Welcome to Winter, Washington!
At 1:35 PM EST, the sun's rays hit the earth in line with the Tropic of Capricorn (which lies at 23.5 degrees South), the lowest angle of the year. This signals the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere (9 hours and 26 minutes at Reagan National Airport), but lengthening days are in the offings as the sun's rays slowly begin there move northward.

Image right: Graphic showing the Winter Solstice, as the Sun rays strike the earth exactly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 25.5 degrees South Latitude.

The weather over the next several days looks to be relatively uneventful as high pressure mingles over the area. High temperatures will begin a return to above-normal levels by the end of the week as southwesterly flow at the surface draws warmer air into the region. Temperatures to close out the week will approach 50 degrees for the first time in nearly 16 days.