Strong Winds Whip D.C. Area; Frigid Temperatures Return

Wind Advisory Through Thursday Morning

Blustery winds will continue to whip the D.C. area Thursday, bringing frigid temperatures back to the region as thousands sit in the dark.

After two spring-like days, temperatures in the region dropped 35 degrees in just 12 hours. Once you factor in the winds, many parts of the D.C. area will feel like they're in the single digits Thursday.

Fire warnings are in effect across Virginia because of windy and dry conditions. Red flag warnings are in effect through Thursday evening for Central Virginia, Eastern Virginia and Northern Virginia east of the Blue Ridge. The warnings prompted Stafford County to ban open burning until midnight Thursday.

The strong winds also brought down trees and power lines across the area, leaving thousands in the dark. In Silver Spring, a tree came crashing down on a home in the 12300 block of Sandalwood Lane. No one was injured.

Storm Team4 meteorologist Amelia Segal says the howling winds will die down during the day, but the afternoon will still be breezy.

Wind gusts of up to 60 mph caused an hour-long ground stop of flights to Reagan National Airport Wednesday night -- power supply to the U.S. Capitol even went out for about an hour.

Milder temperatures should move in Friday.

As for the weekend, it’s split: mild and then chilly. Saturday should top out around 60 degrees. Late Sunday, a coastal storm will move near and produce some rain showers. As the mercury falls overnight, it will give us another threat of accumulating snow.

The exact track and timing of the storm are still uncertain, but it is looking like more snow than rain.

Power outages as of 9 a.m. Thursday:

Pepco:
Montgomery – 116
Prince George’s – 270
DC – 111

SMECO:
Prince George’s – 55

Dominion VA Power:
Northern Virginia – 3,808

NOVEC:
Fairfax - 38
Loudoun -27
Prince William - 1

BG&E
Anne Arundel - 690
Calvert - Less than 5
Howard - 162
Montgomery - 1,249
Prince George's County - 163

D.C. activated the hypothermia alert again as temperatures fell below freezing Wednesday night. (Call the shelter hotline at 800-535-7252 or the mayor's call center at 311 to get assistance.)

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The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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