Friday, April 14, 2006
Spring's Arsenal: Thunderstorms [through the weekend?]
A. Camden Walker @ 1:02 AM
Forecast: Warmth & Slight Humidity Set-Up Shop
Unless 54-59 degree low temperatures chill you this morning, don't even bother reaching for a coat. But you'd better grab the umbrella. Rain may accompany our high temperature pushing 80 degrees, just like yesterday. Points south of DC will be the most likely break above it. Click graphic for source article from AccuWeather.com
Clouds will hopefully not rain on our parade until the afternoon-- overall, do not expect much brilliant sunshine today. We have a 40% chance of a few thunderstorms in the area, but more concentrated storminess should stay southwest of the region. Unlikely is a repeat of yesterday's surprise hail in Prince William County, as photographed by CapitalWeather.com visitor Paul Colleti. [See right-side pictures of Gallery, below]
Tonight, most shouldn't dip below 60 degrees. Southerly breezes will continue to usher in low-level moisture resulting in that "sticky" feeling to the air. Skies should stay partly cloudy before midnight, so a little stargazing might be possible.
Gallery: Shots from Yesterday
Cumulonimbus calvus photograph by Kevin Ambrose (left). Photos of hail by Paul Colletti (top/bottom right ). Click photos for zoom-in!
THE WEEKEND: Saturday & Sunday
Saturday morning will be very mild (above 60) and warm quickly into the low 80s with significant sunshine. The warm airmass will still be in place, and a small chance of a shower can't be ruled out popping in such an airmass. We'll experience pleasant 12-15mph SE breezes.
Sunday appears difficult because the stationary front more or less oscillating through the region will retrocede south of us. An easterly fetch will bring a period of midday clouds & showers. Note though, it's probable we will still reach 70 degrees under partly sunny evening skies! I'd bring the umbrella around with you on Sunday, and watch for CapitalWeather.com updates over the next 48hrs as the team gets an exact fix on Sunday's "frontal situation..."It's Not Hail, Nor Sleet. "What is it, then!?"
California is experiencing heavy precipitation lately, but it could be falling in a new form. One has to watch the sky, even when air planes aren't flying overhead dropping commode-ice! Somehow, last weekend, a 200+lbs mass of clear ice fell unexpectedly out of the sky & into an Oakland park. Investigators noted in the article--a meteorologist, climatologist, and other scientists-- all reached divergent conclusions.
So far the source of the ice can't be empirically proven. But of course Climate Change was mentioned via implications that the tropopause may be more permeable lately? As one might scratch their head when seeing the "Stratospheric Hail" conclusion... know that I, too, cannot name a time or place in which the Stratosphere is depleted of ozone while simultaneously "especially wet."
With the current deluge in northern California, may all those in the declared disaster area experiencing mud slides & flooding, find safe harbor.
KATRIN'utshell
Yes, I must truncate myself on this still-hot topic. Rest assured, I will write more on hurricane preparedness-policy before June 1 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins! But let me leave you with this:
Dated within the last 48 hours, how many articles on WaPo.com would you guess contain the word "Katrina" when entered into the upper-left SEARCH: field?A quick audit finds... 35! and 100, in the past five days alone. Relevance may be broached (PLEASE DO USE COMMENT SECTION!), but I will not grant you a high proportion be excluded or dismissed as unrelated, irrelevant to societal impact, or un-newsworthy.
BackFence.com likely has your community's outdoor weekend activities!
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