Tornado watch issued for DC, Baltimore and parts of Virginia, West Virginia

WASHINGTON – A tornado watch has been issued for the D.C. area along with parts of central Virginia through the eastern West Virginia panhandle. 

What we know:

A tornado Watch has been issued for the D.C./Baltimore area until midnight. 

Tornado Watches are in effect for the following areas until midnight: 

• Arlington County
• Stafford County
• Prince William County
• City of Manassas
• Fauquier County
• City of Fairfax
• City of Alexandria
• City of Fredericksburg
• Fairfax County
• Charles County
• Prince Georges County
• Carroll County
• Frederick County
• Anne Arundel County
• Montgomery County
• District of Columbia

The Tornado Watches are in effect for the following areas until 8:00 p.m. 

• Grant County
• Clarke County
• Frederick County
• Greene County
• Madison County
• Page County
• Rappahannock County
• Shenandoah County
• Warren County
• Berkeley County
• Hampshire County
• Hardy County
• Jefferson County
• Morgan County
• Garrett County
• Alegany County
• Mineral County

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings issued in Virginia

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings are in effect for Greene County, Page County and Shenandoah County until 6:00pm and in Spotsylvania and Stafford County until 6:15pm.

Friday night severe weather forecast

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to push through the D.C. area Friday night. The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch beginning at 7 p.m. for the District and areas along the I-95 corridor in central Maryland and northern Virginia. Some locations could see up to four inches of rainfall.

Instability in the region is up thanks to higher than expected temperatures throughout the day. A deepening wave of surface low pressure will be passing just to the west of our region. Tornado potential has raised from 2% to 5%, which is higher than normal for the D.C. area. 

The most severe weather should be expected around 3pm to 6pm to the west of D.C., and then from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. closer to D.C. and to the east. 

The highest risk for tornado warnings Friday night will be from the I-66 corridor and south, Southern MD, Northern VA, and the northern Neck.

In addition, heavy rains in thunderstorms could lead to flash flooding, in addition to a standard damaging wind threat. 

What’s next:

Additional watches to the east are likely, according to NWS.