Capital Weather Gang: December 12, 2010 - December 18, 2010

Forecast: Pretty cloudy as storm misses

The chance of snow this weekend is still slated to pass south and east without much fanfare around here. However, we'll see a good deal of clouds today and into tomorrow. Temperatures that have been colder than normal for most of the month continue that way into the near future, and there may be another snow threat a few days off.

CWG's Express & Detailed Forecast

By Ian Livingston  | December 18, 2010; 5:25 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (26)
Categories:  Forecasts  
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Next chance of light snow: Tuesday

As we turn our attention away from a coastal storm that should, at most, bring flurries to the area tonight into tomorrow, we begin to focus on the potential for another light snow event Tuesday.

By Dan Stillman  | December 18, 2010; 12:00 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (35)
Categories:  Latest, Snow Lover's Crystal Ball, Winter Storms  
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Post ombudsman talks weather

In case you missed it, in last Sunday's paper, the Washington Post ombudsman Andrew Alexander offered commentary on the Post's weather strategy: The Post's bid for the weather audience

By Jason Samenow  | December 17, 2010; 7:00 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (5)
Categories:  Capital Weather Gang, Latest, Media  
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PM Update: Tranquil but cold

Today's afternoon temperatures in the mid-to-high 30s were the warmest of the work week. The sunshine that emerged late this morning into the afternoon also started to eat away at our light snow cover. But these temperatures are still well below normal and cold weather continues tonight and beyond...

CWG's Detailed Forecast

By Jason Samenow  | December 17, 2010; 3:30 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (8)
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One year ago: the eve of Snowpocalypse

Three hundred sixty-five days ago the hype was building and grocery store shelves were about to be under siege as the Washington's biggest December snow on record started to organize in the Gulf of Mexico. Let's take a look back at that historic, crippling storm...

By Jason Samenow  | December 17, 2010; 2:00 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (17)
Categories:  History, Latest, Local Climate  
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On-again, off-again Sunday snow is...

...more off again than on again. But anyone who's been following our continuing coverage of this weekend's storm threat knows that even less than 48 hours from the storm's potential start would be too early to give up on it completely.

By Dan Stillman  | December 17, 2010; 11:20 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (33)
Categories:  Latest, Winter Storms  
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Forecast: Continued cold. Any more snow?

We've got a fairly sunny one lined up to aide with melting some of the snow that fell yesterday, yet it's still pretty cold. Highs shoot for the low-and-mid 30s though, which should provide some time above freezing many spots. After that, the clouds come back, but our snow chances for overnight Saturday into Sunday remain somewhat uncertain.

CWG's Express & Detailed Forecast

By Camden Walker  | December 17, 2010; 5:00 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (29)
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Sunday snow threat is back, sort of...

The Snow Lover's Crystal Ball has been murky the last couple of days concerning the possible snowstorm this weekend. The threat seemed to be waning yesterday as computer models seemed to be approaching a no-storm consensus except for several pesky ensemble members (subsets of these models with slightly varied data inputs) that kept screaming "not so fast." This morning's model runs trended back toward a storm suggesting that there is more potential than I may have thought when writing yesterday's post. And so, the CWG has dusted off the old crystal ball which still is a little foggy but providing glimpses of a potential snowstorm that might be bigger than today's if everything comes together perfectly.

By Wes Junker  | December 16, 2010; 8:00 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (48)
Categories:  Latest, Snow Lover's Crystal Ball, Winter Storms  
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D.C. gets first inch; school tomorrow?

Believe it or not, Reagan National Airport (DCA) - also known as D.C.'s snow hole due to its underachieving totals in many storms, received its first inch of snow today.

By Jason Samenow  | December 16, 2010; 7:15 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (20)
Categories:  Latest, Winter Storms  
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PM Update: Snow to wind down but cold

The snow got off to fast and furious start but is now dying a slow death. Much more spotty and less intense than earlier, the snow will continue to dissipate into the evening although a more intense band or two could still pass through until 6 or 7 p.m.. Temperatures are well below freezing so snow that melted during the day may re-freeze as the sun goes down. Much quieter weather arrives tomorrow.

CWG's Detailed Forecast

By Jason Samenow  | December 16, 2010; 3:30 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (19)
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It's snowing & sticking! Up to 2" expected.

The first general snow of the season has arrived in the D.C. area and it has snow lovers saying "Yay!!!" with childish glee, and snow haters saying "yay" with sarcastic dread of the winter to come. We're expecting total accumulations of around 2" in most spots.

By Capital Weather Gang  | December 16, 2010; 2:50 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (63)
Categories:  Latest, Updates, Winter Storms  
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Update: Snow covering metro region

A light powdery snow is now rapidly approaching the metro region. Via our Twitter feed, I'm hearing reports of snow in Fredericksburg, Winchester, and flurries as close by as Woodbridge and Fairfax. Some of the snow you see on radar is virga - i.e. snow that is not yet reaching the ground. But most likely during the 10:00 a.m. hour, flakes will begin to fall throughout the metro region from southwest to northeast. We're still forecasting 1-2" today with less north and more south.

By Jason Samenow  | December 16, 2010; 11:35 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (76)
Categories:  Latest, Updates, Winter Storms  
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Forecast: Snow likely today, unlikely Sunday

The snow today, likely to produce about 1-2", is just about a sure deal while the odds of a "potential" storm Sunday are low. The majority of computer models do not develop the storm until it is well offshore. The real hassle in this weather pattern is the unending well below normal temperatures. Snow or no snow locally, Sunday's storm is still likely to whip up some unpleasant winds.

CWG's Express & Detailed Forecast

By David Streit  | December 16, 2010; 6:30 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (71)
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Snow update: Timeline, Impacts, and FAQs

With only one or two inches likely (less north of town, maybe up to 3" south of town), tomorrow's storm is far from a blockbuster. But the light, powdery snow predicted to fall may cause some minor disruptions.

By Jason Samenow  | December 16, 2010; 6:30 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (19)
Categories:  Latest, Winter Storms  
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PM Update: Still cold, waiting on snow

Today was not quite "calm" before the storm, but winds and cold did ease slightly. Temperatures that had trouble reaching freezing today will fall back well into the 20s overnight, as light snow advances toward the area prior to sunrise. We're keeping our fingers crossed on the commute. However, snow should be arriving between 7 and 10 a.m. and 1-3" is possible during the day.

CWG's Detailed Forecast

By Ian Livingston  | December 15, 2010; 3:40 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (37)
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What are your snow predictions?

We've now told you that we're favoring 1" or so tomorrow, and giving very low odds of big snows this weekend. But what do you think?

By Jason Samenow  | December 15, 2010; 2:30 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (2)
Categories:  Capital Weather Gang, Latest, Winter Storms  
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Weekend snow threat down, not out

The potential for a significant snowstorm this weekend is slipping away but there remains enough uncertainty to keep a close eye on the models and forecasts.

By Wes Junker  | December 15, 2010; 1:30 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (25)
Categories:  Latest, Winter Storms  
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Snow threat up, 1 or 2 inches possible tomorrow

The Capital Weather Gang has been discussing two separate snow threats on the horizon over the past two days. The snowfall event for tomorrow is crystallizing based on the latest guidance. The storm still is expected to be a minor one. However, the probability of an accumulation of an inch or two is quite a bit higher than was expressed in Jason's blog yesterday.

By Wes Junker  | December 15, 2010; 11:17 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (15)
Categories:  Latest, Winter Storms  
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Federal leave for severe weather revamped

With temperatures plummeting and flurries spotted across the Washington area in recent days, the Obama administration is mandating that the government allow more federal employees to telework during severe weather.

By Ed O'Keefe  | December 15, 2010; 10:36 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (2)
Categories:  Government, Latest, Winter Storms  
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Forecast: Chill persists, chance of snow Thurs.

Yesterday's high at Reagan National only topped out at 28 degrees. And with yesterday's average wind speed of 18.2 mph, it was a painful cold. I don't believe any day over the next week will top yesterday's temperature misery index, but the cold along with snow chances Thursday and this weekend dominate this unusually wintry weather story.

CWG's Express & Detailed Forecast

By Matt Rogers  | December 15, 2010; 5:00 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (26)
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Deep freeze in deep South

While it's been brutally cold in the mid-Atlantic and northeast over the last several days, the coldest weather with respect to average has been occurring in the South. Many locations set or tied record lows this morning.

By Jason Samenow  | December 14, 2010; 7:30 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (12)
Categories:  Extreme Cold, U.S. Weather  
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PM Update: Frigid through tomorrow

What a windy, bitter cold day. Winds have been howling out of the northwest, sustained as high as 25-30 mph. When you combine that with temperatures only rising to the mid-20s most spots, you've got a recipe for wind chills that have not gotten out of the teens today that drop further when the sun sets. Winds relax tomorrow a little, but it's still very cold.

CWG's Detailed Forecast

By Ian Livingston  | December 14, 2010; 5:45 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (5)
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Double trouble? Tracking two snow threats

After taking a look at the latest computer model simulations, it's inevitably time to dust off the 'ole Snow Lover's Crystal Ball (SLCB). As a reminder, we issue the SLCB when we identify at least a 30% chance for accumulating snow more than one or two days away. In today's edition, we have two events that meet that criteria - one Thursday and one Sunday. The Sunday event has the potential to be the bigger snow producer of the two.

By Jason Samenow  | December 14, 2010; 12:45 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (85)
Categories:  Latest, Snow Lover's Crystal Ball  
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Recap: Lake enhanced snow streamers dust D.C.

Mother nature keeps finding new ways to make it snow in 2010. Last night, the District and Montgomery county received a dusting to about half an inch of snow from snow showers which originated over Lake Erie.

By Jason Samenow  | December 14, 2010; 11:00 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (13)
Categories:  Latest, Recaps, Winter Storms  
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Forecast: Woeful wind through Wednesday

So here we are with yet more very cold and very windy conditions. They last until Wednesday. A slight chance of snow comes Thursday followed by sunshine but still colder-than-normal temperatures Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, there is another small risk of snow.

CWG's Express & Detailed Forecast

By Matt Rogers  | December 14, 2010; 8:55 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (27)
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Scoop on wind & winter weather advisories

Late overnight, the National Weather Service issued two advisories for parts or all of the metro region: The Winter Weather Advisory was issued for the District and Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George's and Anne Arundel county until 9 a.m. for snow showers that mainly impacted the region overnight. The Wind Advisory was issued for the entire metro region and is in effect through 10 p.m. tonight.

By Jason Samenow  | December 14, 2010; 8:45 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (4)
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PM Update: Cold, wind, and a flake or two

Following this morning's light snow, today's stories have been cold and wind. And those are stories that roll on for at least a few more days. While we probably won't see any more accumulating snow right away, some flakes could be in the air thanks to moisture being swept up off the Great Lakes in the windstorm and transported this direction.

CWG's Detailed Forecast

By Ian Livingston  | December 13, 2010; 11:50 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (27)
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Charting 36 wind-chilled hours

The cold is here and it means business. For the next 36 hours, the wind chill index is unlikely to surpass 15 degrees. Early Tuesday and Wednesday mornings the index tanks into the single digits -- to as low as 5 degrees.

By Jason Samenow  | December 13, 2010; 7:30 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (9)
Categories:  Extreme Cold, Latest  
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Analyzing pre-Christmas snow odds

Some readers may have heard rumors of a possible snowstorm this Thursday and another around December 19th from reading various weather chat forums. Others may be wondering: what are chances of a white Christmas? I'll start off by discussing the odds of getting a white Christmas from a strictly climatological perspective (using data provided to me by Ian Livingston) and then will discuss what the models are suggesting about the upcoming period leading up to Christmas.

By Wes Junker  | December 13, 2010; 1:15 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (31)
Categories:  Latest, Winter Storms  
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With climate change, long-term trends are key

As the start of the New Year rapidly approaches, you're going to hear conflicting news about whether 2010 was the warmest year in the instrumental record. The first salvo has already been fired. On Friday, NASA reported that the "meteorological year" spanning from December 2009 to November 2010 was the warmest in that agency's 131 years of record keeping. Never mind that the meteorological year is relevant only to meteorologists - the news still made headlines.

By Andrew Freedman  | December 13, 2010; 10:45 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (28)
Categories:  Climate Change, Freedman, Latest  
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Forecast: Wicked cold winds & snow showers

Blustery winds and temperatures 15 degrees below average chill the region through Wednesday. The cold lingers through the second half of the week but isn't as biting. Snow chances today are limited to flurries/showers with prospects after that murky but worth paying attention to.

CWG's Express & Detailed Forecast

By Jason Samenow  | December 13, 2010; 9:45 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (20)
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Winter weather advisory expires

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for most of the metro region until 9 a.m. Light snow showers, with an occasional moderate burst, are moving through the metro region. A quick dusting of snow is possible. Temperatures are hovering right around freezing, so a few slick spots are possible - especially on ramps, bridges and overpasses.

By Jason Samenow  | December 13, 2010; 9:10 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (16)
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Snow shower chance around a.m. commute

An energetic upper level disturbance trailing the cold front moving through this evening may spin up some snow showers late tonight into Monday morning. The chance of snow showers is only 30-40% but should they develop, icy spots could form on roadways as temperature fall back to around 30 late tonight (upper 20s in the colder suburbs to 32 downtown) - mainly after 2 a.m.. If it's snowing when you awaken tomorrow morning, exercise caution on the roads. Locations that see snow could get a dusting.

By Jason Samenow  | December 12, 2010; 6:00 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (18)
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Incredible video: Metrodome roof collapses

Video of roof collapsing in Metrodome after Saturday's blizzard in Minneapolis.

By Jason Samenow  | December 12, 2010; 2:00 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (7)
Categories:  Latest, U.S. Weather  
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Metrodome roof fails after Minneapolis blizzard

Nearly a foot and a half of snow fell in Minneapolis Saturday, causing the roof of the Metrodome to collapse. The blizzard's crippling snow and wind made for difficult to impossible travel in much of southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin and parts of the Dakotas. Today the same storm is producing blizzard-like conditions in Chicago

By Jason Samenow  | December 12, 2010; 12:10 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (27)
Categories:  Latest, U.S. Weather  
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Forecast: Mild rains followed by cold, flurries

Mild temperatures, gusty winds, and periods of rain can be expected today. But when the front passes through tonight, temperatures quickly drop, possibly paving the way for some snow showers or flurries. Don't expect much though, as the major effects of the front are more wintry chill and blustery winds as we head into the work week.

CWG's Express & Detailed Forecast

By Brian Jackson  | December 12, 2010; 5:00 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (26)
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SkinsCast: Damp, but not too cold

An approaching cold front likely generates some showers. Some mild air ahead of the front means temps are not bad - mainly in the upper 40s.

By Jason Samenow  | December 12, 2010; 1:15 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Categories:  SkinsCast  
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