Sunday, December 18, 2005
Storm Slips Away
Jason Samenow @ 1:31 AM
It appears we dodged the bullet. The juicy storm that developed in the Gulf of Mexico will pass well to our south and east today, just bringing some morning clouds and a stray flurry. By afternoon, some sunshine should emerge with temperatures in the low to mid 40s.
Why Did We Miss the Storm?In a lot of cases, if I saw the radar image to the right, I would be getting pretty excited for the prospect of significant snow given the cold air we have in place. The precipitation coverage and intensity is impressive. But if you animate this radar, it becomes apparent that the precipitation shield has a strong easterly component and is largely going to miss us. What's going on?
Essentially, the atmospheric flow pattern is not conducive for the storm to move northward and up the East Coast. The subtropical jet stream (shown as the dashed orange line off the Southeast coast) is not "in sync" or phased with the polar jet stream and is just taking this storm (designated by the red "L" off the Carolina coastline) out to sea. If the polar jet followed the green dashed line I drew in, then we would be talking about a major storm moving up the coast. But, in reality, the polar jet (depicted by the orange dashed line shaped like a 'u' but rotated 90 degrees) is offset way to the west, and the streams are independent.2005: A Warm Year
Depending on whether you believe NASA or NOAA, 2005 will end up being the warmest or second warmest year on record. The question now becomes: What will Santa do "When the North Pole Melts?" Listen to the song by Captain Sea Level.
On The Dial and On The Tube
- Tony Pann and Justin Berk will discuss chances of a White Christmas on WeatherTalkRadio at 3:05pm on WCBM 680AM. They're also having forecaster David Manning from the National Weather Service forecast office in Sterling on the show.
- Tonight on the National Geographic Channel at 8pm, Twisted Sunday is airring. Show description: "Step into the twisted world of tornado chasers as professionals and amateurs get a little too close to the action. Baseball-sized hail, downed power lines and flattened homes are all just part of the experience on this wild ride into the heart of the world's worst supercells."
Weather Gamecast
Dallas at WashingtonWhere: FedEx Field
When: Today, 4:15pm
Weather: COLD. Given the late start, darkness will set in quickly and temperatures will drop from near 40 at kickoff to freezing by the end of the game. Score prediction: Redskins 17, Dallas 10
What to wear: Hats, gloves and heavy coats
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