Capital Weather Gang - DC area weather blog, news - January 20, 2008

Crashing 'Canes and New Chief

The Discovery Channel program "Smash Lab" will air a new episode all about hurricanes. The Smash Lab teams test whether a special type of carbon fiber used to reinforce tunnels can also be used to hurricane-proof homes. The episode will air tonight at 10pm, Sunday 1/27 at 10am, and Monday...

By Jason Samenow | January 26, 2008; 4:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Government, Tropical Weather
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Free/Low-Cost Classes

Skywarn; climate course; astronomy for non-scientists If you're interested in learning something about meteorology and also performing a public service, the National Weather Service (NWS) has several Skywarn classes scheduled in the metro region. Skywarn is a program through which trained members of the public can become spotters for weather...

By Steve Scolnik | January 26, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Education
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Forecast: Cloudy Saturday, Clearing Sunday

For most weekend plans, the weather should cooperate. With no big storms, getting around will be a breeze whether you're headed to a local ski resort or the mall. Temperatures will be cool, but nothing out of the ordinary for late January. TODAY Dreary but dry. 35-40. Mostly cloudy skies...

By Jason Samenow | January 26, 2008; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Forecasts
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Clipper Sunrise

A sunrise view of the Washington Monument Thursday morning as clouds from an approaching clipper, a weather system originating from Canada, move into the area. Note, the setting moon, which was full two days earlier. Clipper systems usually produce fantastic sunrises and light snowfalls, but this clipper was a...

By Kevin Ambrose | January 26, 2008; 4:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Photography
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CommuteCast: Mid-Winter Chill Continues

Uneventful weather to start the weekend Current DC area temperatures, courtesy Weather Bonk. Map by Google. Refresh page to update. Hover over and click temperatures for more info. Click and hold on map to pan. The final commute home of the week promises to be an easy one, at least...

By Ian Livingston | January 25, 2008; 3:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Forecasts
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What's Happened to January?

Our coldest month -- an average of more than three degrees colder than February, and almost five degrees colder than December -- has been mostly a nonperformer of late. The DC area, as measured at Reagan National Airport, is currently facing its fourth consecutive January of above-average temperatures, and the...

By Matt Ross | January 25, 2008; 11:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Local Climate
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Forecast: A Cold Front True to its Name

Another nippy weekend Behind the cold front that passed through yesterday evening, wind chills in the teens this morning will make you wish you had two scarves on. Sure, winds will slacken by sunset, but temperatures will not rise out of the 30s. A reprieve later in the weekend? If...

By Camden Walker | January 25, 2008; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (15)
Categories: Forecasts
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NOAA's NWS Near Naming New NHC Noggin?

The Orlando Sentinel reported today: "National Weather Service veteran Bill Read likely to be next hurricane chief." This promises to be the final chapter in one of the more unusual bureaucratic dramas in recent history. If named as the permanent director of the National Hurricane Center near Miami, Read would...

By Steve Scolnik | January 24, 2008; 7:35 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Tropical Weather
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CommuteCast: Slight Chance of Snow Showers

Cold and windy overnight After spending the day on the western edge of a forming coastal low, the DC area will begin to clear out as we move through the evening. Precipitation from the coastal low was able to reach the ground as close by as Maryland and Delaware, but...

By Ian Livingston | January 24, 2008; 3:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Forecasts
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Phony Airline Weather Delays?

Tired of spending hours stuck at Dulles and not even getting a voucher for free Potbelly (not that I'm bitter ...) due to so-called weather delays? If you're suspicious weather isn't even the problem, you may be onto something. Elliot.org reports: Do airlines lie about their weather delays? Not only...

By Jamie Jones | January 24, 2008; 11:50 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Links, News & Notes
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Forecast: Close Call With Coastal Low

Storm teases, but snow likely to stay mostly east Call it a tease. Call it a flirt. Either way, odds are an area of low pressure developing off the coast today will track too far east to give the metro area anything more than flurries or snow showers. And if...

By Josh Larson | January 24, 2008; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (27)
Categories: Forecasts
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551.5: Book Nook

551.5 is the Dewey Decimal System classification for meteorology. In his post last weekend, Ground Truth, Andrew points out that seeing is believing: Because climate change "exists beyond our field of vision it's hard to be completely convinced of its existence, and therefore of the necessity of addressing it." Andrew...

By Steve Scolnik | January 23, 2008; 7:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Books, Climate Change
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CommuteCast: No Weather Troubles Today

Questions for tomorrow remain The DC area spent the day in the calm between "storms" and enjoyed plentiful sunshine as temperatures rose a little more than expected -- even into the upper 40s in the city. As evening sets in, temperatures will fall off their highs back into the 30s...

By Ian Livingston | January 23, 2008; 3:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (18)
Categories: Forecasts
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Ranking the Local TV Forecasters

Who's the best of the best? You love 'em. You hate 'em. You rant and rave about them. You praise them for good weather, and blame them for bad. They are your local TV weather forecasters. And four of them have have predicted Washington weather for so long they've become...

By Dan Stillman | January 23, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (98)
Categories: Media
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Another Slim Snow Chance on Thursday

Measurable snow a long shot Next Chance of Accumulating Snow: Thursday Probability: 35% Potential Impact: As with most of the snow threats this winter season, odds favor less snow rather than more....

By Jason Samenow | January 23, 2008; 5:30 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Winter Storms
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Forecast: Weather Pattern Remains Active

But no big storm on the horizon It was around this time last week that Mother Nature flipped the switch on what had been a rather quiet winter. Since then, it seems like we've had a chance of wintry precipitation almost every other day. Yet, the "big one" has remained...

By Dan Stillman | January 23, 2008; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Forecasts
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Climate Corner: Myth-tery Science Theater 2008

One of the major myths of the climate change saga comes in for some major debunking at a session Wednesday of the 20th Conference on Climate Variability and Change, which is meeting in conjunction with the 88th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) this week in New Orleans....

By Steve Scolnik | January 22, 2008; 7:50 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Climate Change, Media
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CommuteCast: Mostly Dry and Continued Chilly

Next shot at snow: Thursday? Earlier showers that were mixed with sleet and snow have now largely moved through the region causing little, if any, travel problems. Cloudiness will continue throughout the area during the evening and a passing shower is still possible. Any precipitation should be short lived, light...

By Ian Livingston | January 22, 2008; 3:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Forecasts
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Alert: Wintry Weather Risk Fading

Latest DC area radar loop, courtesy National Weather Service. Refresh page to update, or click here to expand. The National Weather Service has cancelled the Winter Weather Advisory for the region as temperatures have now risen above freezing throughout. Radar currently shows a broken line of activity to the...

By Ian Livingston | January 22, 2008; 11:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Alerts
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Forecast: Light Wintry Mix Today

Cold pattern tries to hang tough ***A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the entire metro area*** Before folks get too excited about snow in the forecast, understand this is not a major storm. Patchy light snow will probably develop over the area late this morning ahead of an...

By Matt Ross | January 22, 2008; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Forecasts
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Alert: Winter Weather Advisory for Tuesday

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the entire Metro Area for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday: A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION TUESDAY AFTERNOON. IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT...LIGHT SNOW AND SLEET WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA TUESDAY MID-MORNING. SNOW WILL MIX FREEZING...

By Matt Ross | January 21, 2008; 3:21 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Alerts
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For the Love of Snow

Sledding Sunday in Fairfax County. As an adult I still love snow. I know I'm in good company judging from the comments on this blog and other weather Web sites. I'm rather happy that I've held onto my love for snow although I sometimes question why, particularly when I'm stuck...

By Kevin Ambrose | January 21, 2008; 1:45 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Photography
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Forecast: Wind Wanes, Cold Continues

Light mix possible tomorrow Yesterday's bitter winds will take a breather, but cold conditions will hang on for at least another day. Temperatures will moderate somewhat tomorrow -- enough so that rain is more likely than snow as a cold front triggers another round of precipitation. Cold and mostly dry...

By Jason Samenow | January 21, 2008; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Forecasts
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Just How Cold? Take a Guess...

Overnight, temperatures will drop to their lowest levels of the season. How low will they go? Here are my predictions for our three official observing sites: Reagan National Airport (DCA): 14 Dulles International Airport (IAD): 8 Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI): 9 What do you think? And, in the morning,...

By Jason Samenow | January 20, 2008; 10:22 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Extreme Cold
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Freedman: Ground Truth

"Seeing is believing" is a saying that can mean a great deal in life. It is typically used in conversation to refer to something strange that happened that no one would have believed could happen until it actually happened, like a window-washer falling 47 stories and surviving or a penguin...

By Andrew Freedman | January 20, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Books, Climate Change, Freedman, Science
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Forecast: Wind & Cold To Whip Washington

The much anticipated (and dreaded?) cold airmass has arrived. While the cold will be pretty brutal today, it will gradually lose some of its punch in the coming days. TODAY Mostly sunny, windy and cold. 25-30. Don't let the sunshine fool you. Penetrating cold and a biting wind will...

By Jason Samenow | January 20, 2008; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Extreme Cold, Forecasts
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Capital Weather Gang: January 20, 2008 - January 26, 2008