Honestly, if you’ve lived in the District for more than a week, you know the drill. You wake up to a forecast of "dusting" and end up sliding your car into a curb on 16th Street, or you prepare for the "Snowpocalypse" and get nothing but a cold, sad drizzle. Weather around here is basically a contact sport.
Right now, we are staring down a Washington DC weather ten day forecast that looks like a rollercoaster designed by someone who hates stability.
Today is Sunday, January 18, 2026. If you look out the window right now, it’s probably looking pretty gray. We’ve got a light rain falling with a temperature hovering at 34°F. But don't let that rain fool you. The humidity is sitting at a thick 94%, and that moisture is about to meet a cold front that's been lurking like an uninvited guest at a dinner party.
The Immediate Outlook: Snow is Actually Happening
It's funny how we always talk about "potential" snow, but today the chance of snow is actually hitting 61%. We’re looking at a high of 37°F, but it's going to tumble. By tonight, we drop to 23°F. If you’re heading out to the DMV Sneaker Ball or that Winter Party at Flash, watch the sidewalks. Wet spots are going to turn into ice rinks the second the sun goes down.
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Monday, January 19, brings a bit of a "fake out." It’ll be sunny with a high of 41°F. Sounds nice, right? Wrong. The low is a brutal 18°F.
Then Tuesday hits. Tuesday, January 20, is going to be the kind of cold that hurts your teeth. We’re looking at a high of only 27°F and a low of 17°F. This is that mid-January reality check the Capital Weather Gang has been warning us about. The average high for this time of year is usually 44°F, so being stuck in the 20s is a significant swing into "stay inside and order Uber Eats" territory.
The Mid-Week "Thaw" and the Second Wave
By Wednesday, the wind shifts south. Temperatures climb back to 39°F, and by Thursday, January 22, we might actually see 46°F. It’ll feel like a tropical vacation compared to Tuesday, but it’s short-lived.
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The real story of this Washington DC weather ten day forecast is the end of the week. Saturday and Sunday (Jan 24-25) are looking messy. We have snow back in the forecast for Saturday with a high of 30°F. Sunday follows up with light snow and a low of 15°F.
The Polar Vortex is Not a Myth
A lot of people think "Polar Vortex" is just a buzzword meteorologists use to get clicks. It’s not. What we’re seeing toward the end of this ten-day stretch—specifically around Monday, Jan 26 and Tuesday, Jan 27—is a direct result of Arctic air spilling down from Canada.
Monday the 26th is looking particularly nasty with a mix of rain and snow and a high of only 25°F.
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Tuesday the 27th might be the coldest day of the year so far. The forecast is calling for a high of 22°F and a low of 12°F. At those temperatures, salt doesn't even work right on the roads. If you have pipes that are prone to freezing, this is the window where you need to be dripping those faucets.
Why DC Weather is Such a Nightmare to Predict
The reason the Washington DC weather ten day forecast changes every three hours is our geography. We’re caught between the Appalachian Mountains to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
- The I-95 Divide: Often, the "rain-snow line" sits right over the city.
- The Heat Island: The asphalt of the city keeps DC a few degrees warmer than places like Loudoun or Howard County.
- The Moisture Gap: Sometimes the storm stays too far offshore, leaving us with nothing but wind.
This time, the models are actually aligning. Usually, they fight like siblings, but most are showing this sustained cold through the end of January.
Actionable Tips for the Next 10 Days
You've got to be proactive because the city isn't always great at reacting.
First, check your car battery. Lead-acid batteries lose about 30% of their power when the temperature drops to freezing. If your battery is more than three years old, Tuesday’s 17°F low might be its retirement day.
Second, pivot your wardrobe now. The "mid-weight" jacket isn't going to cut it for the back half of this forecast. You need layers that break the wind, especially on those days when the northwest winds are gusting at 16 mph.
Finally, keep an eye on the Saturday/Sunday snow potential. While it’s currently pegged at a 35% chance, these coastal systems love to "trend west" at the last minute. A 2-inch forecast can turn into 6 inches faster than you can get to the bread and milk aisle at Wegmans.
Prepare for the Tuesday freeze now. Get your heavier coats out of storage and make sure your outdoor hoses are disconnected before tonight's drop to 23°F.