Our region is in for heavy rainfall over the next 48 hours. Between two and five inches of rain could fall across the area.
From the National Weather Service:
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF MARYLAND...THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA...VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN MARYLAND...ANNE ARUNDEL...CALVERT... CARROLL...CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY...CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST HOWARD...CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MONTGOMERY...CHARLES... FREDERICK MD...NORTHERN BALTIMORE...NORTHWEST HARFORD... NORTHWEST HOWARD...NORTHWEST MONTGOMERY...PRINCE GEORGES... SOUTHEAST HARFORD...SOUTHERN BALTIMORE...ST. MARYS AND WASHINGTON. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN VIRGINIA... ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA...CLARKE...CULPEPER... EASTERN LOUDOUN...FAIRFAX...FREDERICK VA...GREENE...KING GEORGE...MADISON...NORTHERN FAUQUIER...NORTHERN VIRGINIA BLUE RIDGE...ORANGE...PAGE...PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK...RAPPAHANNOCK...SHENANDOAH...SOUTHERN FAUQUIER... SPOTSYLVANIA...STAFFORD...WARREN AND WESTERN LOUDOUN. IN WEST VIRGINIA...BERKELEY...EASTERN MINERAL...HAMPSHIRE...HARDY... JEFFERSON AND MORGAN. * FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING * AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE OVER THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES WILL DROP SOUTHWARD INTO THE OHIO VALLEY WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. AS THE UPPER LOW DROPS SOUTHWARD...LOW LEVEL FLOW IS FORECAST TO RAPIDLY INCREASE OVER THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE TRANSPORT INTO THE AREA. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL ARE ANTICIPATED LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC. THE PERIOD OF MOST INTENSE RAINFALL IS EXPECTED LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH LOCALIZED HIGHER TOTALS IN AREAS OF REPEATED ACTIVITY. EASTERN SLOPES OF MOUNTAINS SUCH AS THE NORTHERN BLUE RIDGE AND CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN ALSO HAVE AN INCREASED RISK FOR HIGHER RAIN TOTALS. * POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS...CREEKS AND URBAN AREAS ESPECIALLY IN AREAS OF REPEATED ACTIVITY. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.
