Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Working for the Weekend
Dan Stillman @ 11:50 PM
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| Hating the humidity? At least it's better than having clouds of smoke hovering above, like those seen in this NOAA satellite image of fires in the Southwest. |
Remember yesterday? If not, today's weather should serve as a reminder. Once again we'll see mostly cloudy, warm and very humid conditions today, with showers likely and highs in the mid-to-upper 80s.
The muggies stick around tonight with shower activity diminishing after midnight. In fact, it looks like we stay in the soup for the next couple of days. Expect humid conditions and a continued chance of showers on Thursday and Friday, with highs approaching 90 on Thursday and into the 90s on Friday.
A cold front finally comes to the rescue late Friday. Warm and humid stretches like the current one typically end with a bang, so look for showers and thunderstorms as the front passes through.
Now the good news -- we should dry out considerably for the weekend as high pressure takes control. It's looking more and more like Saturday and Sunday will feature sunshine, comfortable humidity levels and high temps in the mid-80s.
Right now, the models are suggesting that high pressure will keep the humidity and rain chances at bay through the day on Monday -- July Fourth -- but I wouldn't call it a done deal yet. We'll be updating the holiday forecast later in the week and throughout the weekend.
Sounding Off on Santorum
I asked some of the local TV mets what they thought about Sen. Rick Santorum's proposal to limit the forecasts and products the National Weather Service can make available to the general public, thereby preventing NWS from competing with private weather companies. While not everyone was willing to go on the record, I did get a couple of comments worth sharing.
Channel 9's Tony Pann, for one, doesn't think it's as bad an idea as critics have suggested. "Not only would it open a huge amount of jobs for the weather [industry], but the public would notice a big jump in the overall accuracy of the forecast," Pann said. "This would also go a long way in dispelling the myth that all forecasts come from the same place." Also see Pann's extended comment on the issue made on June 1 here at CapitalWeather.
Meanwhile, Topper Shutt, also at Channel 9, comes at the issue from a different direction. "What I do not want to see is a fragmented weather community," Shutt said. "To me, there will always be a market for private forecasting firms even if the NWS continues to issue forecasts. The key is keeping the free flow of data."
It's Always Winter Somewhere
While we here in Washington wallow in the heat and humidity, folks in parts of Utah are still enjoying the cold, powdery white stuff. According to this story, the Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort will remain open through July Fourth thanks to the 630 inches of snow it received this past winter. The article says this will go down as the longest ski season ever in the state of Utah.
Singing for Safety
Got time on your hands? Apparently, a meteorologist at the NWS El Paso area forecast office does. Check out these rockin' weather safety ditties. I'd recommend my favorites, but they're all just so precious -- although you may recall Jason is a fan of "Turn Around Don't Drown."
Nationals vs. Pirates, 7:05 pm, RFKAnother warm and humid evening at the stadium. Although showers are possible, I don't anticipate a rainout. I'd put the chance of rain at 35 percent, with the first-pitch temperature at about 82, dropping to around 79 by game's end.
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