This afternoon may offer the region its best chance for rain this week, but it may not be pretty. Afternoon heating, combined with a disturbance dropping down from the north could trigger a few severe thunderstorms, with hail a distinct possibility. Here is part of the hazardous weather outlook issued this morning from Sterling.

"AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL DROP SOUTHWARD FROM NEW ENGLAND
AND SOUTHERN NEW YORK STATE TODAY AND SERVE AS A TRIGGER FOR
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

"THE COMBINATION OF STRONG
HEATING AND RELATIVELY COOL MID LEVEL TEMPERATURES COULD RESULT IN
A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THE MAIN
THREAT BEING LARGE HAIL. THE EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE...
NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST MARYLAND...AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA...
INCLUDING THE WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE METRO AREAS... APPEAR TO BE
AT GREATEST RISK."

Here's the official forecast.

If you find yourself - and your new car - in a thunderstorm today, look for a parking garage, or a gas station or an underpass where you can take refuge from any hail that might fall. The ice balls, if large enough, can do a surprising amount of damage to a car body.  Here are some amazing hail storm photos.

With luck, we won't see anything like that.