Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Hypey New Year
Steve Scolnik @ 4:20 PM
It's a lot like yesterday, but without the drizzle, and the wind, between a departing low pressure area and one approaching from the Great Lakes, has shifted around to the south. There are even a few peeks of sun, but the temperature is still stuck in the lower 40s around the immediate Washington metro area.
Tonight and Tomorrow
Clouds will persist through most of tonight with lows in the mid to upper 30s. Tomorrow will be partly cloudy; with the sunshine, highs in the low 50s are well within reach before a cold front arrives toward evening.
For the forecast through the weekend and some previously undisclosed leaks of secret snow-making rituals, check out Dan's previous post.
Fish and Ships Still on the Menu
It's not hype to say the hurricane season has been truly historic. The Weather Channel reported this morning that the 8 consecutive months of June through January with named storms have tied the record of 1887 (May through December). Zeta is a little weaker today, moving slowly westward with maximum winds of 60 mph.
"Tomorrow" is Jan. 15
Watchers of the Weather Channel are well aware by now that TWC has been heavily hyping the upcoming special series beginning on the 15th, "It Could Happen Tomorrow." I have even seen paid promos on other cable channels (either CNBC or CNN, or perhaps both). Not much has been said about the contents of the shows, but the garishly red glimpses of a drowning Statue of Liberty suggest that they may have more than just the title in common with the over-the-top movie, "The Day After Tomorrow." I think it's really unfortunate that the horror-movie elements seem to be overwhelming the educational opportunities on such an important subject. This is especially true since TWC's recently revised position statement on global warming seems quite reasonable and scientifically accurate. Senior Meteorologist Stu Ostro also has a very thoughtful blog post on the subject. (Warning, it's rather long and requires some actual thought, so before you fire up the flame throwers to send the usual politically-motivated talking points and non-sequitors, please take a moment to consider what's being said.) The "We're all gonna die!" theme undoubtedly boosts ratings, and fear has certainly been used cynically to win elections, but a technologically-advanced civilization which would like to not only survive but prosper in the future needs a much more scientifically based approach to a potentially devastating problem.
Graphic from Atlas Media Corp.
Tonight and Tomorrow
Clouds will persist through most of tonight with lows in the mid to upper 30s. Tomorrow will be partly cloudy; with the sunshine, highs in the low 50s are well within reach before a cold front arrives toward evening.
For the forecast through the weekend and some previously undisclosed leaks of secret snow-making rituals, check out Dan's previous post.
Fish and Ships Still on the Menu
It's not hype to say the hurricane season has been truly historic. The Weather Channel reported this morning that the 8 consecutive months of June through January with named storms have tied the record of 1887 (May through December). Zeta is a little weaker today, moving slowly westward with maximum winds of 60 mph.
"Tomorrow" is Jan. 15
Watchers of the Weather Channel are well aware by now that TWC has been heavily hyping the upcoming special series beginning on the 15th, "It Could Happen Tomorrow." I have even seen paid promos on other cable channels (either CNBC or CNN, or perhaps both). Not much has been said about the contents of the shows, but the garishly red glimpses of a drowning Statue of Liberty suggest that they may have more than just the title in common with the over-the-top movie, "The Day After Tomorrow." I think it's really unfortunate that the horror-movie elements seem to be overwhelming the educational opportunities on such an important subject. This is especially true since TWC's recently revised position statement on global warming seems quite reasonable and scientifically accurate. Senior Meteorologist Stu Ostro also has a very thoughtful blog post on the subject. (Warning, it's rather long and requires some actual thought, so before you fire up the flame throwers to send the usual politically-motivated talking points and non-sequitors, please take a moment to consider what's being said.) The "We're all gonna die!" theme undoubtedly boosts ratings, and fear has certainly been used cynically to win elections, but a technologically-advanced civilization which would like to not only survive but prosper in the future needs a much more scientifically based approach to a potentially devastating problem. Graphic from Atlas Media Corp.
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