at least 10 to 15 degrees above average and potentially record-breaking. The humidity won’t be oppressive but high enough to add a few degrees to the heat index. Rain chances are slight as drought conditions continue to worsen.

Today (Sunday): Our several-day heat wave begins today as afternoon temperatures rise through the low and mid-90s under mostly sunny skies. The humidity isn’t horrible, but it does climb toward the moderate range with dew points in the low to mid-60s. That means afternoon heat indexes reaching the mid- and upper 90s. Winds are light from the west around 5-10 mph. Confidence: High

Tonight: The heat sticks around with lows only dropping to near 70 to the mid-70s under mostly clear skies. It’s slightly more humid, too. Confidence: High

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest weather updates. Keep reading for the forecast through midweek…

Labor Day (Monday): It’s shaping up to be one of our hottest Labor Days on record with mostly sunny skies and afternoon highs in the upper 90s. Humidity remains in the moderate range, likely pushing the afternoon heat index to near 100 or into the low 100s. Just a slight chance of a late-day thunderstorm. We could break records at Reagan National Airport (96 set in 2019), Dulles International Airport (95 set in 1985) and Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport (96 set in 2019). Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: Mostly clear and warm conditions continue. We could challenge record-warm lows overnight with temperatures only falling back to the mid-70s. Confidence: Medium-High

High pressure continues to camp out overhead through Tuesday and Wednesday, both of which are likely to see record-challenging heat with mostly sunny skies. Daytime highs should reach around 95 to 100, with heat indexes again topping out near 100 or in the low 100s. Still just a slight chance of a late-day thunderstorm both days. Tuesday night lows stall in the 70s again. Confidence: Medium

Temperatures may again rise well into the 90s on Thursday, with highs probably closer to 90 on Friday, with the chance of a shower or storm starting to increase. Confidence: Low-Medium



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