WEATHER BLOG: Getting Nice

You can watch radar over the next few hours as a line of scattered thunderstorms comes out of Western Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Parts of the area could have a downpour early Monday evening, but in most of the area rainfall should be brief. In the overall weather picture, rather intense trough (at least for this time of year) remains in place in the Eastern United States.

Small, short waves rippling through tend to enhance the amount of showers and thunderstorms, but they are very difficult to time. There will be one such system that comes close to our area Tuesday afternoon and another about 24 hours after that.

As a result there can be a shower or thunderstorm at almost any time through Wednesday, but they seem most likely in the afternoon and evening both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Keep in mind though it probably doesn't rain more than 10 percent of the time in any particular spot, so all in all the weather actually is pretty decent with temperatures and humidity on the moderate side.

By Thursday and Friday, the trough will be lifting out and will gradually be replaced by ridge aloft and surface high pressure. That should lead to drier and warmer weather for several days.