Saturday, March 26, 2005
Nagging "Easter"ly Weekend Wind
Jason Samenow @ 10:38 AM
TodayIt will be another cool, overcast day due to a persistent easterly wind. We've now had below average temperatures the last five days and on all but four days for the entire month of March. Temperatures will not move much from current levels, and will max out between 44-48 degrees.
Storm Chasing
Storm chasing season is here. WeatherBug is planning their 2005 Storm Chasing Tour. But you don't have to be a professional meteorologist or a professional storm chaser to go chasing. A quick Google query of "storm chasing tours" brings up about seven or eight outfits that will take you storm chasing...for a price. Week long chases start at about $1600.
If you're interested in a more academic and economical option, you might consider going chasing through the College of Dupage, whose tours (a few of which are open to the public) cost about half of the outfits noted above, but may not be as inclusive or plush (with respect to meals, lodging and other extras).
Image courtesy AccuWeather
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Friday, March 25, 2005
Late afternoon update
Steve Scolnik @ 5:00 PM
Currently
The Easter bunny will need to pack an umbrella and wrap the treats in plastic to visit the Washington metro area this weekend. Showers which began before noon were heavier south of the District. By mid afternoon, radar showed that the bulk of the earlier rain had moved eastward to southern Maryland, the lower Chesapeake Bay, and the Eastern Shore. Patuxent River reported moderate rain at 3pm, and light rain was falling at Salisbury, Ocean City, and Wallops Island. By 4pm, rain had redeveloped in the DC area, mostly in the eastern and southern portions. In Prince George's County, an area of moderate rain was indicated on radar south of the Beltway and between Route 5 and Indian Head Highway. This area was moving northeast in the general direction of Upper Marlboro. Although there have been a few peeks of sun earlier, at least here west of Rockville, temperatures around the metro area ranged from 44 to 48 at 3 and 4 pm, and they showed no sign of reaching 50.
Under cloudy skies and the possibility of light rain or drizzle, lows tonight should be similar to last night's low 40's. Highs tomorrow should be in the upper 40's, up to around 50 if some sun breaks through the clouds. While any rain tomorrow looks to be light and widely scattered, more significant rain is on tap for Sunday, probably arriving in time to dampen sunrise services. The rain should continue through Sunday night into Monday.
Easter egg roll
The March-April issue of Weatherwise Magazine has an article (not posted online) about the effects of weather on the traditional Easter Monday White House egg roll, which began on April 22, 1878 with clear skies and an afternoon temperature of 73.
Have a good Easter in spite of the weather!
The Easter bunny will need to pack an umbrella and wrap the treats in plastic to visit the Washington metro area this weekend. Showers which began before noon were heavier south of the District. By mid afternoon, radar showed that the bulk of the earlier rain had moved eastward to southern Maryland, the lower Chesapeake Bay, and the Eastern Shore. Patuxent River reported moderate rain at 3pm, and light rain was falling at Salisbury, Ocean City, and Wallops Island. By 4pm, rain had redeveloped in the DC area, mostly in the eastern and southern portions. In Prince George's County, an area of moderate rain was indicated on radar south of the Beltway and between Route 5 and Indian Head Highway. This area was moving northeast in the general direction of Upper Marlboro. Although there have been a few peeks of sun earlier, at least here west of Rockville, temperatures around the metro area ranged from 44 to 48 at 3 and 4 pm, and they showed no sign of reaching 50.
Under cloudy skies and the possibility of light rain or drizzle, lows tonight should be similar to last night's low 40's. Highs tomorrow should be in the upper 40's, up to around 50 if some sun breaks through the clouds. While any rain tomorrow looks to be light and widely scattered, more significant rain is on tap for Sunday, probably arriving in time to dampen sunrise services. The rain should continue through Sunday night into Monday.
Easter egg roll
The March-April issue of Weatherwise Magazine has an article (not posted online) about the effects of weather on the traditional Easter Monday White House egg roll, which began on April 22, 1878 with clear skies and an afternoon temperature of 73.
Have a good Easter in spite of the weather!
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Easter Weekend Outlook...
Jason Samenow @ 8:00 AM
Unfortunately, if you're looking forward to a nice springlike weekend for enjoying the outdoors, you're probably going to have to wait at least another week. This weekend will be on the cool and damp side. Today's forecast
The stretch of dismal weather begins today, with rain breaking out this afternoon. High temperatures will range from 47 to 50. About 0.25" of rain should fall between this afternoon and tomorrow morning.
Saturday's forecast
Saturday may be the better of the two weekend days, but it's no winner by any stretch. Expect generally overcast conditions with occasional drizzle. A cool, easterly fetch will hold high temperatures in the upper 40s.
Easter Sunday's forecast
An area of low pressure in the Tennessee Valley will cause occasional rain to spread into the area. A continued easterly wind will keep temps on the cool side -- once again in the upper 40s.
Cherry Blossom Update
The Washington Post writes that the Park Service Isn't Budging on Blossom Forecast and anticipates peak conditions next weekend. Let's hope the weather cooperates.
Top image courtesy AccuWeather.com
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Thursday, March 24, 2005
Dreary afternoon update
Steve Scolnik @ 5:45 PM
Currently
As yesterday's storm moves away from New England, but low-level moisture persists, the Washington metro area remains cloudy and cool under northwesterly winds. The winds are weaker than after similar previous storms because the low is moving away more quickly, and the high pressure area centered over Ohio and West Virginia late this afternoon is weaker. This means that there is less of a pressure gradient, or rate of change of pressure with distance. Temperatures struggled to make it past the upper 40's throughout the area; most locations were no higher than 48 degrees.
Tonight, under mostly cloudy skies, the temperature should drop to about 40. Tomorrow should see a return to rain by mid-day, with highs around 50, as the next storm, which is moving out of the central Rockies through central Kansas and Oklahoma late this afternoon, continues eastward. Rainfall amounts should be up to half an inch. The next chance for significant rain is on Sunday. As Josh explains below, a series of storms should keep us mainly cool and wet for the next 10 days.
Record rains
Thanks to Jimmy C for pointing out that both National in DC and BWI set new record rainfall amounts for the date yesterday, with 1.85 and 2.56 inches, respectively. Baltimore city had an unofficial report as high as 2.76. A scan of the Baltimore records shows that the BWI reading exceeded the all-time daily record for March of 2.48" on March 2, 1994.
As yesterday's storm moves away from New England, but low-level moisture persists, the Washington metro area remains cloudy and cool under northwesterly winds. The winds are weaker than after similar previous storms because the low is moving away more quickly, and the high pressure area centered over Ohio and West Virginia late this afternoon is weaker. This means that there is less of a pressure gradient, or rate of change of pressure with distance. Temperatures struggled to make it past the upper 40's throughout the area; most locations were no higher than 48 degrees.
Tonight, under mostly cloudy skies, the temperature should drop to about 40. Tomorrow should see a return to rain by mid-day, with highs around 50, as the next storm, which is moving out of the central Rockies through central Kansas and Oklahoma late this afternoon, continues eastward. Rainfall amounts should be up to half an inch. The next chance for significant rain is on Sunday. As Josh explains below, a series of storms should keep us mainly cool and wet for the next 10 days.
Record rains
Thanks to Jimmy C for pointing out that both National in DC and BWI set new record rainfall amounts for the date yesterday, with 1.85 and 2.56 inches, respectively. Baltimore city had an unofficial report as high as 2.76. A scan of the Baltimore records shows that the BWI reading exceeded the all-time daily record for March of 2.48" on March 2, 1994.
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10-DAY OUTLOOK: Dreary and Wet?
Josh Larson @ 2:00 AM
Yesterday's Rain:
A potent area of low pressure brought low cloud cover and moderate rainfall to the DC metro area yesterday. Area wide temperatures averaged over 10° below normal, with most locations topping out around 46°. DCA, IAD, and BWI recorded very similar amounts of rain - between .8" and .9". Camp Springs, MD picked up 1.11", and the Larson household in Chevy Chase, MD measured nearly 1.6". Areas north of Central PA and northern NJ didn't fare nearly as "well," however, with widespread reports of 4-8" of snowfall.
Today's Weather:
Unfortunately, plenty of low-level moisture will linger today, so another rather cloudy, dreary day appears to be on tap, with still-cool temperatures only reaching 50° in most locations. A peak of sun, especially later in the day, can't be ruled out, but by and large we will see mostly cloudy skies. Not as cool tonight as last night, with lows in the upper 30's in the suburbs to the low 40's downtown.
10-Day Outlook:
I used the word "dreary" to describe today's weather, and unfortunately it appears that dreary might sum up much of the next week of weather. In addition, temperatures, which have already run considerably below normal for the month of March, will continue to linger at slightly below-average levels, much of that due to anticipated persistent cloud cover. The average high for the next 10 days is 63°, and I believe that we'll see high temperatures averaging closer to 57° during this period. Interestingly, cloud cover during the day tends to lower temperatures, but during the night tends to keep them up due to its insulating effect, so it's quite possible that low temperatures may actually run above average during this same time: the average low is near 37°, but I expect that low temperatures will average closer to 41°.
There is good computer model agreement that an energized southern storm track will dominate weather over our region for the next 5-7 days. The main culprit is a ridge over the western US with a sharp trough over the central US developing over the next several days, which will rev up the southern stream and allow for several waves of low pressure to push from the Southeast US into the DC area.
A potent area of low pressure brought low cloud cover and moderate rainfall to the DC metro area yesterday. Area wide temperatures averaged over 10° below normal, with most locations topping out around 46°. DCA, IAD, and BWI recorded very similar amounts of rain - between .8" and .9". Camp Springs, MD picked up 1.11", and the Larson household in Chevy Chase, MD measured nearly 1.6". Areas north of Central PA and northern NJ didn't fare nearly as "well," however, with widespread reports of 4-8" of snowfall.
Today's Weather:
Unfortunately, plenty of low-level moisture will linger today, so another rather cloudy, dreary day appears to be on tap, with still-cool temperatures only reaching 50° in most locations. A peak of sun, especially later in the day, can't be ruled out, but by and large we will see mostly cloudy skies. Not as cool tonight as last night, with lows in the upper 30's in the suburbs to the low 40's downtown.
10-Day Outlook:
I used the word "dreary" to describe today's weather, and unfortunately it appears that dreary might sum up much of the next week of weather. In addition, temperatures, which have already run considerably below normal for the month of March, will continue to linger at slightly below-average levels, much of that due to anticipated persistent cloud cover. The average high for the next 10 days is 63°, and I believe that we'll see high temperatures averaging closer to 57° during this period. Interestingly, cloud cover during the day tends to lower temperatures, but during the night tends to keep them up due to its insulating effect, so it's quite possible that low temperatures may actually run above average during this same time: the average low is near 37°, but I expect that low temperatures will average closer to 41°.
There is good computer model agreement that an energized southern storm track will dominate weather over our region for the next 5-7 days. The main culprit is a ridge over the western US with a sharp trough over the central US developing over the next several days, which will rev up the southern stream and allow for several waves of low pressure to push from the Southeast US into the DC area.
Wave #1 will bring an increase in cloudiness by Friday afternoon, with showery weather from late Friday into Saturday afternoon; rainfall will remain on the lighter side, probably between .25-.5"
- Wave #2 approaching from the south will keep cloudy conditions over the region on Easter Sunday, with cool temperatures and widely scattered showers; at this point Easter does not appear to be a washout. This wave may strengthen considerably by early Monday morning, however, with periods of rain expected through Tuesday. Over an inch of rain may fall during this period.
- Wave #3 may bring more precipitation to the area by late Thursday or Friday.
Unfortunately this means that mostly cloudy to overcast skies will prevail during nearly the entire Friday through Tuesday period; expect a string of five days of dreary, oftentimes wet, weather. After Thursday's highs near 50°, temperatures will moderate somewhat on Friday and Saturday: expect highs both days in the mid 50's, with lows in the lower 40's. However, Easter looks like it will be on the cool side, with highs only near 50°, and lows in the upper 30's - with the aforementioned chance of showers. Temperatures will probably end up in the low to mid 50's on Monday.
At this point, the nicest weather over the next 10 days appears to be from late Tuesday through Thursday. During this period expect the return of the sunshine, with temperatures moderating to near-normal levels as slightly milder air enters the region from the south and west. Expect high temperatures in the low to mid 60's Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. More rain is possible by Friday, with highs Friday and Saturday expected to be in the upper 50's to near 60°.
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Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Rainy mid-day
Steve Scolnik @ 1:40 PM
Currently
After a break in the rain at mid-morning, more moderate to heavy rain moved into the area by 11am. The rain was ahead of a warm front extending from the Carolinas through southeastern Virginia at mid-morning. This was all rotating counterclockwise around a low-pressure area moving slowly eastward through Kentucky. Pressure changes indicate that a new low is forming east of the Delmarva peninsula. While temperatures in the DC metro area were generally 45-46 degrees at noon and 1pm, south of the front in the Norfolk area, temperatures were from 60 to 66 with light rain and fog. Further to the south, it was 70 and partly sunny at Raleigh, NC. Radar shows most of the region within a 50-mile radius of DC with rain at 1pm. Dulles was reporting heavy rain and National was moderate.
The rain is much needed, since even with the quarter inch which fell Sunday, the area was still over 1.5 inches below normal for the month through yesterday. February was also considerably below normal. Temperature-wise, we are still on the cold side, running over 4 degrees below normal so far this March.
For this afternoon, showers should continue, tapering down into the evening, with temperatures remaining in the mid 40's. There is a chance of a thunderstorm, but the most likely area for severe weather is the eastern Carolinas. For the rest of the forecast, scroll down to Dan's earlier post.
Super models
I was skeptical yesterday of the amounts of rain being forecast by the models, but as Dan pointed out in the earlier comments, rainfall amounts in the immediate area were close to an inch by 10am, and BWI was over 1.5 inches; at 1pm, the total at National was 1.39. That's on track to break the record for the date of 1.41 inches set in 1903. The timing was also very accurate, with rain beginning here just before 11pm last night. Precipitation is the hardest thing for models to forecast, after pressure and temperature, but I would say they did an excellent job in this case. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the dedicated folks at NCEP and its predecessor organizations who have worked so hard over the decades under often difficult conditions to make such results possible. Last year was the 50th anniversary of operational numerical weather prediction.
Snow lovers
OK, jtf and others, we feel your pain, but here's an excerpt from a winter storm watch for Ulster and Dutchess counties, NY and Litchfield county, CT, including the cities of Kingston and Poughkeepsie:
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE BY THURSDAY
MORNING. THE HEAVIER AMOUNTS WILL BE AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. . .
After a break in the rain at mid-morning, more moderate to heavy rain moved into the area by 11am. The rain was ahead of a warm front extending from the Carolinas through southeastern Virginia at mid-morning. This was all rotating counterclockwise around a low-pressure area moving slowly eastward through Kentucky. Pressure changes indicate that a new low is forming east of the Delmarva peninsula. While temperatures in the DC metro area were generally 45-46 degrees at noon and 1pm, south of the front in the Norfolk area, temperatures were from 60 to 66 with light rain and fog. Further to the south, it was 70 and partly sunny at Raleigh, NC. Radar shows most of the region within a 50-mile radius of DC with rain at 1pm. Dulles was reporting heavy rain and National was moderate.
The rain is much needed, since even with the quarter inch which fell Sunday, the area was still over 1.5 inches below normal for the month through yesterday. February was also considerably below normal. Temperature-wise, we are still on the cold side, running over 4 degrees below normal so far this March.
For this afternoon, showers should continue, tapering down into the evening, with temperatures remaining in the mid 40's. There is a chance of a thunderstorm, but the most likely area for severe weather is the eastern Carolinas. For the rest of the forecast, scroll down to Dan's earlier post.
Super models
I was skeptical yesterday of the amounts of rain being forecast by the models, but as Dan pointed out in the earlier comments, rainfall amounts in the immediate area were close to an inch by 10am, and BWI was over 1.5 inches; at 1pm, the total at National was 1.39. That's on track to break the record for the date of 1.41 inches set in 1903. The timing was also very accurate, with rain beginning here just before 11pm last night. Precipitation is the hardest thing for models to forecast, after pressure and temperature, but I would say they did an excellent job in this case. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the dedicated folks at NCEP and its predecessor organizations who have worked so hard over the decades under often difficult conditions to make such results possible. Last year was the 50th anniversary of operational numerical weather prediction.
Snow lovers
OK, jtf and others, we feel your pain, but here's an excerpt from a winter storm watch for Ulster and Dutchess counties, NY and Litchfield county, CT, including the cities of Kingston and Poughkeepsie:
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE BY THURSDAY
MORNING. THE HEAVIER AMOUNTS WILL BE AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. . .
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Raining on Mickey
Dan Stillman @ 12:30 AM
The D.C. area will wake up this morning to a good ol' fashioned soaker. It's been a while since we've had a wash out of a morning like this, so expect a difficult rush hour thanks to those who have "forgotten" how to drive in the rain.
Today: Rain should remain fairly steady at least through early afternoon, then becoming more showery in nature later in the afternoon and evening. Windy throughout the day with temperatures in the mid-40s.
Tonight: We'll keep a chance of scattered showers until around midnight. Otherwise, cloudy and misty with lows in the mid-to-upper 30s.
Tomorrow: Still cloudy, but with a couple breaks of sunshine possible during the mid-day and afternoon hours. The dry weather and highs in the lower 50s might be just nice enough for a trip over to the Woodrow Wilson Plaza at the Ronald Reagan Building to check out the 75 Mickey Mouse statues on display.Tomorrow night: Clouds increase again ahead of the next storm system, but it should remain dry for Purim revelers. Lows in the upper 30s to near 40.
Friday: A decent chance of some more rain, but doesn't look like a wash out. Highs in the mid-to-upper 50s.
The Weekend: Saturday has the potential to be pretty darn nice -- partly sunny with a high near 60, maybe even into the lower 60s. As for Easter Sunday ... you guessed it: looks like more rain.
Hail to Early SpringThe first day of spring took the area by storm on Sunday as pea- and nickel-sized hail came down in parts of Northern Virginia. In some ways, it's actually easier to get hail now than it is later in the spring and summer. That's because cold air aloft, leftover from the winter, extends closer to the surface during early spring.
Hail forms in thunderstorms as water droplets are carried upward by strong vertical winds into below-freezing air. There are several factors that affect hail formation, but freezing level is one of the most important. When the freezing level is relatively close to the ground, as is typical this time of year, water droplets have a shorter distance to climb before they reach the cold air. A shallow freezing level also means less time for a hailstone to melt as it falls to the ground.
The graphic above shows the temperature (right black line) and dewpoint (left black line) versus height on Sunday. Just to get your bearings, the vertical graph lines represent temperature in degrees Celsius, as labeled along the x-axis, while the horizontal graph lines represent altitude, as labeled along the y-axis (ignore any diagonal lines). The red arrow marks where the temperature drops below freezing (0 C), which occurs at an altitude of approximately 1500 meters, or about 5,000 feet. For comparison, typical summertime freezing levels are substantially higher -- around 10,000 feet.
So how do we get hail during the summer with such high freezing levels?
Warmer summertime temperatures serve as the equalizer. They can trigger more instability in the atmosphere than cooler, springtime temps, causing air within thunderstorms to rise higher.
Photograph courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center; Graphic courtesy of the University of Wyoming
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Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Mid-day update
Steve Scolnik @ 1:20 PM
Currently
After a morning low of 34 (1C), temperatures are mostly in the mid-50's around the Washington metro area at mid-day under sunny skies. It was 57 at 1pm here in Montgomery County. Frederick was also reporting 57, while a southeast wind was holding the Naval Academy to 45. Highs this afternoon should be in the upper 50's to about 60.
This morning's model forecast shows that rain is on the way for tonight as a storm system centered in eastern Oklahoma this morning moves eastward. The rain should be moving in from the southwest by midnight. Rain should be heavier tomorrow, becoming showery by evening. Model predictions call for an inch of rain or more in most of the area; based on recent history, that is a bit overdone. Under a cold southeast to east wind, temperatures will remain in the 40's tomorrow. It appears that this will be mainly a rain event in the Northeast as well, although there could be some snow in southern New England as the storm moves out.
March heat
Today is the earliest date on which 90 degree temperatures have been observed in Washington. That occurred in 1907. The same year also holds the all-time March record of 93 on the 23rd (tomorrow). There is one other March date with a record above 90; that is 92 on the 29th in, guess what, 1907 again. Although 1907 holds the record for 3 consecutive days (85 on the 24th was also a record), that feat was exceeded as recently as 1990, when records were set on 4 consecutive days (89, 87, 86, 81 on the 12th-15th). March in 1907 must have otherwise had some long cold spells; the overall average of 48.8 was only 1.6 degrees above the long-term average, and it was equaled just last year. Tell us in the comments when you think the first 90 degree temperature will occur this year.
Cherry blossom watch
The cherry blossom peak forecast has been updated; the dates remain April 4-9.
After a morning low of 34 (1C), temperatures are mostly in the mid-50's around the Washington metro area at mid-day under sunny skies. It was 57 at 1pm here in Montgomery County. Frederick was also reporting 57, while a southeast wind was holding the Naval Academy to 45. Highs this afternoon should be in the upper 50's to about 60.
This morning's model forecast shows that rain is on the way for tonight as a storm system centered in eastern Oklahoma this morning moves eastward. The rain should be moving in from the southwest by midnight. Rain should be heavier tomorrow, becoming showery by evening. Model predictions call for an inch of rain or more in most of the area; based on recent history, that is a bit overdone. Under a cold southeast to east wind, temperatures will remain in the 40's tomorrow. It appears that this will be mainly a rain event in the Northeast as well, although there could be some snow in southern New England as the storm moves out.
March heat
Today is the earliest date on which 90 degree temperatures have been observed in Washington. That occurred in 1907. The same year also holds the all-time March record of 93 on the 23rd (tomorrow). There is one other March date with a record above 90; that is 92 on the 29th in, guess what, 1907 again. Although 1907 holds the record for 3 consecutive days (85 on the 24th was also a record), that feat was exceeded as recently as 1990, when records were set on 4 consecutive days (89, 87, 86, 81 on the 12th-15th). March in 1907 must have otherwise had some long cold spells; the overall average of 48.8 was only 1.6 degrees above the long-term average, and it was equaled just last year. Tell us in the comments when you think the first 90 degree temperature will occur this year.
Cherry blossom watch
The cherry blossom peak forecast has been updated; the dates remain April 4-9.
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From Variability to Consistency
Matt Ross @ 1:00 AM
The beginning of spring is still a time of great variability in sensible weather. Averages and Norms are truly that, as in reality we still are in a period of time when temperatures can go well above and well below average. However, as we proceed through Spring and into Summer, we gradually move toward a time when this variability is greatly diminished.
Forecast: No real changes from Jason's thoughts yesterday. Unfortunately our 1st week of spring will be a bit disappointing, highlighted by a cold rain overnight tonight into Wednesday when high temps will struggle to get out of the 40's. Next week presents our best opportunity for springlike daytime 60's to attempt to establish as we head into April. In less than two weeks we will have average highs in the low 60's with sunset nearing 8:00PM. Those folks who hate cold and snow will eventually be rewarded. Climatology guarantees it.
If we look at this issue from a monthly standpoint, it also shows that variability decreases as we head into summer and then gradually increases starting in August. The turning points are January and July. January exhibits DC's largest variance in record maximum and record minimum monthly temperatures. In 1918, DC's average January temperature was 23.7 degrees while in 1950, it was 48 degrees. A difference of 24.3 degrees. July, on the other hand, has the smallest difference between record minimum and record maximum monthly temperature. In 1891, the average July temperature was 72 degrees, while in 1993, it was 83.1 degrees, for a difference of only 11.1 degrees. While these are large scale singular examples, they are indicative of increased consistency as we march toward Summer. Unfortunately, as we all know, that consistency often results in persistent heat and humidity.
I noticed that Jason recently mentioned Kocin and Uccelini's phenomenal book on Northeast Snowstorms. I, also, cannot recommend it highly enough for snowlovers. In honor of our first severe weather of the season this past Sunday, I would like to recommend another excellent book, Jerrine and Arjen Verkaik's, Under the Whirlwind. It is a very enjoyable and fascinating look at tornadoes for people of all levels.
A goose hangs out near the Wilson Bridge on an early Spring Day, courtesy of Brett Roberts.
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Monday, March 21, 2005
Mid-day reality check
Steve Scolnik @ 2:00 PM
Current reality
After a cold front moved through late yesterday, we have cooler and drier conditions in the Washington area under partly cloudy skies and northwesterly winds gusting at times over 20 mph at mid-day. Today will be much less exciting than yesterday, with highs in the mid 50's this afternoon and lows in the mid 30's tonight. See Jason's post below for the cool and possibly damp prospects for the rest of the week.
Virtual reality
It's spring, and a young man's fancy turns to . . . storm chasing! Want to chase tornadoes, but hate the inconvenience of severe bodily injury or death? The February 2005 issue of the Bulletin of the AMS reports that the folks at the Iowa State Virtual Reality Applications Center have a deal for you: virtual reality software for simulating severe thunderstorms. The program "represents an instant in time during the mature, roughly steady-state stage of a tornadic supercell." The realistic graphics include a wall cloud and tornado. (There is no word on whether that also includes a flying cow or barn, as in Twister). There are also realistic sound effects, such as the roar of the tornado and hail. A graphical interface can be used to display data on the 3-D values of temperature, pressure, wind, and relative humidity.
The software was originally developed for Linux, and it sounds like the Windoze version is still evolving, but both versions can be downloaded from their site. The download file is rather large at 32MB. (It took 2 hours and 41 minutes at the 3.6KB rate which is all my 37-year-old copper wires can support. rant on Can you hear me now, Verizon? Why did you blanket the neighborhood with promotions for DSL if the service is not actually available? And why is it not available anyway within spitting distance of I-270, the "Technology Corridor"? rant off).
In another form of virtual reality, Doonesbury had an interesting view yesterday on the effects of outsourcing on snow removal services.
After a cold front moved through late yesterday, we have cooler and drier conditions in the Washington area under partly cloudy skies and northwesterly winds gusting at times over 20 mph at mid-day. Today will be much less exciting than yesterday, with highs in the mid 50's this afternoon and lows in the mid 30's tonight. See Jason's post below for the cool and possibly damp prospects for the rest of the week.
Virtual reality
It's spring, and a young man's fancy turns to . . . storm chasing! Want to chase tornadoes, but hate the inconvenience of severe bodily injury or death? The February 2005 issue of the Bulletin of the AMS reports that the folks at the Iowa State Virtual Reality Applications Center have a deal for you: virtual reality software for simulating severe thunderstorms. The program "represents an instant in time during the mature, roughly steady-state stage of a tornadic supercell." The realistic graphics include a wall cloud and tornado. (There is no word on whether that also includes a flying cow or barn, as in Twister). There are also realistic sound effects, such as the roar of the tornado and hail. A graphical interface can be used to display data on the 3-D values of temperature, pressure, wind, and relative humidity.
The software was originally developed for Linux, and it sounds like the Windoze version is still evolving, but both versions can be downloaded from their site. The download file is rather large at 32MB. (It took 2 hours and 41 minutes at the 3.6KB rate which is all my 37-year-old copper wires can support. rant on Can you hear me now, Verizon? Why did you blanket the neighborhood with promotions for DSL if the service is not actually available? And why is it not available anyway within spitting distance of I-270, the "Technology Corridor"? rant off).
In another form of virtual reality, Doonesbury had an interesting view yesterday on the effects of outsourcing on snow removal services.
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The week ahead...
Jason Samenow @ 1:15 AM
It's the first full week of spring, but it may not always feel like it.Today will be springlike, despite the passage of the cold front that dropped hail across portions of the region yesterday late afternoon (see radar image to the right of yesterday's storm). Expect a mix of clouds and sun coupled with a northwesterly breeze, with highs in mid 50s.
On Tuesday, expect increasing clouds ahead of the next storm, with a high near 50. Tuesday night, rain will break out ahead of an area of low pressure to our west. With an area of high pressure to our north funneling down some cold air, it will be a cold rain -- with temperatures dropping into the mid and upper 30s.
Wednesday may well be pretty raw -- with a northeast wind and morning rain, followed by scattered showers in the afternoon. Temperatures may only reach the mid and upper 40s.
Conditions on Thursday should improve, with partial sunshine returning and highs in the mid 50s.
The way it looks now, there is another chance of rain on Friday, with temperatures in the 50s.
Average highs this time of year are in the upper 50s, with average lows near 40. It should be a bit cooler than average on the whole this week.
The return of Mark Mathis
A couple months ago, we showed you video highlights of weathercaster Mark Mathis, notorious for his unorthodox on-air demeanor. We reported that he had been fired by his station in Charlotte, North Carolina due to substance abuse. After a stint in rehab, a station in Grand Junction, Colorado has hired him according to the Charlotte Observer.
Pictured (top right): Radar image of hail producing thunderstorm over eastern Fairfax County yesterday (posted at EasternUSWx.com)
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Sunday, March 20, 2005
Welcome to spring! T-storms late this afternoon
Jason Samenow @ 10:05 AM
**Flash update: Heavy thunderstorms in Fairfax County at 3:35pm**
A thunderstorm with small hail (pea-sized) is moving east into eastern Fairfax County and Arlington. It will affect Washington, DC and PG county between 3:45 and 4:30pm with gusty winds, thunder, lightening, heavy rain and heavy, small hail. Be advised.
Spring officially began this morning and the weather is pretty springlike. We'll see a few lingering showers dissipate by noon, and then mostly cloudy skies this afternoon with a very slight chance of a late afternoon shower. (The National Weather Service forecast includes a mention of a thunderstorm, but I don't think that's particularly likely). Temperatures this afternoon will be in the mid to upper 50s.
Raining weather jobs?
According to this article in the Montreal Gazette, the job market in meteorology is booming in Canada. I'm not sure that would be my assessment of the situation here in the U.S. (job market seems about average), but it's an interesting read.
For those interested in meteorology jobs, here are a few sites that list openings:
American Meteorological Society
National Weather Association
Penn State's Meteorology Job Listings
Image courtesy AccuWeather.com
A thunderstorm with small hail (pea-sized) is moving east into eastern Fairfax County and Arlington. It will affect Washington, DC and PG county between 3:45 and 4:30pm with gusty winds, thunder, lightening, heavy rain and heavy, small hail. Be advised.
Spring officially began this morning and the weather is pretty springlike. We'll see a few lingering showers dissipate by noon, and then mostly cloudy skies this afternoon with a very slight chance of a late afternoon shower. (The National Weather Service forecast includes a mention of a thunderstorm, but I don't think that's particularly likely). Temperatures this afternoon will be in the mid to upper 50s.Raining weather jobs?
According to this article in the Montreal Gazette, the job market in meteorology is booming in Canada. I'm not sure that would be my assessment of the situation here in the U.S. (job market seems about average), but it's an interesting read.
For those interested in meteorology jobs, here are a few sites that list openings:
American Meteorological Society
National Weather Association
Penn State's Meteorology Job Listings
Image courtesy AccuWeather.com
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