Freeze Warning in Northern Virginia: Timeline, Impacts

While the DC metro area is more than two weeks into official spring, Mother Nature has other plans.

The National Weather Service on Monday issued a Freeze Warning for most of Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. The areas under the warning include the District of Columbia, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties as well as the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Leesburg, Manassas and Manassas Park.

A Freeze Warning means sub-freezing temperatures are expected. The Freeze Warning goes into effect Monday night, at midnight, until 10 a.m. Tuesday. Expect temperatures in the upper 20s to lower 30s Monday night and Tuesday morning and mid-20s to around 30 degrees Tuesday night, the weather service said.

Here's a look at Monday's weather rollercoaster, from the NWS forecast for the DC metro area:

• Monday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 2 p.m. High near 69. Southwest wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Monday night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 11 p.m., then isolated showers between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 31. Blustery, with a north wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 47. North wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Northern Virginia is also under a Freeze Watch late Tuesday night through Wednesday morning.