A serious cold front is coming – so strong that temperatures in Washington Wednesday evening may go from balmy to bitter in the course of hours.

Check out this animation from the high resolution NAM model: it’s a simulation of temperatures in 3 hour intervals Wednesday: at 4 p.m., 7 p.m., and 10 p.m.



Animation of temperature change between 4 and 10 p.m. Wednesday from high-res NAM model (WeatherBell.com)

Yes, it forecasts the temperatures plummeting from roughly 70 to 25 degrees in 6 hours. Now this is raw, unadjusted model data, so the degree of change is probably overdone. But it’s completely possible that the 5 p.m. temperature is near 70 and at midnight falling through the 30s. By Thursday morning, the mercury likely bottoms out in the 20s – a 40 degree swing in 12 hours.

Incredible 24 hour temperature change coming to northeast big cities. H/T to @KathrynProciv for making this graphic pic.twitter.com/gRF5m2bT4b — Greg Diamond (@gdimeweather) March 11, 2014

Given the strength of the cold front, it’s no surprise we’re expecting the possibility of strong to even severe thunderstorms and high winds.

This afternoon, the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center placed the metro region under its slight risk designation for severe thunderstorms and even mentioned the possibility of tornadoes.



Mid-Atlantic region, including Washington, D.C., under a slight risk of severe thunderstorms Wednesday. (National Weather Service)

Tomorrow is most definitely a day to remain weather aware as hazardous conditions could develop.