Capital Weather Gang - DC area weather blog, news - May 23, 2010

Forecast: Hot heading into Memorial Day

Clouds and occasional showers today mark an underwhelming start to the holiday weekend. On the bright side, we get this gloomy stuff out of our system today, paving the way for drier air and considerable sunshine tomorrow and Memorial Day. But it does turn hot with temperatures up around 90 with increasing humidity.

By Jason Samenow | May 29, 2010; 6:40 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Forecasts
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StrasCast: On schedule... kind of

* Our Full Forecast | Weather Wall | NatCast | Nationals Journal * Like many Washingtonians, we at Capital Weather Gang are looking forward to Stephen Strasburg's imminent entrance onto the D.C. sports scene, and are wondering if we might hold the "golden ticket" to his first major league start....

By Jamie Jones | May 29, 2010; 3:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: NatCast | Tags: Baseball, Nationals, Pitcher, Schedule, Strasburg, syracuse, washington nationals
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UnitedCast: Diminishing shower chances, mild

* Our Full Forecast | Weather Wall | Soccer Insider * United vs. Chivas USASaturday May 29, 7:30 p.m., RFK Stadium KickoffFinal WhistleWeatherChance of RainMid-70sLow 70sChance of showers40%A few showers should still be around this evening, but should be starting to decrease in coverage and intensity. Temperatures are pleasant holding...

By Jason Samenow | May 29, 2010; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: UnitedCast
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PM Update: Some more rain through tonight?

The high heat and humidity of the last two days has temporarily been replaced by a cooler, yet still muggy marine air mass today. Highs reaching the mid-70s this afternoon look to be the coolest we'll see for a while as warm temperatures are set to return soon. After all the rain last night, most places have stayed relatively dry during the daylight hours today. The risk of showers or storms returns this evening and lasts into the night, though some spots may remain dry.

By Ian Livingston | May 28, 2010; 3:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (19)
Categories: Forecasts
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Don't Fry Day: Today and every day

We don't need to live in Arizona or Australia to be exposed to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays, plenty of which can pass through even mostly cloudy skies. And we don't need to have experienced sunburn to get skin cancer. The Friday before Memorial day is Don't Fry Day, a sun safety awareness campaign of the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency.

By Ann Posegate | May 28, 2010; 11:30 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Health, Posegate
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Forecast: Cooler & gray today, then slowly nicer

A new air mass, courtesy of a "back door" cold front that came in from the north last night, gives us a cloudy and much cooler day than yesterday. While it won't be a washout, shower and storm chances may affect some afternoon and evening outdoor plans for those getting an early start to the holiday weekend. Clouds persist until sunshine makes a comeback Sunday along with warmer temperatures. Memorial Day looks "classic" in the sunny & hot sense, with highs threatening 90 again.

By Camden Walker | May 28, 2010; 11:25 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Forecasts
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Strong to severe storms possible overnight

Heat hit us again in a big way today, and now the stage is set for potential big storms as well. Some activity beginning to fire up to our north, up in Pennsylvania, will rush southward the rest of the afternoon into this evening, while other cells may form in and around the area. Any storms that do form will have plenty of fuel to feed off of after today's sunshine, and whatever passes through could be severe.

By Ian Livingston | May 27, 2010; 11:35 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (49)
Categories: Forecasts
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StrasCast: Future starts getting cloudy?

* Our Full Forecast | Weather Wall | NatCast | Nationals Journal * Like many Washingtonians, we at Capital Weather Gang are looking forward to Stephen Strasburg's imminent entrance onto the D.C. sports scene, and are wondering if we might hold the "golden ticket" to his first major league start....

By Jamie Jones | May 27, 2010; 3:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: NatCast
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Severe Thunderstorm Watch for metro region

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

By Capital Weather Gang | May 27, 2010; 1:45 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Forecasts, Updates
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Video: Angry weather caller

* Flash Flood Watch late today/tonight: CWG's Full Forecast * Who knew "Criminal Minds" had such passionate fans?......

By Capital Weather Gang | May 27, 2010; 1:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Humor
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A cirrus and contrail display

* Flash Flood Watch late today/tonight: CWG's Full Forecast * A beautiful display of cirrus clouds and contrails in the northern sky over Oakton, Va., on Wednesday morning. Occasionally, we get a weather show not associated with storm clouds, lightning or hail, but with fair weather clouds. On Wednesday morning,...

By Kevin Ambrose | May 27, 2010; 10:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Photography
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Forecast: Steamy day sets stage for thundery night

The only comforting thought about the sweltering today is that it'll be gone tomorrow! The problem is that dislodging this heat requires a cold front and that may mean some strong thunderstorms later today. The cooling comes at a price as we'll be socked in with clouds and showers tomorrow. Part of Saturday and all of Sunday are worth the wait, both promising to be mild with sunshine returning. Memorial Day marks the start of summer in style with above normal temperatures and the return of humidity under a bright sun.

By David Streit | May 27, 2010; 10:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Forecasts
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PM Update: Heat and humidity clobber region

TThe sun made a pretty solid return today, though there are still some lingering clouds out and about. Temperatures are climbing to and past the highest levels we've seen since the first days of the month as highs reach the upper 80s and low 90s. Good news for people wanting a little more spring? We're already halfway through this summer preview, though tomorrow's part two is looking a little more intense on both the heat and humidity side.

By Ian Livingston | May 26, 2010; 3:20 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Forecasts
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StrasCast: Predicting the start... and the weather

* Our Full Forecast | Weather Wall | NatCast | Nationals Journal * Like many Washingtonians, we at Capital Weather Gang are looking forward to Stephen Strasburg's imminent entrance onto the D.C. sports scene. Of course, like many of you, we're interested if we hold the "golden ticket" to his...

By Jamie Jones | May 26, 2010; 2:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: NatCast | Tags: Baseball, Nationals, Pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, Strasburg, syracsue, washington dc weather, washington nationals, Weather
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When a drought is not a drought

Despite recent rains, actual precipitation has been somewhat below normal here since February. Most of us, however, would not construe the current weather pattern as anything close to being a "drought." We tend to reserve that term, along with the expected heat and humidity, for use during the summer. But although we usually experience at least one or two rainless stretches each summer, does the long-term average really substantiate summertime drought here? The answer may surprise you.

By Don Lipman | May 26, 2010; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Droughts, Lipman, Local Climate
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Forecast: Heat & humidity arrive for two-day stay

The heat and humidity really get going over the next couple days with downright tropical air in on us tomorrow. All that moisture in the atmosphere translates into an isolated storm chance this evening and a better chance of showers and storms by late tomorrow and Friday. As for the holiday weekend, we're not ready to make any rock-solid guarantees, but things do look encouraging for less humid conditions with decreasing rain chances.

By Dan Stillman | May 26, 2010; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Forecasts
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UnitedCast: Warm welcome for storied soccer club

We'll be on the lookout for an isolated thunderstorm or two around the D.C. area through the evening. Only a 20% chance that a storm manages to find the stadium area, but it's possible.

By Dan Stillman | May 26, 2010; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: UnitedCast
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PM Update: Clouds finally break as heat heads in

We're finally seeing some real breaks in the overcast deck this afternoon and it should be only the beginning of some "much needed sunshine" following our recent period of gloomy skies. Unfortunately for cool-weather fans, our May without 90s (so far) is looking like it won't want to finish that way.

By Ian Livingston | May 25, 2010; 3:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Forecasts
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Revolving doors in TV Weather

It's quite the fluid time in the world of TV Weather. Last week, meteorologist Bob Ryan made his debut at ABC7 (WJLA) after 30 years at rival NBC4 (WRC). But there is other significant shuffling happening on both the local and national television weather scene.

By Jason Samenow | May 25, 2010; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Media, News & Notes
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Forecast: More sun with warming temperatures

At this point in late May, the weather patterns in the Mid-Atlantic have a tendency to fluctuate between spring and summer weather. This frequently offers some meteorological heartburn in forecasting the Memorial Day holiday weekend. So what is on the agenda this time around? Well, we do see a round of summer-like weather arriving by tomorrow with heat and humidity, but it looks like the weekend could get the cooler spring weather treatment overall and much more importantly, it is looking mostly dry. Check below for more details.

By Matt Rogers | May 25, 2010; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Forecasts
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PM Update: Clouds linger a little longer

Here we are again, waiting on a slow-moving system to fully depart. On a happy note, temperatures are on the rise and are now reaching highs in the mid-70s most spots. Add in a few breaks in the clouds and the light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter.

By Ian Livingston | May 24, 2010; 3:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Forecasts
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Hurricane chimp's cheap shot at climate science

Are poor hurricane season forecasts a reason to doubt climate science? A conservative Washington think tank believes the answer is yes, and they are using a monkey -- pardon me, "Dr. James Hansimian" -- to prove it. (The monkey's name, by the way, is a dig at well known NASA climate scientist James Hansen, who incidentally does not forecast hurricanes).

By Andrew Freedman | May 24, 2010; 11:30 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (43)
Categories: Climate Change, Freedman, Science
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Forecast: Showers to dissolve, dry weather nears

We can say our goodbyes today to the pesky disturbance that brought downpours, humidity, and gray skies for a sizable chunk of the weekend. It may give us a shower or two today on its way out, but beginning tomorrow, we transition to a sunnier and drier weather pattern. This pattern should extend through the holiday weekend - though showers or thunderstorms may briefly re-appear late Thursday.

By Jason Samenow | May 24, 2010; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Forecasts
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Forecast: Clouds linger into Monday

While we got lucky for the majority of yesterday and partly sunny skies held out through the mid-afternoon, we won't be so fortunate today. An upper level disturbance gets an assist from some easterly flow -- enough to keep us in the clouds with scattered showers through most of the day. With no strong high pressure to build in behind this system, we'll stay in an unsettled pattern through midweek. While chances for rain will be on the low side tomorrow through Wednesday, we may not be able to break out into clear, blue skies.

By Brian Jackson | May 23, 2010; 4:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (45)
Categories: Forecasts
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NatCast: Showers likely

* Our Full Forecast | Weather Wall | Nationals Journal * Nationals vs. OriolesSunday, May 23, 1:35 p.m., Nationals Park First Pitch9th InningWeatherChance of RainUpper 60sLower 70sShowers likely80%The battle of the beltway's conclusion will be a soggy one. While they'll likely get the game in, light showers will make rain...

By Brian Jackson | May 23, 2010; 5:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: NatCast
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Capital Weather Gang: May 23, 2010 - May 29, 2010