A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for Alexandria Wednesday.
The watch is in effect until 8 p.m. National Weather Service forecasters say a a strong cold front will bring scattered strong to severe thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Isolated quarter-sized hail, scattered gusts up to 70 mph and frequent lightning are possible.
The storms will end the heat wave with highs in the 90s over the last few days. According to forecasters, temperatures will drop 20 to 30 degrees Thursday as a result and bring additional chances of rain into Memorial Day weekend.
A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia until 8 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/QuUx49vCO6
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) May 20, 2026
More from the National Weather Service:
Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued May 20 at 12:39PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 12:39 P.M. TO 8 P.M. EDT WEDNESDAY.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 234 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
IN MARYLAND THIS WATCH INCLUDES 13 COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL MARYLAND
ANNE ARUNDEL HOWARD MONTGOMERY PRINCE GEORGES
IN NORTH CENTRAL MARYLAND
CARROLL FREDERICK WASHINGTON
IN NORTHEAST MARYLAND
CECIL
IN NORTHERN MARYLAND
BALTIMORE BALTIMORE CITY HARFORD
IN WESTERN MARYLAND
ALLEGANY GARRETT
IN VIRGINIA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 22 COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA
GREENE
IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA
ARLINGTON CITY OF ALEXANDRIA CITY OF FAIRFAX CITY OF FALLS CHURCH CITY OF MANASSAS CITY OF MANASSAS PARK CULPEPER FAIRFAX FAUQUIER LOUDOUN PRINCE WILLIAM
IN NORTHWEST VIRGINIA
CITY OF WINCHESTER CLARKE FREDERICK MADISON PAGE RAPPAHANNOCK SHENANDOAH WARREN
IN WESTERN VIRGINIA
CITY OF HARRISONBURG ROCKINGHAM
IN WEST VIRGINIA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 8 COUNTIES
IN EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA
GRANT HAMPSHIRE HARDY MINERAL PENDLETON
IN PANHANDLE WEST VIRGINIA
BERKELEY JEFFERSON MORGAN
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ABERDEEN, ABINGDON, ADAMS MORGAN, ADEN, AIRLIE, ALBIN, ALEXANDRIA, ALONZAVILLE, ANDORA, ANNANDALE, ANNAPOLIS, ANTIOCH, APPLETON, ARCO, ARLINGTON, ARNOLD, BAKERTON, BALLENGER CREEK, BALLSTON, BALTIMORE, BARCROFT, BARKSDALE, BAY VIEW, BEAN SETTLEMENT, BENTONVILLE, BERKELEY SPGS, BERRYVILLE, BERRYVILLE, BETHEL, BETHESDA, BLAKE, BLOOMERY, BOHEMIAS MILLS, BOWIE, BOYDS, BRADY, BRAKE, BRANDYWINE, BRANTWOOD, BUCKEYSTOWN, BUCKTON, BURKE, BYNUM, CABINS, CARDOVA, CATALPA, CATONSVILLE, CEDAR GROVE, CEDARVILLE, CHANTILLY, CHARLES TOWN, CHERRYDALE, CHESTER GAP, CLARKSVILLE, CLARY, CLINTON, COLLEGE PARK, COLUMBIA, COMPTON, COUNTRYSIDE, CULPEPER, CUMBERLAND, DALE CITY, DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, DUNDALK, EDGEWOOD, ELDERSBURG, ELLERSLIE, ESSEX, FAIRFAX, FAIRFAX STATION, FAIRVIEW, FALLS CHURCH, FELLS POINT, FISHER, FIVE FORKS, FORDSVILLE, FORT ASHBY, FOUR CORNERS, FRANKLIN, FREDERICK, FRENCHBURG, FRONT ROYAL, FROSTBURG, GAINESBORO, GAITHERSBURG, GAMBER, GERMANTOWN, GLEEDSVILLE, GLEN BURNIE, GLEN ECHO, GLENMONT, GRANTSVILLE, GREENBELT, HAGERSTOWN, HALFWAY, HAMBURG, HANCOCK, HARFORD FURNACE, HARRISONBURG, HAWKINSTOWN, HEADSVILLE, HICKORY, HISTORIC ELLICOTT CITY, HOWELLSVILLE, INDEPENDENT HILL, KEYSER, KIMBALL, KLINE GAP, LAKE RIDGE, LANDES, LANGLEY, LEESBURG, LINVILLE, LUCKETTS, LURAY, MADISON MILLS, MAGNOLIA, MAGNOLIA, MANASSAS, MANASSAS PARK, MARTINSBURG, MASONVILLE, MCCOOLE, MCLEAN, MCNEILL, MIDDLEWAY, MILLVILLE, MONTCLAIR, MONTPELIER, MOOREFIELD, MOUNT CLIFTON, MOUNT JACKSON, MOUNTAIN LAKE PARK, NEW CREEK, OAK FLAT, OAK GROVE, OAKLAND, PARK HEIGHTS, PARK MILLS, PARKVILLE, PAW PAW, PETERSBURG, POINTS, PURGITSVILLE, RANDALLSTOWN, RANSON, RAPIDAN, RAWLINGS, REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT, RESTON, REVA, RIDGEVILLE, RIDGEWAY, RILEYVILLE, RIVERCREST, RIVERTON, ROMNEY, ROSSLYN, RUDDLE, RUSSELLDALE, SEVERN, SEVERNA PARK, SEYMOURVILLE, SHADY GROVE, SHADY GROVE, SHENANDOAH JUNCTION, SILVER SPRING, SIMPSONVILLE, SKYLAND, SMITH CROSSROADS, SOUTH GATE, SPRINGFIELD, STERLING PARK, STEVENSBURG, STRASBURG, STRINGTOWN, SUGAR GROVE, SUITLAND-SILVER HILL, TANTALLON, THREE CHURCHES, TOWSON, TURNBULL, TWYMANS MILL, WAPOCOMO, WARRENTON, WASHINGTON, WELTON, WESTMINSTER, WINCHESTER, WINSTON, WOODBRIDGE, WOODLAWN, WOODSTOCK, AND WOODSTOCK.
