Archive: News & Notes
Remarkable fall storm showed links to El Niño
* Full Forecast | October recap | This week: Our Winter Outlook * Snowfall amounts from Oct. 27-29 in north and northeast Colorado. Courtesy of NOAA/National Weather Service. Two images capture a remarkable storm that dumped record snow last week...
By Andrew Freedman | November 3, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (9)
Global warming poll finds puzzling trend
* D.C. Area Forecast | Enter our photo contest * A recent climate change poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press has spawned collective head-scratching in the media, including with yours truly. The poll found...
By Andrew Freedman | October 26, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (25)
For climate activists, '350' is a call to action
Weekend events in D.C. and worldwide * Sunshine now, but for how long? Full Forecast | Earthquake weather * The Maldives government holds a recent cabinet meeting underwater to call attention to threats posed by climate change. Credit: AFP/Ho. As...
By Andrew Freedman | October 21, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (20)
Record Cold Exposes Climate Misconceptions
* Highs in the 40s? Our Full Forecast | October is Great (Usually) * If record summertime heat waves mean that climate change may already be affecting us, does an early-fall cold snap mean the opposite? An early surge of...
By Andrew Freedman | October 14, 2009; 10:40 AM ET | Comments (40)
Another Slapshot in Climate 'Hockey Stick' Faceoff
* Full Forecast | Autumn Activities | Reasons to Love Fall * Hockey stick chart from the 2001 IPCC Third Assessment Report, showing Northern Hemisphere surface temperatures (departures from the 1961-1990 average, in degrees Celsius) of the past 1,000 years....
By Andrew Freedman | October 5, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (38)
Wear a Condom... Save the Planet?
* Our Full Forecast | NatCast | Reflecting on Hurricane Gloria * As if the climate debate wasn't hot enough, now sex is part of it too. According to recent studies, family planning programs such as distributing condoms could be...
By Andrew Freedman | September 29, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (9)
Obama Needs to Give a Climate Speech - ASAP
President Obama delivers a speech. White House photo 2/9/09 by Pete Souza. Courtesy WhiteHouse.gov At this point in their presidency, which president -- George W. Bush or Barack Obama -- had made three climate science speeches or statements, including one...
By Andrew Freedman | September 1, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (60)
Climate Change and the Scary Jellyfish Scourge
* Hot and humid: Full Forecast * A Chrysaora jellyfish. Image courtesy NOAA. This summer has seen its share of odd climate change-related science stories. A running theme has been changes in the size and abundance of species as a...
By Andrew Freedman | August 3, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (40)
Summer 2009: Northwest Sizzles, Texas Withers
* Severe T-Storm Watch: Full Forecast | A Good Time to Watch Clouds * * Outside Now? Radar, Temps, Clouds & More: Weather Wall * The idiosyncratic summer of 2009 continues, with the Pacific Northwest experiencing an extremely unusual heat...
By Andrew Freedman | July 31, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (9)
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)
University Release Misleads Media on Climate
* Moisture Moves Back Into Town: Full Forecast | NatCast * "Global warming: our best guess is likely wrong," declared the headline of a press release from Rice University in Texas last week. The release, concerning a study on an...
By Andrew Freedman | July 20, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (15)
Hearing Today on Controversial Flight Safety Plan
Proposal would consolidate aviation weather forecasters * Hello, Humidity: Full Forecast | NatCast | Wind Farms & Weather * * Federal Eye: More Storm Clouds for FAA-Weather Service Plan * Coverage area of the Washington D.C. Center Weather Service Unit....
By Andrew Freedman | July 16, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (4)
Weather Channel Launches New Morning Show
The Weather Channel's Stephanie Abrams, co-host of the new program "Wake Up with Al" with the Today Show's Al Roker. * Some Hot Days Ahead: Full Forecast * The Weather Channel debuts its newest show a week from today, "Wake...
By Andrew Freedman | July 13, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (2)
Think Tank Reverses Course on Climate Lobbying
* Related Story: The Sureness of Global Warming Skeptics * When the Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based free-market think tank, sponsored a conference of climate change skeptics in D.C. earlier this month, it directly contradicted the group's assertion that it was...
By Andrew Freedman | June 18, 2009; 01:15 PM ET | Comments (2)
VORTEX2 Turns Heads in Tornado Alley
* Chance of showers, then drier & cool: Full Forecast * One of the Mobile radar units, an X-Band Mobile Radar, scanning a storm on June 4. By Andrew Freedman. During the five weeks ending this past weekend, the scientists...
By Andrew Freedman | June 15, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (4)
MIT Climate Study Garners More Attention
* Forecast: Warm Sunshine | NatCast | CWG Summer Outlook * A study in the latest edition of the peer reviewed scientific publication the Journal of Climate shows that, absent effective greenhouse gas emissions reductions, climate change is likely to...
By Andrew Freedman | May 21, 2009; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (21)
Renaming Climate Change - Does it Matter?
* Full Forecast: Gradually Warmer | NatCast * Global warming. Climate Change. Anthropogenic [man-made] climate change. Climate disruption. Voldemort. These are the most popular terms, in descending order, which are currently used to refer to the recent phenomenon of increasing...
By Andrew Freedman | May 18, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (23)
Scientists Suggest Re-framing Emissions Goals
* Cool and damp, but dry weather to return: Full Forecast * "Climate scientists have begun to feel like a bunch of Noahs - thousands of Noahs," University of Victoria in British Columbia climate scientist Andrew Weaver told the British...
By Andrew Freedman | May 11, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (11)
Social Science Uncovering New Climate Angles
* Rainy Start to Week: Full Forecast * Every time I am asked if I "believe in global warming," I am reminded of the communications challenge that faces us when confronted with complex issues such as climate change. As detailed...
By Andrew Freedman | April 20, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (18)
Climate Extreme Reporting Presents Challenges
Linking global warming and weather a sticky issue * Increasing Clouds, Rain Tonight: Full Forecast | NatCast * Two recent extreme events - record flooding in Fargo, North Dakota, and deadly drought-related wildfires in southern Australia - have again highlighted...
By Andrew Freedman | April 13, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (33)
NY Times Climate Story Stirs Controversy
NASA's Hansen clashes with famous physicist on climate * Dry Start to Work Week: Full Forecast | Later: Blossom Photos * Sunday's New York Times Magazine cover story, "The Civil Heretic," on prominent physicist Freeman Dyson's stance on climate change...
By Andrew Freedman | March 30, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (36)
Bob Ryan Challenged to Climate Change Debate
NBC 4 Chief Meteorologist Bob Ryan, who recently wrote a lengthy online series of articles on global climate change that was covered here, has earned praise from a prominent environmentalist, and scorn from a Department of Energy worker who challenged...
By Andrew Freedman | March 17, 2009; 10:15 AM ET | Comments (167)
Heartland Institute Criticizes CWG's Climate Post
* And Yet Another Gray Day: Full Forecast * In response to my March 11 story "Dueling Climate Meetings Aim to Steer Policy," the Capital Weather Gang (CWG) received the following message from Joseph Bast, the president of the Chicago-based...
By Andrew Freedman | March 16, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (49)
Weather Channel Founder Talks Climate 'Scam'
* Wind-Chilled Friday, Weekend Flakes? Our Full Forecast * GOOD Magazine has an illuminating interview with San Diego TV weatherman and Weather Channel founder John Coleman, who is an outspoken critic of mainstream climate science. Coleman doubts that humans are...
By Andrew Freedman | February 20, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (71)
2008 Was Warm, But Coolest Since 2001
* Warming Up? Full Forecast | Inauguration: Staying Warm Wasn't Easy * In light of the recent record-breaking cold snap that has gripped much of North America and Europe, it seems more appropriate to write about an impending ice age...
By Andrew Freedman | January 21, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (30)
Ex-Bush Official Lautenbacher Joins AccuWeather
* Full Forecast | Weekend Winter Weather Cancel? * Former NOAA Administrator Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher Jr. The Bush administration's longtime point person on weather and ocean issues, Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., has joined the board of directors at AccuWeather...
By Andrew Freedman | December 18, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
Hotel Savings a Reason to Root for Cold
* Warming Up: Full Forecast | Going Out? Check Temps: Weather Wall * Many hotel guests in Fairfax County were probably quite happy about yesterday's cold temperatures. As part of a Visit Fairfax and Weatherbug promotion, their Saturday rate was...
By Dan Stillman | December 14, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (2)
Where Will Obama Lead NOAA?
Weather and oceans agency awaits new head * Late-Week Storm? Full Forecast * Given the incoming Obama administration's emphasis on tackling global climate change and restoring scientific integrity in policymaking, federal science agencies that had taken a back seat under...
By Andrew Freedman | December 8, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Solid Start to Mid-Atlantic Ski Season
Good snow-making temperatures, and actual snow to boot * Light Snow Late Saturday? Local Forecast | Redskins-Ravens Forecast * Ski Conditions: Current mid-Atlantic ski conditions. Powered by Ski Bonk. Map by Google. Hover over and click icons for lift, trail...
By Dan Stillman | December 5, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Politico Falls Into Climate Coverage Trap
Outspoken critics of mainstream climate science briefly celebrated last week when the online political news outlet Politico published two articles that asserted there is a "growing accumulation of global cooling science" that may stymie passage of climate change legislation in...
By Andrew Freedman | December 2, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (15)
Weather Channel Cuts Earn Mixed Reviews
Word that NBC had fired a handful of on camera meteorologists at The Weather Channel and canceled the network's only climate change news program struck a nerve with many Capital Weather Gang readers, who commented in droves during the weekend...
By Andrew Freedman | November 24, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (24)
NBC Fires Weather Channel Environmental Unit
Some on-camera meteorologists also let go * New (11/24) commentary: Weather Channel Cuts Earn Mixed Reviews * NBC Universal made the first of potentially several rounds of staffing cuts at The Weather Channel (TWC) on Wednesday, axing the entire staff...
By Andrew Freedman | November 21, 2008; 05:00 PM ET | Comments (303)
The Candidates on Climate Change Science
Unlike the two most recent presidential elections, when there were stark differences between the candidates' views on climate science and policy, this year three of the four candidates for president and vice president agree with the scientific consensus on climate...
By Andrew Freedman | October 6, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (21)
Stormy Science: Hurricanes and Climate Change
The recent string of tropical cyclones that have struck the United States has showcased the nation's vulnerability to nature's most powerful storms. Last week Hurricane Ike nearly played out as a worst-case scenario for Galveston and Houston, Texas, and New...
By Andrew Freedman | September 16, 2008; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (5)
Freedman: Weather Almanacs Grapple with Warming
As the field of meteorology becomes more sophisticated, with technologies like phased-array radar and petascale computers, there are still some stalwarts who prefer to rely instead on offbeat techniques to predict the weather far in advance. Although most scientists deride...
By Andrew Freedman | September 15, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Freedman: In-flight Magazines and Polar Bears
Ah yes, the dog days of summer, when even the CNN news crawl seems to slow to an actual crawl. This is the time of year when it's fun to pick out a few stories that might otherwise sail past...
By Andrew Freedman | August 11, 2008; 10:39 AM ET | Comments (7)
Local Weather Conference: July 18-19
Louis Uccellini, Director of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, speaks at the 2006 Eastern U.S. Weather Conference. By Capital Weather Gang photographer and EasternUSWx.com co-founder Ian Livingston. On July 18 and 19, the 4th annual Eastern United States Weather...
By Ian Livingston | July 13, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Gas Pains: A Perfect Storm?
Think gas prices are too high already? Friday morning CNBC reported on the likely impact of even the threat of a hurricane strike on energy prices (additional report, including a tour of Shell's real-time operations center here). After two seasons...
By Steve Scolnik | June 3, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (1)
Bangladesh's Example for a Post-Nargis World
Tropical Cyclone Nargis, which exacted a staggering human toll on the politically isolated and poor country of Myanmar, has demonstrated once again that there is an urgent need for a more robust infrastructure in developing countries for issuing and disseminating...
By Andrew Freedman | May 14, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (35)
Freedman: Sale May Improve The Weather Channel
In this era of media company layoffs and mergers, perhaps it was only a matter of time before The Weather Channel (TWC) was put up on the auction block. But while its loyal viewers should view the potential sale of...
By Andrew Freedman | April 14, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Freedman: The Price of Al Gore's Climate Battle
To a climate change contrarian, Al Gore is a one-man axis of evil. By publicizing the dangers of global climate change, and now launching one of the most expensive and far-reaching issue advocacy campaigns of at least the past several...
By Andrew Freedman | April 7, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (246)
Freedman: Climate Change Low on Public Agenda
The American public does not view global climate change as a top tier problem facing the country today, according to a recent Gallup poll. The poll found that "the economy in general" topped the list, followed by the Iraq War...
By Andrew Freedman | March 31, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (11)
News & Notes: Southeast Tornado Outbreak
Last night's tornado in Atlanta: Significant damage occurred in downtown Atlanta, including to Georgia Dome and at CNN Center. See: Tornado Trashes Atlanta from CNN.com Tornado that struck Atlanta last night was 200 yards wide and cut a path six...
By Jason Samenow | March 15, 2008; 04:49 PM ET | Comments (2)
News & Notes: Atlanta Tornado and More
CNN: Tornado sweeps through Atlanta. See also from the Associated Press via Washington Post: Atlanta Braces for Another Severe Storm NOAA: Coolest Winter Since 2001 for U.S., Globe NY Times: Deadline Nears for Weather Channel Bids Weather.com Blog: Memories of...
By Jason Samenow | March 15, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (9)
News & Notes: Wind, Ohio Snow & Bob Ryan
It's been a windy week! After clocking a hurricane force 74 mph gust Tuesday, Reagan National Airport recorded a 60 mph gust yesterday. Gusts of 50-70 mph were widespread yesterday. See also: 80,000 Lose Power in Burst of Wind, Hail...
By Jason Samenow | March 9, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
Freedman: To Be Renovated
In a small corner of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, past the dinosaur exhibit with its throngs of stroller-pushing tourists and beyond the Dinosaur Cafe that sells overpriced salads, lies an exhibit on ice ages that proclaims that...
By Andrew Freedman | March 3, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Watch Out: Weather Warnings Could Change
Confused by the sometimes dizzying array of watches, warnings and advisories issued by the National Weather Service in advance of and during winter storms? You're not the only one. The National Weather Service itself is proposing to "simplify and clarify...
By Dan Stillman | February 29, 2008; 11:15 AM ET | Comments (30)
News & Notes: Md. Snow, Va. Ice, D.C. Q&A
Today's News & Notes takes us on a brief tour of Maryland, Virginia and D.C.: Maryland: MarylandWeather.com reminds us here in the D.C.-Baltimore area that snow is so close, yet so far: Parts of Western Maryland "have seen 25 accumulating...
By Dan Stillman | February 27, 2008; 07:00 PM ET | Comments (26)
News & Notes: Freedman Moves to Monday
Columnist Andrew Freedman, whose column was regularly featured here on Sundays, will switch to Mondays starting tomorrow. A variety of material will fill his Sunday slot including original weather photography, short (and fun) news items (such as below), questions from...
By Jason Samenow | February 24, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
Freedman: Super Tuesday Spin
Tornado outbreak competes for Super Tuesday attention It was a tough decision on Tuesday evening of what story to follow more closely: the presidential primaries or the unfolding tornado tragedy in the South. As of early this morning, the death...
By Andrew Freedman | February 7, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
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...
By Jamie Jones | January 24, 2008; 11:50 AM ET | Comments (0)
News & Notes: Geek me out!
Tracking weather while in transit; Science of cold on PBS tonight As if your cell phone didn't provide enough reason to ignore the road while driving, DC-based XM Satellite Radio announced Sunday that they will debut the first-ever real-time in-vehicle...
By Steve Scolnik | January 8, 2008; 06:15 PM ET | Comments (7)
