Saturday, August 25, 2007
Saturday Sauna: Record Heat in Reach
Evening thunderstorms possible
Jason Samenow @ 11:00 PM
11pm update: Severe thunderstorms, currently affecting Falls Church and Arlington will move through the District in the next 30 minutes. Very heavy rain, frequent lightning and gusty winds are likely with these storms.
Up until now, this summer has been rather remarkable in that nearly every weekend has brought us beautiful weather. Very little rain has fallen and temperatures have been surprisingly comfortable. Today is an obvious exception as we must contend with oppressive heat and humidity not to mention the chance of evening thunderstorms.
Oppressive Heat, PM T'Storm Possible. We've been talking about a hot Saturday since Monday, so today's weather shouldn't come as any surprise. The question becomes: how hot will it get? I think high temperatures will likely range from 96-101. The airmass isn't quite as hot as it was on August 8, when Reagan National (DCA) set a record of 102. But a new record for today's date is certainly within reach at DCA, as the current record is just 97, set in 1968. Note it will also be very humid, and will feel around 105 in the mid afternoon. Be careful not to overexert yourself on this summer's first very hot weekend day.
During the evening, particularly between about 5pm and 10pm, a line of thunderstorms could develop (40% chance) to the west and move through the metro area. While the storms will provide some welcome cooling in the areas they affect, they will also be capable of very heavy rain, lightning and strong winds. Storm chances will linger overnight, but become less likely (25%), with muggy lows in the mid 70s.
Slightly cooler, storm chances remain. A cold front will very slowly move through the area, possibly triggering some showers and thunderstorms from late morning onward in the metro area (30% chance). Following the front, the best storm chances will be just south of here in the late afternoon (40% chance). High temperatures should be in the upper 80s.
According to the National Weather Service Office in Sterling:
Up until now, this summer has been rather remarkable in that nearly every weekend has brought us beautiful weather. Very little rain has fallen and temperatures have been surprisingly comfortable. Today is an obvious exception as we must contend with oppressive heat and humidity not to mention the chance of evening thunderstorms.
Today
Oppressive Heat, PM T'Storm Possible. We've been talking about a hot Saturday since Monday, so today's weather shouldn't come as any surprise. The question becomes: how hot will it get? I think high temperatures will likely range from 96-101. The airmass isn't quite as hot as it was on August 8, when Reagan National (DCA) set a record of 102. But a new record for today's date is certainly within reach at DCA, as the current record is just 97, set in 1968. Note it will also be very humid, and will feel around 105 in the mid afternoon. Be careful not to overexert yourself on this summer's first very hot weekend day.Track today's scorching temperatures, courtesy Weather Bonk and Google. Hover and click on readings for location and other information. You can also pan the map and zoom in or out.
During the evening, particularly between about 5pm and 10pm, a line of thunderstorms could develop (40% chance) to the west and move through the metro area. While the storms will provide some welcome cooling in the areas they affect, they will also be capable of very heavy rain, lightning and strong winds. Storm chances will linger overnight, but become less likely (25%), with muggy lows in the mid 70s.
Sunday
Slightly cooler, storm chances remain. A cold front will very slowly move through the area, possibly triggering some showers and thunderstorms from late morning onward in the metro area (30% chance). Following the front, the best storm chances will be just south of here in the late afternoon (40% chance). High temperatures should be in the upper 80s. Last Week's Coolness in Perspective
According to the National Weather Service Office in Sterling:AT WASHINGTON REAGAN NATIONAL...THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE DID NOT GET ABOVE 75 DEGREES FOR THREE DAYS IN A ROW FROM AUGUST 20TH THROUGH THE 22ND. THE LAST TIME THERE WAS A SIMILAR STRETCH OF COOL WEATHER WAS IN 1992 DURING THE PERIOD AUGUST 15TH THROUGH THE 17TH.Pictured: Observed high and low temperatures this month compared to averages and records. Note the big dip in the observed high temperatures this week; the highs were almost as low as the average lows. Perhaps equally impressive, after today's observed high is added, we will have transitioned from historically low high temperatures to a possible record high in less than 72 hours. Graphic by CapitalWeather.com's Steve Scolnik.
AT BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL...AN EVEN LONGER STRETCH HAS OCCURRED THIS MONTH WHEN THE MAX TEMPERATURE DID NOT EXCEED 75 DEGREES FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE DAYS...AUGUST 19TH THROUGH THE 23RD. THE LAST TIME A SIMILAR STRETCH OCCURRED WAS IN 1940 WHEN TEMPERATURES REMAINED BELOW 75 DEGREES FROM THE 24TH THROUGH THE 29TH.
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