Washington

Severe storms could hit D.C. area Monday afternoon and evening

Published

2 years ago

May 27, 2024

Severe storms could hit D.C. area Monday afternoon and evening

The Memorial Day weekend could end with a bang as a strong cold front sweeps scattered thunderstorms through the Washington region this afternoon and evening.

Some storms could bring damaging winds, hail and the outside possibility of a tornado. Brief heavy rain and dangerous lightning are also likely.

Weather Service forecasters have placed the region in a Level 2 of 5 risk zone for severe weather.

Storms may tend to be hit-or-miss rather than the type that blasts the whole area. While some spots could see little to no rainfall, areas that experience the heaviest downpours could see up to 1 to 2 inches in an hour or two.

The main culprit is the same low-pressure area responsible for major severe weather outbreaks in the Plains and Midwest over the weekend. It’s dragging a cold front through the area that will collide with warm and humid air, inciting storms.

The main source of uncertainty for storm coverage and intensity is the cloud cover over the region, which may decrease the amount of heating. That could reduce fuel for storms somewhat.

Still, at least scattered strong to severe storms are a good bet into the evening.

Potential storm timing: Midafternoon through evening. Ending near or just after sunset.
Chance of rain: About 60 percent for any given location.
Storm duration: Half-hour to an hour, but more than one storm may pass.
Most likely effects: Heavy rain, dangerous lightning, isolated damaging wind gusts, a brief tornado or two.
Possible impacts: Multiple tornadoes, isolated large hail and spotty flash flooding.

The severe weather setup features a vigorous cold front approaching from the west and an atmospheric disturbance that will focus uplift of air across the DMV later this afternoon.

There will also be an attendant increase in wind shear, which is a change of speed and direction with height that helps shape powerful thunderstorms. Meanwhile, near the ground, winds from the south will continue to usher in warmth and moisture, providing storm fuel and making the air mass unstable.

One confounding factor is early-morning cloud cover, which is extensive and multilayered, due to the remnants of a storm complex to the west. Until clouds thin, the ground will not be heated as strongly, potentially delaying full destabilization.

Stronger heating is expected this afternoon, coincident with an increase in wind shear. Convective storms should percolate as temperatures rise and the front approaches, becoming more widespread by late afternoon.

Where these storms predominantly likely cluster and focus may vary. For instance, the NAM weather model favors spots nearer the bay and southern Maryland. Some of this activity is already ongoing in southeastern Virginia. It’s cousin the HRRR weather model begins initiating storms farther west, including central Maryland and the District.

The storm mode is likely to be small clusters (multicells) and short bowing segments or arcs — a few rotating supercells are also possible. Torrential rain and lightning are likely with any activity. So is possibly strong to severe wind gusts called downbursts and hail to the size of quarters. Even a brief tornado or two could drop.

CWG will monitor the situation carefully through the afternoon and evening and provide updates in this article.

Jason Samenow contributed to this report.

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Washington

Polymarket opening ‘Situation Room’ pop-up bar in DC. See when.

Published

6 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Polymarket opening ‘Situation Room’ pop-up bar in DC. See when.

Prediction betting market platform Polymarket is opening a “Situation Room” pop-up bar in the nation’s capital that will be “dedicated to monitoring the situation.”

The company announced its latest business endeavor in an X post on Wednesday, March 18.

“Imagine a sports bar… but just for situation monitoring — live X feeds, flight radar, Bloomberg terminals, and Polymarket screens,” the company’s statement said.

The bar opens to the public in Washington, DC, on Friday, March 20, and will operate until Sunday, March 22. The Situation Room will open on 8 p.m. on March 20 and at 11 a.m. on March 21-22, according to Polymarket. The company did not specify how long the bar will remain open; however, Proper 21 K Street, where the pop-up is taking place, closes at 12 a.m. ET Monday-Sunday, according to its website.

Last month, Polymarket opened a free supermarket in New York City to promote free markets. Polymarket donated $1 million to Food Bank For NYC as part of its endeavor.

“Free groceries. Free markets. Built for the people who power New York,” the company said in an announcement.

What is Polymarket?

Polymarket allows users to bet on the outcomes of real-world events, everything from who will win the Academy Award for best actress to when the United States will confirm the existence of aliens.

Top trending bets on the platform on Friday, March 20, included whether the United States would invade Cuba in 2026 and who the 2028 Republican presidential nominee would be, among others.

Betting platform under scrutiny over ‘Situation Room’ name, more

Polymarket has come under intense scrutiny since its launch in 2020. In January, the Nevada Gaming Control Board filed a civil enforcement action against the company. In the complaint, the Board asked the court for a declaration and injunction to stop Polymarket from offering unlicensed wagering in violation of Nevada law.

However, Nevada isn’t the only entity trying to take the platform to court. Brett Bruen, the chief executive of the Global Situation Room, a public affairs agency, called the company out on X for allegedly using the organization’s trademarked name.

“We have @GlobalSitRoom & related terms trademarked (checks notes) …for tracking situations around the globe,” Bruen wrote. “Flattered, really – it’s a great name. But, no, you can’t use it. Yes, my lawyers will be in touch.”

Global Situation Room also sent a cease and desist letter to Polymarket, alleging that the company’s use of the “Situation Room” name gives a false impression that Global Situation Room is “somehow connected or associated with Polymarket’s services,” CNBC reported, citing a letter from the public relations agency.

“Indeed, there are obvious overlaps in the uses of GLOBAL SITUATION ROOM and THE SITUATION ROOM such as both marks include ‘SITUATION ROOM’ and allow consumers to monitor and act on global affairs,” the letter, written by Shane Delsman, an attorney at Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based law firm Godfrey & Kahn, reads. “In fact, the marks are so similar, Global Situation Room has already witnessed actual confusion in the form of press requests to comment on the opening of the new THE SITUATION ROOM bar.”

USA TODAY reached out to Polymarket for comment on March 20.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

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Washington

Devils Head to Nation’s Capital | PREVIEW | New Jersey Devils

Published

18 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Devils Head to Nation’s Capital | PREVIEW | New Jersey Devils

THE SCOOP

The Devils opened their five-game road trip with a 6-3 victory at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. New Jersey’s faces Washington on the second leg that includes stops in Dallas, Nashville and Carolina.

New Jersey is now 7-2-0 in its past nine games. The Devils are enjoying an offensive explosion of late. During their past nine games, New Jersey has totaled 4.11 goals per game. And they’ve scored 10 power-play goals on 24 opportunities (42%).

The Caps head into the back half of their season-long four-game homestand on Friday night when the New Jersey Devils make their second visit of the season to DC. Washington has earned at least a point in each of the first two games of the homestand, taking a 3-2 shootout loss to the Bruins last weekend before beating the Senators by a 4-1 count on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s win still leaves the Caps with less than a 10-percent chance of slinking their way into the Stanley Cup playoffs. With just 13 games remaining on the season, the Caps will likely need to win at least nine – and likely 10 or 11 – of those games to have a viable chance of getting in.

Rookie Cole Hutson, who made his NHL debut Wednesday night, also picked up his first career NHL goal with an empty-netter. Hutson was a second-round pick (43rd overall) in 2024.

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Washington

New Washington law reaffirms ban on voting more than once in an election

Published

1 day ago

March 19, 2026

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New Washington law reaffirms ban on voting more than once in an election

A new state law aims to erase any confusion about Washington’s ban on voting more than once in an election.

Its approval follows a court decision that officials warned could incite voter fraud.

Longstanding Washington law makes it illegal for a person to cast more than one ballot in any election in the state, or to vote in any election in this state and another state during the same period.

But a state appeals court in January overturned the felony conviction of a Lewis County resident found guilty of voting twice in November 2022 — once in Washington and once in Oregon. The court concluded that because the candidates and measures differed on the two ballots, one could interpret them as different elections under Washington law.

“This fixes an ambiguity in state law,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday before signing Senate Bill 6084. It contains an emergency clause and took effect immediately.

“Voting more than once in an election is an affront to everyone who participates in our democracy,” Ferguson later wrote on X. “This bill makes it clear that double voting is illegal.”

The legislation sponsored by Sen. Adrian Cortes, D-Battle Ground, adds language to existing law to spell out that “election” refers to any general, primary, or special election.

“An election is the ‘same election’ if the election date is the same, regardless of the candidates, offices, issues, or measures on the ballot and regardless of the date on which ballots are mailed or returned,” reads the bill.

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs asked lawmakers to act swiftly, worried the court ruling opened the door to the potential of voters casting more than one ballot in November.

“This legislation helps to ensure that Washington’s elections remain secure, accurate and fair,” Hobbs said in a statement.

In Washington, voting more than once in an election is a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Meanwhile, Lewis County is appealing the January decision to the Washington Supreme Court.

This story was originally published by the Washington State Standard.

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