Arctic Blast, Winds to Bring Sharply Colder Temps

by Deb Belt

If you thought Monday’s cold rain was miserable, brace yourselves for crashing temperatures that will follow it.

The National Weather Service says an arctic blast will bring Alaska-like cold to many places in Northern Virginia, including Woodbridge. Temperatures could be 20 to 25 degrees below normal, the weather service said.

Overnight lows in the mid- to low-20s are possible the next two nights, with bitter wind chills into the teens possible Tuesday morning, according to The Weather Channel forecast.

Some of the coldest temps will likely be between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. Tuesday, when the wind chill will make it feel like 18 or 19 degrees. Look for another temperature drop after dark Tuesday night, with temps in the mid-20s feeling like 15 degrees.

The Capital Weather Gang at The Washington Post says this week’s frigid temperatures are considered colder than what we’d see in January. The Southeast Regional Climate Center says our weather will be close to what residents of Minneapolis or Juneau suffer through at this time of year.