Arctic Blast Targets NoVA After Stormy, Rainy New Year’s Eve

VIRGINIA — A wet and windy New Year's Eve in Northern Virginia and the greater Washington, DC region will be followed by frigid air as an Arctic blast sweeps across the region in the beginning of 2025, forecasters say.

Tuesday will start off dry with a high temperature of 58. Then showers will move into the area, mainly after 4 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Thunderstorms are possible, especially between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Expect a 10 to 14 mph wind from the southeast, with gusts of up to 24 mph.

New Year’s Day will be mostly sunny with a high of 48 and a west wind of 15 to 24 mph, gusting as high as 40 mph, according to NWS.

Things will take a very cold turn into the new year. Several blasts of Arctic air will sweep through the eastern half of the country during the first half of January, AccuWeather long-range forecasters warn.

“Bitterly cold air will make a big return to the East Coast starting this weekend. This could end up being the coldest January since 2011 for the U.S. as a whole,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said.

This cold could be dangerous and will likely create a surge in demand for heating, leading to higher energy bills.

The warmest temperatures this weekend will only hit the lower-30s.

Long-range forecasters say that this level of cold supports the potential for snowstorms in the mid-Atlantic. Two are possible next week, AccuWeather forecasters say. However, this is far out enough that models are not sure of what will happen.

“While it will certainly be cold enough for snow, several other factors that remain highly uncertain will have to come together just right for us to get a big snow storm,” the National Weather Service said. “So it's possible, but remains to be seen if a significant storm will develop or impact us.”

Here's the latest Northern Virginia forecast from the National Weather Service:

• New Year’s Eve: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 7pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 7pm and 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. South wind 7 to 10 mph becoming west in the evening. The chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• New Year's Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.
• Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 42. West wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
• Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27.
• Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 41.
• Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 33.
• Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 20.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 35.
• Sunday Night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
• Monday: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Chance of precipitation is 50%.