Sunday, October 09, 2005
Drying out...
Jason Samenow @ 8:58 AM
After two consecutive days of record rainfall, we get a break today.
The forecast
Overcast skies will be the rule today, but no rain is expected. Temperatures will be coolish, but pleasant with highs 64-68. Much improved weather for the DC Festival occurring on the Mall.
It will remain cloudy on Columbus Day and there will be a slight (30%) chance of rain showers in the afternoon and evening as an upper level wave rotates through the area.
Rain Recap
Rainfall totals through yesterday evening were indeed staggering and the effects are still being felt. All three airports, for the second straight day, received record amounts.
Here are some of the storm totals -- which generally ranged from 6-9":
Reagan National: 7.34"
BWI: 6.72"
Dulles: 6.62"
Annandale: 7.08"
Manassas: 8.12"
Colesville: 7.1"
PG County: 7.3"
Image (click to enlarge) of rainfall evolution at National Airport during storm courtesy Steve Scolnik, CapitalWeather.com
While it's fun to think about how much snow this would've amounted to in winter (50-80 inches), it's not a realistic scenario to consider. We were dealing with the remains of a tropical low with a warm core that contains significantly more water than any storm we would ever experience during winter. During winter, the most water (melted down) we'll see from a storm will typically be in the range of 2-3".
The forecast
Overcast skies will be the rule today, but no rain is expected. Temperatures will be coolish, but pleasant with highs 64-68. Much improved weather for the DC Festival occurring on the Mall.
It will remain cloudy on Columbus Day and there will be a slight (30%) chance of rain showers in the afternoon and evening as an upper level wave rotates through the area.
Rain Recap
Rainfall totals through yesterday evening were indeed staggering and the effects are still being felt. All three airports, for the second straight day, received record amounts.
Here are some of the storm totals -- which generally ranged from 6-9":
Reagan National: 7.34"
BWI: 6.72"
Dulles: 6.62"
Annandale: 7.08"
Manassas: 8.12"
Colesville: 7.1"
PG County: 7.3"
Image (click to enlarge) of rainfall evolution at National Airport during storm courtesy Steve Scolnik, CapitalWeather.com
While it's fun to think about how much snow this would've amounted to in winter (50-80 inches), it's not a realistic scenario to consider. We were dealing with the remains of a tropical low with a warm core that contains significantly more water than any storm we would ever experience during winter. During winter, the most water (melted down) we'll see from a storm will typically be in the range of 2-3".
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