A freeze warning will take effect early Tuesday morning across the District and parts of Maryland and Virginia, with low temperatures expected to dip below freezing in many places and fall into the 20s in some spots. The warning runs from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tuesday and covers Prince George’s, Montgomery, Anne Arundel, King George and Arlington counties, along with the City of Alexandria.
For anyone with plants outdoors, the advice is simple. Mike Stinneford said, “Plants will have to be protected or brought indoors to prevent damage.”
The shift will be sharp after a mild start to the day. Monday morning temperatures began in the 40s, and afternoon highs are expected to reach the mid to upper 50s before the cold air settles in late Monday night into Tuesday morning. The region faces a risk of frost and a damaging freeze during that stretch, while a gusty northwest breeze of 5 to 15 mph, with gusts to 25 mph, is expected to accompany thicker clouds and a few spotty sprinkles before skies clear in the evening.
Tuesday morning lows are expected to range from 29 to 36, but sunshine should return by Tuesday afternoon with highs climbing to 60 to 65. The warmup continues after that. Wednesday highs are forecast between 74 and 79 with a chance for showers, and Thursday should bring sunshine and temperatures that could reach 75 to 80. Unseasonably cold air is settling back into the D.C. region to start the week despite spring being underway, but the cold snap will be brief.
By midweek, the question is no longer whether the area will feel a freeze but how quickly it rebounds. It should be back in the 70s by Wednesday and near 80 on Thursday, after one hard cold morning that gardeners across the region will have to work around.