A slow-moving cold front will cross the D.C. area, breaking up the hot weather that has gripped the region for the past several days. But not before bringing showers and thunderstorms. Here's what you need to know.

A slow-moving cold front will cross the D.C. area, breaking up the hot weather that has gripped the region for the past several days. But not before bringing showers and thunderstorms. Here’s what you need to know.

Storm Team4 meteorologist Chuck Bell said that an area of high pressure over the Great Lakes is very slowly pushing a cold front through the area over the next few days. Since it isn’t a speedy process, weather will remain unsettled until the front makes it off shore — which could take until Sunday afternoon.

That means rain chances will remain elevated.

Some parts of the area saw heavy rain on Wednesday, including on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland, where a tractor trailer overturned on the eastbound span and delayed traffic for several hours.

Rain chances are lower Thursday, around 40%. The risk of severe weather is also lower due to extra cloud cover.

As that aforementioned cold front gets close to the Interstate 95 corridor, from Friday afternoon into Saturday, rain and thunderstorm chances will climb once again into the 70% range.

Highs on Friday and Saturday will be in the mid 80s.

Bell says that with any luck, that front will finally be moving out of the area on Sunday, so rain chances then will fall back to 40%, with high temperatures near 90.

Hot and humid weather will return for the first half of next week.

D.C. isn’t even close to being done with 90-degree days this summer.

Current conditions

Forecast

Thursday: Partly sunny to mostly cloudy. Temperatures near average, scattered afternoon storms possible. Chance of rain: 40%. Highs: 83 — 88.

Friday: Mostly cloudy; rain and storms expected. Locally heavy rain possible. Chance of rain: 70%. Highs: 80 — 86.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, periods of rain likely. Thunder possible. Chance of rain: 50%. Highs: 82 — 88.