NoVa Thunderstorms Update: Threat Is Increasing

UPDATE 2:13 p.m.: A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for the entire D.C. and Northern Virginia area until 7 p.m.

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of DC, MD, NC, VA, WV until 7 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/NnjRhOKldw
— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) May 10, 2018

The risk of severe thunderstorms in the Northern Virginia area has been elevated, with the National Weather Service boosting the threat level from "marginal" to "slight" since yesterday.

Overnight, thunderstorms developed in the upper Ohio Valley and were expected to strengthen as they headed east, reaching Interstate 95 during the evening commute.

"A few storms could produce damaging winds or large hail," NWS tweeted. "All storms will have heavy rain. Monitor weather today."

T-storms developing in the upper Ohio Valley will strengthen as they spread east today, affecting the Potomac Highlands midday & reaching I-95 during the PM commute. A few storms could produce damaging winds or large hail. All storms will have heavy rain. Monitor weather today. pic.twitter.com/jfLIH5seig
— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) May 10, 2018

Thunderstorms are created by the rapid upward movement of warm, moist air, usually along a front. The warm air cools and then condenses, forming a cumulonimbus cloud. The droplets fall and create a downdraft, which can result in strong winds.

It will be a warm day Thursday, with highs reaching into the low to mid 80s. There could be an isolated shower in the morning, but the bigger threat is in the afternoon, especially late, according to a forecast from the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang.

Any rain that does move in will rush through the area quickly, so it will be mostly dry. However, thunderstorms with locally damaging winds and/or hail could bring isolated heavy downpours of up to a quarter inch.

Temperatures should sink as low as the 50s thanks to the cold front causing this line of storms. Showers may continue into the evening, so keep that umbrella handy.

But fear not, beautiful spring weather will return on Friday, with highs around 80 and humidity comfortably low.

So what about the weekend? Saturday's going to be a pretty hot one, with highs reaching close to 90 degrees and humidity moderate. There is also a chance of a shower or thunderstorm, CWG says, with scattered showers in the evening.

A cold front is expected to move in on Mother's Day, but it's really up in the air on what that means, forecasters say. It could mean a cloudy day with lots of showers, or it could end up resulting in partly sunny skies. We'll see.

The good news is that spring weather is holding off the summer for now. Let's hope that continues.

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)