Community Corner

NWS: Expect Heavy Rain Wednesday Night in Northern Virginia

Fairfax County is under a Flash Flood Watch. Evening storm could bring gusty winds up to 40 MPH and possible thunder and lightning.

The week's wacky winter weather — freezing rain Monday that closed or delayed some schools in Northern Virginia and highs Tuesday that reached 70 degrees in some areas — continues Wednesday.

Fairfax County is under a Flash Flood Watch (from 3 p.m. Wednesday until late in the evening), according to the National Weather Service. 

What forecasters are calling "a strong cold front" is heading toward Northern Virginia, and the area could see 1-2 inches of rain — possibly with thunderstorms — with heavy rain starting to fall Wednesday around 9 p.m., according to Calvin Meadows, meteorological technician at the National Weather Service office in Sterling. 

Find out what's happening in Herndonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Meadows also said Northern Virginians should be on the lookout for flash flooding. 

The National Weather Service forecasts that Northern Virginia could see damaging wind gusts and warns that urban areas will be the most susceptible to flooding. The area could see wind gusts up to 40 MPH, according to NWS.

Find out what's happening in Herndonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A coastal flood advisory is in effect Wednesday night, which includes the upper tidal Potomac river adjacent to Alexandria. Gale warnings are in effect beginning late afternoon Wednesday into Thursday.

Forecasters say Northern Virginia will see a high Wednesday possibly in the low 70s with a 40 percent chance of rain during the day and a 90 percent chance of rain for Wednesday night. The low temperature Wednesday night is expected to plunge to 40 degrees.

Thursday's high temperature will struggle to reach 50 degrees.

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