Update — The Tornado Watch was canceled for Fairfax County at 6:30 p.m., but a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is still in place until 10 p.m.
Earlier: Severe thunderstorm and tornado watches have been issued for Fairfax County and the rest of the D.C. region.
Issued shortly after 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively, both alerts are scheduled to remain in effect until 10 p.m. tonight (Thursday).
“Damaging winds, a few tornadoes, and large hail are the primary threats,” the National Weather Service’s Baltimore/Washington office said.
There is potential for “a couple” of tornadoes, along with “isolated” hail as large as ping pong balls and scattered wind gusts of up to 75 mph, according to the Tornado Watch. The threat of a tornado is highest in northeast Maryland, the NWS said in a hazardous weather outlook.
According to Capital Weather, the storms will likely be most intense and widespread along and east of the I-95 corridor, reaching the Capital Beltway around 4-7 p.m.
Fairfax County is advising residents to “stay weather-aware” and prepare to take shelter if the alert escalates to a warning, meaning hazardous weather is imminent.
A Severe T-Storm Watch is in effect until 10pm. Damaging winds, a few tornadoes, and large hail are the primary threats; mainly for areas east of US-15. Have a way to get warning via phone, tv, internet, and radio. More: https://t.co/yWNVw6QtsN. #MDwx #VAwx #DCwx #WVwx pic.twitter.com/dgR78YbvRD
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) August 20, 2026
A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia until 10 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/0vgTpHAJBf
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) August 20, 2026
⛈️ Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 10 p.m. Stay weather-aware and be ready to take shelter if a warning is issued.
📲 SIGN UP for Fairfax Alerts to receive emergency notifications and weather updates directly on your phone. pic.twitter.com/zdEegZ9NME
— Ready Fairfax (@ReadyFairfax) August 20, 2026
