Cooler temperatures return this weekend; scattered rain possible Saturday afternoon

FOX 5 Weather Forecast for Saturday, March 26

Gwen Tolbart has your FOX 5 Weather Forecast for Saturday, March 26.

WASHINGTON - Just when you thought it was safe to pack away the sweatpants and hoodies, winter is making a come back on this final weekend in March.

Saturday will bring us cooler temperatures and the threat for some spotty showers or thunderstorms later in the afternoon. The storms will only impact parts of the D.C. region meaning it shouldn't be a washout for most of us. Gusty winds are expected to pick up later Saturday afternoon and continue through the night, possibly bringing gusts over 30 miles per hour. High temperatures Saturday will stay in the low 50s, before dipping into the 30s for the overnight lows.

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Of course, this time of year is all about the cherry blossoms, as well as any other Spring plants and flowers. The biggest enemy to those plants is a hard freeze, which could happen by the end of the weekend. Despite this, both Saturday and Sunday should offer decent viewing if you want to go down and get a good view of the cherry blossoms.

The real concern comes in Sunday night into Monday morning, as a freshly-cold air mass spills down out of Canada. Clear skies and light winds overnight will plunge much of our region back to winter levels of cold. By sunrise on Monday, widespread 20s are expected with some of our northwest zones spilling into the upper teens. The National Park Service has told us that the magic number for the Cherry Blossoms is 27° and that even a few hours in the morning under this number could cause enough damage to bring peak bloom to a faster end.

While Monday will be a nice looking day, it will not be the best feeling as highs for many will remain in the 40s. We will then have to watch Tuesday morning for more 20s to start the day as well.

Don't fret though, the warm temperatures are expected to return to our area by the end of the week.