Tuesday, March 13, 2007
A True Taste of Late Spring
Matt Ross @ 12:05 PM
We will experience late spring over the next couple days. High temperatures will be some 15 degrees above normal. Not a rare event for the mid March transition to spring, but pleasurable for most to be sure.
Breezy, Warm. Today will be partly sunny and warm with a steady westerly breeze. Afternoon high temperatures will near the 70 degree mark, more like an average late April or early May day.
Clouds, Very Mild. Tonight we will see increasing clouds with overnight temperatures only dipping to the upper 40s to low 50s. Wednesday will be mostly cloudy, breezy and mild with afternoon highs in the low to mid 70s, and a chance of an afternoon or evening shower. Refer to Dan's forecast for the rest of the week and weekend.
In the recent March Newsletter of the DC chapter of the American Meteorological Society, I published some February 2007 musings, some of which I have already shared here. The words almost seem distant and maudlin after the gorgeous stretch of weather over the past few days. Check the whole newsletter out when you get a chance. Here is an excerpt from my article:
As I watch the snow fall outside in 25 degree air on March 7th, I am strangely nostalgic for the 28 days that ended just a week ago. There are already indications of 70 degree temperatures by mid month, and any cold that occurs in late March or early April is almost unanimously viewed as a nuisance to our outdoor plans. While many of you dislike cold and snow, I hope you at least appreciated, if not enjoyed February 2007. I know I sure did.
Since we have a very good chance of hitting the 70 degree mark a couple times this week, it is an appropriate time to look back at our greatest March heat wave on record. Looking at the average for 1907, one wouldn't think much of it. It finished just a couple degrees above normal, and had over 6" of snowfall. Yet, the end of the month featured a heat wave yet to be matched 100 years later. March 22-24 saw the mercury hit 90, 93, and 85 degrees respectively. Then March 29th capped the month off with a 92 degree reading. The 93 degrees on March 23rd is our highest March reading in recorded history, and the three 90 degree readings that month are likely the only official 90 degree readings in March history. Given the gradual warming of the atmosphere and heat island effect of the city, this feat is quite remarkable. Almost just as remarkable, the April that followed was not only colder than March, but is also the coldest in the last 130 years and featured over an inch of snow.
Today
Breezy, Warm. Today will be partly sunny and warm with a steady westerly breeze. Afternoon high temperatures will near the 70 degree mark, more like an average late April or early May day.Tonight and Tomorrow
Clouds, Very Mild. Tonight we will see increasing clouds with overnight temperatures only dipping to the upper 40s to low 50s. Wednesday will be mostly cloudy, breezy and mild with afternoon highs in the low to mid 70s, and a chance of an afternoon or evening shower. Refer to Dan's forecast for the rest of the week and weekend.Pictured Above: Satellite imagery of the 1993 Superstorm that affected the east coast 14 years ago today.
Waxing Nostalgic
In the recent March Newsletter of the DC chapter of the American Meteorological Society, I published some February 2007 musings, some of which I have already shared here. The words almost seem distant and maudlin after the gorgeous stretch of weather over the past few days. Check the whole newsletter out when you get a chance. Here is an excerpt from my article:
As I watch the snow fall outside in 25 degree air on March 7th, I am strangely nostalgic for the 28 days that ended just a week ago. There are already indications of 70 degree temperatures by mid month, and any cold that occurs in late March or early April is almost unanimously viewed as a nuisance to our outdoor plans. While many of you dislike cold and snow, I hope you at least appreciated, if not enjoyed February 2007. I know I sure did.
March 1907 - Hundred Year Anniversary
Since we have a very good chance of hitting the 70 degree mark a couple times this week, it is an appropriate time to look back at our greatest March heat wave on record. Looking at the average for 1907, one wouldn't think much of it. It finished just a couple degrees above normal, and had over 6" of snowfall. Yet, the end of the month featured a heat wave yet to be matched 100 years later. March 22-24 saw the mercury hit 90, 93, and 85 degrees respectively. Then March 29th capped the month off with a 92 degree reading. The 93 degrees on March 23rd is our highest March reading in recorded history, and the three 90 degree readings that month are likely the only official 90 degree readings in March history. Given the gradual warming of the atmosphere and heat island effect of the city, this feat is quite remarkable. Almost just as remarkable, the April that followed was not only colder than March, but is also the coldest in the last 130 years and featured over an inch of snow.
Comments are closed for this archived entry | Link | 
Email this post
Email this post
