Northern Virginia Weekend Weather: Welcome Back, July

STERLING, VA — The average high at Reagan National and Dulles International airports for this time of the year is 78 degrees — more than 10 degree cooler than what the Northern Virginia area is expected to get this weekend. That's the word from the National Weather Service's satellite headquarters in Sterling, which is calling from a downright beautiful weekend with bountiful sunshine. Did we mention Friday is the official first day of autumn?

Partly to mostly sunny conditions Friday are expected to give way to near-pristine weather for both Saturday and Sunday, with highs each day around 90 and pleasant evenings with lows in the mid to upper 60s. Not only that, but the summer-like stretch likely will last right on through the first day of the work and beyond. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts. Also, like us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Here's the detailed forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. North wind 3 to 8 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 85. North wind 3 to 6 mph.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 62. Light northwest wind.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming north around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.

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