Archive: Local Climate
October recap: A month with meaningful moisture
* Sun to slowly emerge: Full Forecast | This week: Our Winter Outlook * Wet autumn leaves last week. By CWG photogapher Kevin Ambrose. At Reagan National Airport (DCA), October marks the fifth cooler than average month in the last...
By Jason Samenow | November 2, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Fall foliage update: peak conditions arrive
Wx and the city * Rain relents: Full Forecast | Autumn rain photos | Photo contest * The latest fall regional fall foliage update, courtesy the Foliage Network (this is a week old and we will insert new one as...
By Ann Posegate | October 28, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (3)
After the deluge: The cold, hard local climate facts
* Four days of sunshine: Full forecast * Rain made for a soggy situation at the North Point vs. Westlake football game Friday night, but fans came prepared in Waldorf, Md. Photo Credit: Freelance Photo The recent bout of cold...
By Jason Samenow | October 19, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
October Offers Fall's Finest (Usually)
* Sun today, but clouds, rain coming: Full Forecast * A beautiful fall October day in Adams Morgan Sunday. By CWG's Ian Livingston. Weatherwise, the month of October is a transitional month for Washington. While the average high and low...
By Don Lipman | October 13, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (2)
Winter Weather Hype Here & In High Gear
* Full Forecast | Climate Hockey Stick Debate * Heavy snow falls near Wisconsin Avenue in Washington, D.C. March 1, 2009. By CWG photographer Ian Livingston. Tomatoes are still ripening on their vines, leaves have barely begun to fall, and...
By Jason Samenow | October 6, 2009; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (16)
September Recap: Dry with Typical Temps
* Shower Threat on Saturday: Full Forecast | Redskins Forecast * The latest U.S. Drought Monitor for the region. The National Weather Service Office in Sterling, Va. has issued its monthly summaries for our region's major reporting stations. They tell...
By Jason Samenow | October 2, 2009; 01:30 PM ET | Comments (2)
Grading Our 2009 Summer Outlook
* Weekend Rain... When? Full Forecast | NatCast * Even though it still felt very warm and humid this week as we commenced astronomical autumn, there is no delaying the inevitable changing of the seasons. Summer by any measure is...
By Matt Ross | September 25, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
D.C. Rain Linked to Intensity of Hurricane Season?
* Cooler Friday, Wet Saturday: Full Forecast | NatCast | UnitedCast * Latest U.S. Drought Monitor. Have you noticed the lack of rain lately? Our rainfall deficit since July 1 is almost 5", and "abnormally dry" conditions are closing in...
By Jason Samenow | September 24, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
An Inch of Rain - What Does it Mean?
A rain gauge. Image courtesy NASA. Although the definition of "an inch of rain" sounds simple enough--rainfall totaling one inch in some sort of measuring cup--what an inch of rain really stands for is sometimes not always clear. When I...
By Don Lipman | September 15, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (1)
A Hot and Dry August for the Region
* Showers Here to Stay: Full Forecast | NatCast | UnitedCast * During August, temperatures were well above average while precipitation was lower than average across the region. Thanks to the National Weather Service Office in Sterling, Va. for these...
By Jason Samenow | September 9, 2009; 12:45 PM ET | Comments (1)
Making Hotter Augusts Not Quite as Hot in D.C.
Wx and the City * Cool Down Is Here: Full Forecast | Hurricane Tracking Center * The abundance of paved surfaces in urban areas often leads to temperatures several degrees warmer than in nearby rural locations. The so-called Urban Heat...
By Ann Posegate | August 31, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (23)
July Recap: After Cool Start, Summer Gets Real
* Heat on Horizon: Full Forecast | NatCast | Later: Life of a T-Storm * July's unusually cool and comfortable beginning might have had members of the Real World house in Dupont Circle thinking, "Hey, summer in D.C., not so...
By Dan Stillman | August 6, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (1)
It's Not the Heat...
Debunking misconceptions about humidity * Finally, Some Rain? Full Forecast | NatCast | D.C.'s Lightning Rod * * Outside Now? Radar, Temps & More: Weather Wall | Lightning Map * Photo courtesy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unless you've...
By Don Lipman | July 23, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
A Cool Summer Here, But Not Everywhere
* Our Full Forecast | NatCast | D.C. A Summer Sweet Spot * Recent astronaut photograph of Mount Tambora Volcano, whose 1815 eruption was linked to the 1816 "Year Without a Summer." This year, there's no volcano to blame for...
By Andrew Freedman | July 22, 2009; 10:40 AM ET | Comments (19)
Record Low Dew Point Last Week?
* Showers? Full Forecast | NatCast | Dew Points for Dummies * In this delightful D.C. summer, we've had numerous swell days with dew points in the 50s or lower. As a reminder, whenever dew points are in the 50s...
By Jason Samenow | July 21, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
D.C. - A Sweet Spot for This Summer's Weather
* Oppressive Humidity Still a No-Show: Full Forecast * * Farms Adjust to Wet Weather | El Nino and Hurricanes * Blissfully perplexed by our recent stretch of sensational summer weather (minimal rain and below average temperatures daily so far...
By Jason Samenow | July 10, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
June Recap: Another Wet Month
* Nice Start to Week: Full Forecast * Rainfall (in inches) during the April-June period the last two years compared to average at Reagan National Airport (DCA). Although not as extreme as May, June 2009 continued the trend of wetter...
By Don Lipman | July 6, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (13)
Poll: How Many 90-degree Days?
* Hot, Sticky Weather Coming: Full Forecast | NatCast * In the June through August period, the D.C. area averages 31 90-degree days. So far in June, we've had only one day hit 90 or higher (June 2, which hit...
By Jason Samenow | June 23, 2009; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (6)
A Year Without a Summer?
* Saturday Storms Follow Fair Friday: Full Forecast | NatCast * By Don Lipman, Volunteer Contributor When your grandfather tells you that both winters and summers are not what they used to be, he was probably correct, but not the...
By Capital Weather Gang | June 19, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (11)
Juicy June Primes Area for Flash Flooding
* Severe T-Storm Watch til 8 PM | Flash Flood Watch til 4 AM Friday * * Full Forecast | NatCast | San Francisco's Summertime Stratus * With the seemingly daily barrage of storms, June rainfall totals at local reporting...
By Capital Weather Gang | June 11, 2009; 01:30 PM ET | Comments (11)
Strong Storms Douse Region with Rain
Deadly lightning, large hail, possible tornado reported * Flood Watch From This Afternoon Through Tomorrow Afternoon * * Full Forecast | NatCast | UnitedCast | Lightning Kills Va. 12-Year-Old * For the second time in as many weeks, torrents of...
By Jason Samenow | June 4, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (7)
Not Your Typical May - Or Was It?
* Warm Followed by Showers/Storms: Full Forecast | NatCast * By Don Lipman, Guest Contributor If you're an outdoor tennis enthusiast, as I am, there wasn't much to cheer about last month. We didn't set any monthly rainfall records and...
By Capital Weather Gang | June 2, 2009; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Summer Outlook: Less Hot Than Recent Years
* Forecast: Warm Sunshine | NatCast | D.C.'s New Stormwater Fee * Despite a somewhat cool May, the heat and humidity that epitomizes summer in the D.C. metro area is an inevitable reality. As such, we present our annual Summer...
By Matt Ross | May 21, 2009; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Drought Down & Out; Pollen Poised to Return
* Full Forecast: Drier Times Ahead | Weather & Swine Flu * Joggers run yesterday morning past floodwalls that were raised along the Potomac River in Georgetown. When not threatened, the walls are lowered down to the walkway level out...
By Dan Stillman | May 8, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Recap: A Mild and Wet April
* Warmer But Wet: Full Forecast | NatCast * The National Weather Service in Sterling, Va. released its climate summary for April yesterday. Here are a few highlights from the Reagan National Airport (DCA) summary: Temperatures finished the month 0.9...
By Jason Samenow | May 5, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (5)
Heat Wave Leads to "Weather Whiplash"
* Heat Wave Continues: Full Forecast * In light of last week's topsy turvy temperatures in the D.C. area and other parts of the country, I would like to propose that a new term be added to the meteorological lexicon:...
By Andrew Freedman | April 27, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (6)
The Cutoff Low - Quenching our Thirst
* Rain, Rain, Rain: Full Forecast * The cutoff low (about 20,000 feet up in the atmosphere or at 500mb), depicted by the big circle in the center of each map panel, will plod eastward, producing unsettled weather for the...
By Jason Samenow | April 14, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (10)
Grading Our 2008-09 Winter Outlook
* Showery Tomorrow: Full Forecast | Will Misleads on Climate * An early-March snowstorm made cross-country skiing possible on the Mall. But the 5-8" of snow wasn't enough prevent the D.C. area from finishing winter with well below-average snowfall. By...
By Matt Ross | April 9, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (7)
March in Review: Cool and Very Dry
* Some April Showers: Full Forecast | Blossom Bloom Dates & Poems * March will go down in the record books as the second cool month of 2009 (joining January), finishing just over a degree below average at Reagan National...
By Jason Samenow | April 1, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (5)
Moderate Drought for D.C. Metro Area
Rainy period a real relief * Rainy Afternoon & Evening: Full Forecast | Owning the Weather * Latest U.S. Drought Monitor maps for Maryland and D.C. (top) and Virginia (bottom), released today. April showers have arrived early, and it's none...
By Dan Stillman | March 26, 2009; 11:15 AM ET | Comments (6)
Today in Weather History: Snow in 1990
* Full Forecast * Once late March arrives and average high temperatures are around 60 degrees, it's easy to forget it can snow this time of year. Just 19 years ago on this date, the region received 1-6" of heavy,...
By Jason Samenow | March 24, 2009; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (3)
The Wildest Temperature Swings
* Sunny Weekend: Full Forecast | How Meteorologists Tell Time * You may remember my post from about 10 days ago when I documented some of our greatest March temperature swings. In that post, I showed that earlier in the...
By Jason Samenow | March 20, 2009; 12:45 PM ET | Comments (1)
March Temperature Swings Gone Wild
* Forecast: Cool Today, Gone Tomorrow | Moon's Effect on Hurricanes * The scene by the Capitol just a week ago yesterday. By CWG photographer Kevin Ambrose Between Tuesday and Saturday last week, the high temperature at Reagan National Airport...
By Jason Samenow | March 10, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (10)
Dry Fall and Winter a Prelude to Drought?
* Warming up: Full Forecast | Warming Projections Rise * For four, going on five consecutive months, precipitation has been below average. Not since September, when the remnants of tropical storm Hanna drenched the region, have we experienced a wet...
By Jason Samenow | February 24, 2009; 10:15 AM ET | Comments (2)
Snow Drought Approaching Record Levels
* Some Flakes Tomorrow? Full Forecast * This winter, I've written several pieces (here and here and here) about how the long-term trends in snowfall show a decline in the Washington-Baltimore region. And with only 2.0" of snow so far...
By Jason Samenow | February 17, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (37)
'My Face Hurts It's So Cold'
* Bitter Chill Now, Sunday Snow? Full Forecast | Inauguration Forecast * It case you hadn't noticed, it's really cold outside. Local Twitter users are chronicling the scene, and most don't seem too thrilled. At least a couple of people...
By Mike McPhate | January 16, 2009; 11:10 AM ET | Comments (7)
A Treasure Trove of U.S. Weather Records
Climate Warming Reveals Itself on Web Site * Calm Before the Cold: Full Forecast | InaugurationCast * By Robert Henson If you're a climatology connoisseur like me, and you haven't yet seen the "U.S. Records" site provided by NOAA's National...
By Jason Samenow | January 12, 2009; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (5)
Top Five Local Weather Events: 2008
Wx and the City * Full Forecast * Earlier this week, guest contributor Robert Henson ran down his selection of the top 10 (1-5, 6-10) U.S. weather events of 2008. But what about the year's most memorable D.C. area weather...
By Ann Posegate | December 31, 2008; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (1)
What's Causing Snow to Decline Locally?
The answer may lie in Atlantic weather pattern * Rain & Warmth Tomorrow: Full Forecast | Snow Lover's Crystal Ball * The long-term trend in snowfall locally is decidedly downward, as I demonstrated in our Winter Outlook. I speculated the...
By Jason Samenow | December 9, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Local TV Winter Outlooks, Part II
Capital Weather Gang's Winter Outlook | Short-term forecast | SkinsCast A week ago, I summarized NBC4's and FOX5's winter outlooks which generally called for near-average winter snowfall. Since then, ABC7's and WUSA9's outlooks have been released as well as Justin...
By Jason Samenow | November 29, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (2)
A Cold Snap Fiercer Than Recent Januarys
How cold was it last Tuesday through Sunday? Colder than it's been in January most of the time the last three years! The average temperature over those six days (Nov. 18-23) was 35. Here are the number of days the...
By Jason Samenow | November 25, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
In Focus: Local Snowfall Trends
* A Blustery Day: Full Forecast * In last week's Winter Outlook, we wrote about the long term downward trend in snowfall in the District. Some of our more astute readers pointed out the District's "official" observing station -- located...
By Jason Samenow | November 25, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Local TV Winter Outlooks, Part I
The Chilly Forecast | Weather Channel Firings Shortly after we issued our winter outlook last Wednesday, NBC4 and Fox 5 issued their winter outlooks. Watch Bob Ryan recap NBC4's winter outlook in the video below. Keep reading for a recap...
By Jason Samenow | November 23, 2008; 05:25 PM ET | Comments (2)
2008-09 Capital Weather Gang Winter Outlook
Does D.C. snow continue its decline? * Q&A Transcript: Matt Ross, Outlook Lead Forecaster | Near-term Forecast * For local snow lovers, it's the sorry truth: average seasonal snowfall has been dropping and dropping fast over the past 120 years....
By Capital Weather Gang | November 19, 2008; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (36)
You Tell Us: How Much Snow this Winter?
I've already posted about a half dozen or so winter outlooks that have been issued for our area. If you missed these summaries, you can find them in our archive in the Local Climate category. Before we release our winter...
By Jason Samenow | November 16, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (15)
History of Inauguration Day Weather
Courtesy whitehouse.gov Inauguration Day is Jan. 20, and the hype is well underway. We here at Capital Weather Gang haven't refined our 69-day forecasting tool to the point of perfection -- yet. But until we get closer to the event,...
By Dan Stillman | November 12, 2008; 01:30 PM ET | Comments (1)
October Climate Wrap-up
Remember those beautiful stretches of weather last month, with sunny, dry days and cool, crisp nights? Let's take a look back at October to see how it stacks up in the weather record books at some local observing stations: *Reagan...
By Capital Weather Gang | November 11, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (1)
Winter Outlooks Gone Wild
A flurry of winter outlooks have been released by meteorologists who participate in the EasternUSWx.com forums and elsewhere over the last week. For the D.C. metro area, most of them call for a cold December followed by average to...
By Jason Samenow | November 7, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (1)
Mad Meteorologist Predicts Winter Mayhem
Add Meteorologist Henry Margusity of the AccuWeather.com's Meteorological Madness blog to the list of forecasters predicting a snowy winter for our area. Writes Margusity: I think the I-95 corridor folks from Richmond to Boston could finally have the snowstorms...
By Jason Samenow | October 21, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (13)
AccuWeather Calling for Cold Winter in the East
A wintry scene on the Mall. By Capital Weather Gang photographer Kevin Ambrose. Last week, AccuWeather's Chief Long-Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi issued his 2008-2009 winter outlook. The outlook calls for an "overall colder and snowier" winter compared to the last...
By Jason Samenow | October 14, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Grading Our Summer Outlook
The dark blue line represents long-term average high temperatures between June 1 and September 21 (spanning both meteorological and astronomical summers). The purple line shows the actual 2008 daily high temperatures. After a warm end to September, we are finally...
By Matt Ross | October 1, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Local Forecaster Sees Cold, Snowy Winter
A snowy scene at the Capitol, March 7, 2007. By Capital Weather Gang photographer Kevin Ambrose. Now that summer is officially over, winter is no longer hopelessly in the future for cold weather fans and snow lovers. With the release...
By Jason Samenow | September 23, 2008; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (20)
Recap: Summer 90 Degree Days
Back in May, we asked Capital Weather Gang readers to predict how many 90 degree days there would be at Reagan National Airport (DCA) during meteorological summer (which spans June 1 to August 31). The results are here: more at...
By Jason Samenow | September 16, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (7)
Recap: July Weather was Nearly Normal
By Charlie Wilson, Guest Contributor As we take a look back at July, one thing is clear: there was little in the way of unusual weather across the region. No huge heat waves, no record cold ... just characteristic, muggy...
By Capital Weather Gang | August 10, 2008; 11:05 AM ET | Comments (0)
Where are the Veggies?
"...this year the crops are at least two weeks behind schedule in some parts of Maryland because of massive rainstorms and cold weather this spring." From today's Post article: "Farmers Who Once Longed for Rain Now Swamped With Crop Problems"...
By Jason Samenow | July 25, 2008; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (0)
June Recap: Spectacularly Stormy
Storm reports in Md. during June. Courtesy NOAA's Storm Prediction Center What did June 3, 4, 7, 10, 14, 16, 18, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, and 30 have in common at Reagan National Airport (DCA)? Thunderstorms occurred on all...
By Jason Samenow | July 1, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (8)
D.C. Not the Only City Sweating it Out
Washington isn't alone when it comes to sweaty weather. In fact, it's pretty far from the top -- No. 48 -- according to Old Spice's annual ranking of America's sweatiest cities. Yeah, I know... kind of hard to believe for...
By Dan Stillman | June 28, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (7)
Independence Day Indicators
Does it seem like there's always rain on the 4th of July? The answer is practically yes in recent years. During three of the last four years we've had rain, and in each case thunderstorms during the 5 p.m....
By Jason Samenow | June 26, 2008; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (0)
May Finishes Second Wettest on Record
In last night's area forecast discussion for the metro area, the National Weather Service reported: FOR REAGAN NATIONAL THE TOTAL RAINFALL FOR THE MONTH OF MAY IS 10.66 INCHES. THIS IS JUST THREE HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH BEHIND THE RECORD...
By Jason Samenow | June 1, 2008; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Capital Weather Gang's 2008 Summer Outlook
It's almost June, and those hazy, hot, humid days are just around the corner. Alas, our 2008 summer outlook is here. The task of doing a summer outlook is no easy one. First, with few exceptions, summer in the D.C....
By Matt Ross | May 28, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (9)
How Many 90 Degree Days This Summer?
In recent decades, Reagan National Airport has averaged about 31 90+ degree days during June, July, and August. That's about one every three days. Dulles and BWI Airports have averaged 24 and 25 such days, respectively. Before our summer outlook...
By Jason Samenow | May 27, 2008; 12:35 PM ET | Comments (16)
More on NOAA's Summer Outlook
Last week, I wrote about how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center's (CPC) summer outlook could be more transparent. Specifically, I criticized CPC's outlook map, which paints the metro area in orange -- suggesting HOT --...
By Jason Samenow | May 27, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
NOAA: It Could be Hot This Summer
Probability of above average temperatures this summer. Credit: NOAA If you think the above headline is vague, you're onto something. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center (CPC) recently released its updated 90-day summer outlook and it...
By Jason Samenow | May 20, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Drought is Down, but not Totally Out
Latest drought statistics released 24-hour rainfall totals, in inches, ending 8 a.m. Monday. Courtesy National Weather Service. I am sure many readers remember the headlines of last summer when the word drought was on the menu for the first time...
By Matt Ross | April 24, 2008; 11:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
What Happened to Below-Normal Temperatures?
Despite a several-day stretch of below-normal temperatures, April is still running over a degree above normal, and warmer weather toward the end of this week should push us even higher. If April finishes above normal, it will mark the 12th...
By Matt Ross | April 16, 2008; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
April 1994: Spring with a Vengeance
Sure, the current weather is a bit chilly. But overall, through one-third of the month, April temperatures have averaged more than two degrees above normal. This is in sharp contrast to April of last year, which was the coldest in...
By Matt Ross | April 13, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
April Weather: Both Appalling and Amazing
When most people think about April weather, I would bet what comes to mind is beautiful sunshine, blooming flowers, the onset of warm temperatures as well as a few tame showers (hence the saying "April showers brings May flowers"). What...
By Jason Samenow | April 1, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Shoveling Out From a Snow Job
At a recent dinner seminar that I attended, upon hearing that I was a Capital Weather Gang member, an otherwise respectable appearing gentleman asked me how global warming could be occurring in light of the "record-breaking cold winter." I must...
By Steve Scolnik | March 28, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (20)
Spring is Here, But Snow Hope Springs Eternal
By Steve Tracton Robins cruising around the yard. Crocuses emerging from the ground. Winter clothing clearance sales. Outdoor sidewalk dining. Snowbirds returning from Florida. Blaring sound and spewing fumes of lawn mowers. Pollen allergy sneezing and wheezing. Cherry blossoms and...
By Capital Weather Gang | March 22, 2008; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Freedman: The Winter That Was (Everywhere Else)
The winter of 2007-8 served as a reminder for much of the country, and indeed much of the world, that despite the starring role now being played by global warming, Old Man Winter has not completely exited the stage. In...
By Andrew Freedman | March 17, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
D.C. March Heat Waves: The Big Four
Unfortunately, folks looking forward to an early spring will have to wait a bit longer. While we will certainly see oscillations in the weather, there are no indications of extreme or extended heat over the next couple weeks. But that...
By Matt Ross | March 12, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Is It Still Winter?
By Steve Tracton Considering today's weather - providing a taste of both spring and winter - the answer to this question of season may not be as obvious as the response to the old Groucho Marx query, "Who is buried...
By Capital Weather Gang | March 8, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (46)
The Cold and Snowy Reversal of March 1960
By the end of February 1960, D.C. area cold and snow lovers were probably feeling a lot like their contemporaries do this winter. All three winter months finished with temperatures above average, and there was no measurable snow until Feb....
By Matt Ross | March 5, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
Are We in a Snow "Drought?"
As we sit at only 4.9 inches of snow for the season, many snow lovers are likely wondering the same thing: When are we going to get another good winter? While the past several winters haven't been awful for...
By Matt Ross | February 27, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (20)
Some Drops in the Bucket
Moderate drought continues, especially south of the Potomac Month-to-date % of normal precipitation, from National Weather Service. Click image to enlarge. Rainfall amounts from today's showers have been generally light across the area, with totals around 0.1" through late afternoon....
By Steve Scolnik | February 26, 2008; 07:00 PM ET | Comments (12)
"Huge Snowfall Shuts Down D.C. Area"
Floral St. in Washington, Feb. 19, 1979. Click image to enlarge. (Photo © Washington Post, via WeatherBook.com.) The greatest snowstorm in more than half [a] century left the Washington area smothered under at most two feet of snow yesterday...
By Steve Scolnik | February 19, 2008; 06:30 PM ET | Comments (33)
Where's the Snow? Ask a Badger
By guest contributor Bob Henson It's been a varied winter thus far in the D.C. area, with everything from freezing rain this week to thunderstorms a few days before. But snow lovers are craving the real thing (a possibility later...
By Capital Weather Gang | February 17, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (17)
Today in Weather History: Feb. 14 vs. Jan. 14
As we noted last month, January 14, statistically speaking, is virtually allergic to snow. That's not the case for today's date, however. The February 14 daily snowfall record of 4.9" in 1885, while far from the overall February daily record...
By Steve Scolnik | February 14, 2008; 06:30 PM ET | Comments (0)
El Niño Update: La Niña Strengthens
Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature deviations from average, courtesy the Climate Prediction Center. Click on image to enlarge. The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center released the latest monthly El Niño update today. If you're happy with the winter...
By Steve Scolnik | February 7, 2008; 07:00 PM ET | Comments (21)
Super Soaker: Record Rain Recap
This morning's showers, while generally minimal across the metro area (a couple hundredths of an inch), helped add to a nice surplus for February built up from Friday's record-setting rainfall. The regional 24-hour precipitation map (popup image) ending 7...
By Steve Scolnik | February 4, 2008; 07:00 PM ET | Comments (5)
Yesterday's Record Breaking Rains
Based on the rainfall observed at Reagan National Airport (DCA) yesterday, it was the wettest February day at the airport since the President's Day snowstorm in 2003. 2.06" of rain fell more than doubling the previous daily record of 0.92"...
By Jason Samenow | February 2, 2008; 04:30 PM ET | Comments (7)
La Niña Could Limit February Snow
As January comes to a close, the DC area has seen only two snow events this winter. Dec. 5 and Jan. 17 combined to drop 4-8 inches of snow across the metro area, which is 20 to 40 percent less...
By Matt Ross | January 30, 2008; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Area's Drought Continues
Moderate precipitation deficit persists into 2008 Chart by Capital Weather Gang. Click on image to enlarge. While enough to get you wet without rain gear, today's semi-springlike showers have done little to dampen the impact of a prolonged dry spell...
By Steve Scolnik | January 29, 2008; 07:00 PM ET | Comments (8)
Our Warm-up in Perspective
For the last two days, Jason's been writing about the end of our current cold spell. I've done some number crunching, with the help of several computer models, and it looks like the high/low temperature over the coming week will...
By Josh Larson | January 28, 2008; 07:00 PM ET | Comments (9)
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...
By Matt Ross | January 25, 2008; 11:15 AM ET | Comments (11)
Snow Starvation
The January "Snow Hole" There's never enough frozen precipitation in Washington for the confirmed snow lovers, but they were up against a formidable obstacle for the latest rain event last night into this morning: the January 14 "snow hole". As...
By Steve Scolnik | January 14, 2008; 07:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Freedman: Another Strange Year
Is the weather getting stranger or is it just me? More people asked themselves this question in 2007, as temperatures edged ever upward. This was, after all, the year when battling global warming turned into a worldwide social and political...
By Andrew Freedman | January 13, 2008; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Records Fall
The new record highs for today... National: 73 (breaks the old record of 69 set in 1998) Dulles: 70 (breaks the old record of 69 set in 1998) BWI: 70 (breaks the old record of 67 set in 1998) Why...
By Steve Scolnik | January 8, 2008; 05:29 PM ET | Comments (6)
