Gust of 50 mph in D.C. marks a warm and windy Saturday

Published

2 years ago

April 13, 2024

Gust of 50 mph in D.C. marks a warm and windy Saturday

Wind asserted itself in the District on Saturday by throbbing in the ears, raising whitecaps on the Potomac River and setting twigs, branches and leaves into frenzied tossing, fluttering and nodding.

On Friday, the wind gusted up to 49 mph, but Saturday provided a more memorably breezy achievement by producing a gust of 50 mph.

That gust from the northwest, and the one or more gusts of 50 mph on Feb. 28, were the strongest measured in the District this year.

On the Potomac River, often a picture of placidity, the wind whipped the waters into whitecaps, a common sign of aquatic storminess.

From time to time, the crests of these wavelets rose high enough to topple forward with a splash of foaming white drops.

As of 5 p.m. the day’s peak sustained wind whistled from the northwest at 31 mph. As of that hour, the day’s wind averaged 19 mph overall, which seemed substantial.

It suggested that on Saturday, the mass movement of our air was no atmospheric fad or matter of a single moment.

Depending on hats, hair and hearing, it provided a sonic accompaniment to outdoor activities, humming in ears or throbbing or even whining or wailing.

Treetops seemed to nod in fatalistic acknowledgment of the wind’s force. Branches shook in what sometimes could be interpreted as surly acquiescence to the will of the wind.

On the branches, twigs quivered and each individual leaf gave its own vibrating response, twisting on its stem.

Aside from its windiness, Saturday seemed a pleasantly warm spring day of the sort that might be expected in Washington in the middle of April.

The high temperature of 68 degrees was one degree above the average high of 67 for the date in Washington on the 13th of April.

Plenty of blue sky marked the afternoon. A random assortment of white clouds, of irregular shapes and many sizes, mostly small, seemed to sail at a leisurely pace in the sea of blue.

At least momentarily, they appeared to be high enough or distant enough to be independent of the furious force of the wind.

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US Park Police officer shot in Washington, DC

Published

2 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

US Park Police officer shot in Washington, DC

A U.S. Park Police officer was shot in Washington, D.C., while on duty, according to a statement from the agency.

Park Police said the officer was shot at 7:30 p.m. on Monday in Southeast Washington on Queens Stroll Pl.

The officer has been transported to a local hospital, officials said.

The circumstances of the shooting are unclear. A Park Police spokesperson told ABC News the officer has non-life-threatening injuries.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X that she has spoken to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll and was briefed on the shooting.

“Please pray for the officer’s recovery,” the attorney general said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Exhibition Game in Washington, D.C.

Published

14 hours ago

March 23, 2026

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Photo by Sol Tucker/TalkNats The Washington Nationals have an exhibition game at Nationals Park against Baltimore as part of their home-and-road 2-game series with the Orioles. This is the final warm-up against another team before Opening Day in two days … Continue reading →

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Washington, D.C

Storm Team4 Forecast: Chance of severe storms before cooler Monday

Published

1 day ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Storm Team4 Forecast: Chance of severe storms before cooler Monday

4 things to know about the weather:

Storms overnight, severe chance
Cooler Monday
Clouds to start, then sunshine tomorrow
Cold next few mornings

After a very warm afternoon, there is a cold front that is approaching. The front will move through the area tonight, sparking showers and storms, then delivering colder air for the start of the new workweek.

There is a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH for our counties to the far northwest, including Maryland counties Washington, Allegany and Garrett, and a portion of Morgan county in West Virginia. The watch is until 10 p.m. Sunday.

There is a chance for storms to be severe tonight, including the risk of damaging winds and hail. The risk decreases through the night as the storms move south and east with the front. The storms may be noisy tonight with thunder, heavy rain, and hail. Expect drier conditions after sunrise tomorrow.

Do not forget your jacket Monday. The cooler air behind the front keeps the area in the 50s all day. Lows will drop into the 30s Monday night.

Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.