Capital Weather Gang - DC area weather blog, news - May 2, 2010

Forecast: Cool air streams in for windy weekend

A strong cold front blasting through the region this morning puts an abrupt halt to the summery weather we've had so far in the month of May. Temperatures which had been mostly in the 80s tumble to the wintry 40s by late tonight as strong winds this afternoon usher in unseasonably cool air. The chilly, windy conditions persist through Mother's Day before some moderation early next week.

By Jason Samenow | May 8, 2010; 4:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Forecasts
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NatCast: Feeling the breeze

* Our Full Forecast | Weather Wall | Nationals Journal * Nationals vs. MarlinsSaturday May 8, 1:05 p.m., Nationals Park First Pitch9th InningWeatherChance of RainLow 70sUpper 60sWindy10%The shower threat will likely have passed before the game, but winds should pick up during the game (chance of gusts over 30 mph)....

By Jason Samenow | May 8, 2010; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: NatCast
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PM Update: Great start to the weekend

Cold front arrives Saturday with big winds and cooler air * Kids' solutions to air pollution | Tropical trouble this season? * * Outside now? Temps & more: Weather Wall | NatCast * One thing bad about this weather: It is hard to describe in a new way every day......

By Ian Livingston | May 7, 2010; 3:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Forecasts
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Kids' solutions to air pollution

When it comes to inspiring solutions to air pollution, we adults could learn a thing or two from kids. Clean Air Partners, a regional nonprofit partnership that advocates and educates for cleaner air in the D.C.-Baltimore area, recently announced the winners of its annual student poster contest. According to Rebecca Davis, education program manager for the partnership, "the purpose of the poster contest was to educate students about the solution to air pollution and climate change by integrating science and art," in addition to celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

By Ann Posegate | May 7, 2010; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Education, Environment, Posegate, Wx and the City
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Forecast: Warm into Sat., then windy & cooler

First off, Friday = fantastic. Saturday won't be too bad either. Just the threat of a brief shower or thundershower. Then come the winds later Saturday through Sunday. And we'll all notice the markedly cooler 60s on Sunday. Though 60s persist into early next week, the winds will subside. As for humidity, breathe easy -- except for a brief rise late tonight into tomorrow morning, lower dew points reign for the foreseeable future.

By Camden Walker | May 7, 2010; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (15)
Categories: Forecasts
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Natcast: Fantastic weather to host The Fish

Spectacular game weather. What better place to take it all in than down at the park!

By Camden Walker | May 7, 2010; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: NatCast
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PM Update: Gusty winds subside this evening

Another batch of 'nice' tomorrow; Weekend cooldown * 'Be air aware' this week | Tropical trouble this season? * * Outside now? Temps & more: Weather Wall | NatCast * The string of nice days rolls on. Today we added some wind and lowering humidity as a cold front ushers...

By Ian Livingston | May 6, 2010; 3:25 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Forecasts
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'Be air aware' this week

Sunday kicked off Air Quality Awareness Week, an annual observance by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Weather Service to encourage citizens to "be air aware." It couldn't come at a better time.

By Ann Posegate | May 6, 2010; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Environment, Posegate
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Forecast: Sunshine and warmth double up

The next two days are setting us up for a fall! We will be spoiled with above normal temperatures and none of that nasty humidity that had us ratcheting up the A/C over the weekend. However, a major league cold front will put an end to all the fun bright and early on Saturday. We could be greeted by a thunderstorm or two early Saturday morning but they will quickly be gone and a very windy day will ensue. The real chill arrives on Sunday and Monday with readings at least 10 degrees below normal.

By David Streit | May 6, 2010; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Forecasts
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NatCast: Perfect evening for a perfect game

* Our Full Forecast | Weather Wall | Nationals Journal * Nationals vs. BravesThursday May 6, 7:05 p.m., Nationals Park First Pitch9th InningWeatherChance of RainMid-70sLower 70sClear and dry5%A beautiful evening for a game with mild temperatures, low humidity and light breezes. NatCast appears on the day of every Nationals...

By David Streit | May 6, 2010; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: NatCast
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PM Update: Weather stays mostly pleasant

Slight chance of showers late Thur; Mild through Sat * Tropical trouble this season? | Grading our winter outlook * * Outside now? Temps & more: Weather Wall | NatCast | UnitedCast * Another day full of sunshine and low humidity has graced the area. Highs are now settling into...

By Ian Livingston | May 5, 2010; 3:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Forecasts
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2010 Hurricane season outlooks: Tropical trouble

Nearly unanimously, forecasts for the 2010 hurricane season are calling for a very active one. This shouldn't be too surprising given that we've seen this advertisement over and over again in recent years. While on the surface unreliable and at closer inspection possessing very little skill, these forecasts can provide a sense of large-scale features upon which hurricane formation most depends and draw some valid conclusions. So rather than disregard them, a sensible approach is to use these early forecasts with caution - as the forecasters who make them advise.

By Greg Postel | May 5, 2010; 11:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Tropical Weather
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Forecast: Nice weather with only a few flaws

May is off to a warm start, after an April that finished nearly 5 degrees above normal at Reagan National, and shows no signs of significant cooling until Sunday into early next week. In the meantime, humidity stays mostly in check as plenty of sun makes for a pleasant Wednesday and Thursday. Late Friday into Saturday presents the only real shower/thunderstorm threat through the forecast period, but for now it's hard to say how substantial the threat will be.

By Dan Stillman | May 5, 2010; 10:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Forecasts
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NatCast: Playin' ball in the pleasant 70s

Pretty much a perfect evening for baseball as temperatures cool through the 70s under mostly to partly clear skies.

By Dan Stillman | May 5, 2010; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: NatCast
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UnitedCast: Great weather... so how 'bout a win?

Can't blame the weather if the United doesn't get its first league win tonight. It's hard to imagine more pleasant conditions.

By Dan Stillman | May 5, 2010; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: UnitedCast
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PM Update: Maybe a shower, then days of dry

Lots of clear skies and warmth through Friday * Grading our 2009-2010 Winter Outlook | The last snow of winter * * Outside now? Radar & more: Weather Wall | NatCast * Humidity took a tumble today but the warmth remained. Under mostly sunny skies and a moderate west wind,...

By Ian Livingston | May 4, 2010; 3:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Forecasts
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We grade our 2009-2010 Winter Outlook

As the area's biggest snow piles finally bite the dust, let's look back at this historic winter and grade our 2009-10 Winter Outlook released in early November.

By Matt Ross | May 4, 2010; 12:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Capital Weather Gang, Local Climate, Winter Storms
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Unbelievable: Still snow at BWI...

The final trace of the record 2009-2010 winter season appears ready to finally melt away at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI Marshall). A large snow pile located behind the Hourly Garage at BWI Marshall Airport will likely completely melt this week.

By Jason Samenow | May 4, 2010; 10:30 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Local Climate, Winter Storms
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Forecast: Some sun and lower humidity

After our course of muggy Monday soup (yes, a sultry summer appetizer), the cooler breezes these next few days offer a refreshing reprieve. We should still see above-normal daytime highs (in the 80s), but the drier dew points will be much more comfortable and the evenings actually cool. But look for that humidity to fight its way back onto the menu by late this week. There is even a chance to make a run at 90 again on Friday.

By Matt Rogers | May 4, 2010; 10:30 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Forecasts
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Natcast: Nice evening for the Nats

* Our Full Forecast | Weather Wall | Nationals Journal * Nationals vs. BravesToday, 7:05 p.m., Nationals Park First Pitch9th InningWeatherChance of Rain76-7870-72Partly cloudy10%Some afternoon and early evening clouds are possible, but skies should trend more clear towards the second half of the game. NatCast appears on the day...

By Matt Rogers | May 4, 2010; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: NatCast
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PM Update: Cold front brings humidity relief

Warmth persists through the work week * Could oil slick hitch a ride out of Gulf of Mexico? * * Outside now? Radar & more: Weather Wall | CWG T-Shirts * A cold front passing through the area this afternoon will bring an end to the very high humidity of...

By Ian Livingston | May 3, 2010; 3:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Forecasts
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Could oil slick hitch a ride out of Gulf of Mexico?

With an unknown quantity of oil still gushing from the severed pipeline at the depths of the Gulf of Mexico, the oil slick on the surface seems to be slowing its advance toward the coastline -- at least for now.

By Andrew Freedman | May 3, 2010; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Environment, Freedman, Tropical Weather
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Forecast: Showery start to warm week

We've now reached the point in spring when cold fronts come through, high temperatures don't always take a big hit. For example, the cold front passing through the region today (responsible for the rainy forecast) won't markedly drop temperatures tomorrow. In fact, for much of the week we'll see daytime highs at or above 80. Not until late in the weekend will a cold front pack enough of a punch to drop highs back into the 70s or cooler.

By Jason Samenow | May 3, 2010; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Forecasts
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Forecast: Summertime swelter, storm risk tonight

For the second week in a row, severe weather threatens our region to finish out the weekend. Most of today will stay "dry" but with the heat and humidity, you probably won't. Near-record temperatures play the opening act for some possible storms late but mainly after dark. Sporadic shower and t'storm chances remain in the forecast through at least tomorrow.

By Brian Jackson | May 2, 2010; 7:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Forecasts
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Capital Weather Gang: May 2, 2010 - May 8, 2010