D.C.-area forecast: As August begins this week, it’s not as hot as usual

A somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of 0 to 10.

6/10: A shower is possible but high temps below 85 to end July is winning.

Today: Variable clouds, shower possible. Highs: 81 to 85.
Tonight: Clearing. Lows: 60 to 65.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. Highs: 81 to 85.

The three days of oppressive heat and humidity are history and so are those nasty thunderstorms. This week offers a less extreme weather pattern as we enter August. Temperatures are generally below normal and, aside from a shower or thundershower today, we’re mainly dry through midweek. Starting Thursday, humidity begins to tick up and late-day showers and storms return to the forecast.

Today (Monday): We can’t rule out some early-morning or late-day showers but, on balance, the day is dry. Clouds cycle in and out as high temperatures range from the low to mid-80s, or about 5 degrees below normal. Humidity is moderate (dew points in the upper 50s to near 60), and winds are light from the north at about 5 to 10 mph. Confidence: Medium

Tonight: Skies clear and it’s a delightful summer night. Lows range from the upper 50s and low 60s in our cooler areas to near 65 downtown. Confidence: Medium-High

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Tomorrow (Tuesday): The first day of August delivers one of the nicer days of the summer so far. We’ll have partly to mostly sunny skies, low-ish humidity (dew points in the 50s) and highs from 80 to 85. Winds remain light from the north. Confidence: High

Tomorrow night: Skies are clear to partly cloudy and lows range from near 60 in our cooler areas to the upper 60s downtown. Confidence: High

Wednesday is another terrific summer day with partly sunny skies, below-average humidity (dew points 55 to 60) and highs in the mid-80s. Partly cloudy at night with lows in the 60s to near 70. Confidence: Medium-High

As winds come in from the south, humidity returns to more typical early-August levels Thursday through the weekend, with dew points from 65 to 70. The added mugginess means late-day showers and storms could pop up daily, although Friday may offer the highest rain chances as a disturbance sweeps by. Despite the daily afternoon-evening rain chances, it’s dry more often than not during this stretch. High temperatures do edge upward some, averaging in the upper 80s. Lows at night are pretty close to 70 (except the mid-70s downtown). Confidence: Medium