Archive: Photography
Foliage photos: Reflections of autumn in D.C.
* A mostly bright week: Full Forecast | Best of Sesame Street weather * Sunrise Nov. 7 at the Tidal Basin. I made a couple trips around the area earlier this month to photograph foliage. The color seemed to be...
By Kevin Ambrose | November 16, 2009; 12:45 PM ET | Comments (5)
Going over Great Falls in a kayak
* A mild Halloween. Showers? Full Forecast | CWG's photo contest * A man goes over Great Falls in a kayak. This is one of five photos in a sequence. Last Saturday, I went to Great Falls to photograph the...
By Kevin Ambrose | October 30, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Autumn Rain at Great Falls
* Autumn rain today: Our Full Forecast | Enter our photo contest * Rain and clouds at Great Falls Saturday while the fall foliage approaches peak color. The weather for this past weekend was split. Saturday was quite rainy and...
By Kevin Ambrose | October 27, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
CWG's annual photo contest
Wx and the city Top 10 pick from 2008 CWG photo contest. By Bennett Lipscomb. Taken from Mt. Pleasant on June 7, 2008. The nice thing about weather is that it comes to you. Sure, you could chase a tornado...
By Ann Posegate | October 22, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
An Encounter with Deer in Washington, D.C.
* Foul Finish to Week: Full Forecast | Weather Wall * A white-tailed deer looks back at the camera before entering the woods. At first glance, the photograph above could have been taken in any wooded area that contains plentiful...
By Ian Livingston | October 12, 2009; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (12)
Picture-Perfect Weather for Army Ten-Miler
* Sublime Sun Today: Full Forecast | Attack of the Autumn Allergies * The front-runners anxiously await the cannon to signal the start of the Army Ten-Miler in D.C. There was perfect running weather Sunday morning for the 30,000 runners...
By Kevin Ambrose | October 8, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (3)
An Amazing Pre-Storm Sunrise
* Refreshing Fall Weather: Full Forecast | NatCast | UnitedCast * The rising sun produces nice color in the sky over Washington as our storm system approaches Saturday morning. I have found the most colorful sunrises occur as storm systems...
By Kevin Ambrose | September 30, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (12)
A Classic Washington, D.C. Sunrise
* More Clouds than Sun: Full Forecast | NatCast * The rising sun lines up with the Reflecting Pool and Washington Monument Saturday morning. It's actually kind of rare to have a perfectly clear sunrise this time of year, without...
By Kevin Ambrose | September 22, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
The Corn Moon Rising
* Nice Weather for the Weekend: Full Forecast * The Corn Moon rises above the Marine Corps Memorial Friday evening. A week ago today , the Full Corn Moon rose over Washington. The Corn Moon, sometimes called the Fruit Moon,...
By Kevin Ambrose | September 11, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (5)
Hot, Humid, Hazy Williamsburg
* Heat and Humidity Building: Full Forecast | Storm Photo Sequence * The Fife and Drum Corps parade down Duke of Gloucester Street minutes after a quick-moving thunderstorm had soaked Colonial Williamsburg. As the sun emerged after the storm, the...
By Kevin Ambrose | August 25, 2009; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (6)
Storm Sequence from Friday, August 21, 2009
* Heat Building: Full Forecast | Hurricane Tracking Center * A storm moves into Tysons Corner, Aug. 21, 2009 at 2:22 p.m. I feel fortunate that I work in a 10th floor office building in Tysons Corner when it comes...
By Kevin Ambrose | August 25, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (6)
Potomac Twilight on a Spectacular August Evening
* Summer in Cruise Control: Full Forecast | Whale Watching * The blue hour nears its end at 8:39 p.m. Prominently featured: The Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Memorial Bridge and the Potomac River. Temperature: 78. Dew point: 49. When I'm in...
By Ian Livingston | August 14, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (4)
Whale Watching for Hungry Humpbacks
* Showers? Full Forecast | Skins-Ravens Forecast | Cape Town Clouds * A humpback whale emerges with its mouth open to feed (image captures the top of the head; a view from the other side would look like this). Note...
By Ann Posegate | August 13, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
Cape Town's Table Cloth & Stunning Surroundings
* Heat Wave Dissolves, Still Sticky: Full Forecast | Weather Checker * A cloud deck, known as the "table cloth," forms over Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town in South Africa last month. I was fortunate enough to recently visit Cape...
By Jason Samenow | August 12, 2009; 12:45 PM ET | Comments (4)
The Short Life of a Thunderstorm
* Full Forecast | NatCast | July Recap: Eventually, Summer Gets Real * The colors of sunset are painted across a cumulonimbus cloud that is slowly drifting east of Washington, July 27, 2009. Occasionally, it's possible to watch a puffy...
By Kevin Ambrose | August 6, 2009; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (6)
Cloud-to-Cloud Lightning Puts on a Show
* Heat Returns: Full Forecast | A Good Time to Watch Clouds * * New! Get CWG's Express Forecast by E-mail: Sign Me Up * An expansive area of cloud-to-cloud lightning over Washington this past Saturday night. By CWG photographer...
By Kevin Ambrose | July 30, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (5)
Saturday Evening Thunderstorms in Washington
* Humidity Hangs On: Full Forecast | CWG's Photo Archive * Lightning strikes behind Arlington National Cemetery as a second batch of storminess pushes toward the city. By CWG photographer Ian Livingston. I was planning on going out to take...
By Ian Livingston | July 27, 2009; 11:10 AM ET | Comments (8)
A Tweetup at NASA With the Hubble Repair Crew
* Hot Tomorrow: Full Forecast | NatCast | Moon & Weather Folklore * Part of the STS-125 crew at NASA Headquarters on July 21. By CWG photographer Ian Livingston. During a week that included the 40th anniversary of the first...
By Ian Livingston | July 24, 2009; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (1)
Washington's Amazing Lightning Rod
* T-Storm Today? Full Forecast | NatCast | Record Low Dew Point? * The Washington Monument is struck by lightning during a thunderstorm on the evening of July 1, 2005. The lightning bolt is striking the side of the Washington...
By Kevin Ambrose | July 21, 2009; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (6)
An Amazing Washington D.C. Fireworks Show
* Amazing Weather: Full Forecast | UnitedCast | D.C. Fireworks 2008 * By Kevin Ambrose and Ian Livingston A rather unique and colorful display of fireworks over Washington, DC. By Kevin Ambrose. I met Capital Weather Gang photographer, Ian Livingston,...
By Capital Weather Gang | July 7, 2009; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Deadly Storms Cause Damage In & Around D.C.
* Storms End, Saturday Sun: Full Forecast | Weather Wall * * Tree Crushes Van, Kills 2 | Power Maps: Dominion, Pepco, BG&E * Tree and powerpole down in Glover Park, DC. See after the jump for more photos. Scattered...
By Ian Livingston | June 26, 2009; 09:02 PM ET | Comments (15)
Storm Clouds Transform Sky at Sunset
* Sweaty Friday With Storm Threat: Full Forecast | Photo Archive * The setting sun produces a bright glow on a storm near Centreville, Va., June 22 at 8:22 p.m. On rare occasions, summer weather in the D.C. area is...
By Kevin Ambrose | June 26, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
An Atlantic Sunrise: Nags Head, North Carolina
* Enjoyable Eighties: Full Forecast | NatCast * The sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean during a beautiful morning at Nags Head, North Carolina, June 9, 2009. The Outer Banks of North Carolina have been a popular vacation destination for the...
By Kevin Ambrose | June 23, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (2)
Best of CWG's VORTEX2 Photos
* An Atlantic Onslaught: Full Forecast | VORTEX2 Turns Heads * Tornado touchdown, Goshen County, Wyoming, June 6, 2009. VORTEX2, which stands for "Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment2," is the largest field experiment to investigate tornadoes....
By Andrew Freedman | June 16, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
San Francisco's Summertime Stratus Deck
* Flash Flood Watch till 4 AM Friday | Full Forecast | NatCast * Boaters travel by the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay's opening to the Pacific Ocean on May 30, 2009. Clouds filter through thanks to onshore winds...
By Ian Livingston | June 11, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (11)
Storm Chase on I-95
* Storms Today? Full Forecast | NatCast | Twittering Tornado Chasing * A video of the thunderstorms that moved through the D.C. area yesterday. The videos were taken on the road, from Fredericksburg, Va., to Fairfax, Va. I encountered three...
By Kevin Ambrose | June 10, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (6)
Beaver Dams and the Birth of a Pond
* Severe T-Storm Watch & Flash Flood Watch In Effect: Full Forecast * * NatCast | May Recap | Climate Change Kills 300K? * A newly formed beaver dam has created a small pond that blocks a hiking trail near...
By Kevin Ambrose | June 3, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (9)
Scenes for Memorial Day
* Showers and Thunderstorms Likely Through Tonight: Full Forecast * The WWII Memorial decorated with flowers for Memorial Day, May 24, 2009. I made a quick trip to the WWII and Vietnam Memorial on Sunday morning to capture a few...
By Kevin Ambrose | May 25, 2009; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (4)
Great Falls Flowing, in Pictures and Video
* Full Forecast | NatCast | PreaknessCast | Parents vs. Weekend Rain * The Potomac River flows fast and furious at Great Falls on Wednesday. There was no sign of our recent drought at Great Falls this past Wednesday. The...
By Kevin Ambrose | May 15, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
A Sunny Mother's Day in Arlington and Alexandria
* Full Forecast | Changes in Big Weather Media | More CWG Photos * U.S. Marine Corps Memorial and a plane departing National Airport under sunny skies. My dad visited this weekend and we decided to spend Sunday seeing some...
By Ian Livingston | May 13, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Sunrise
* Full Forecast: Cloudy & Unsettled | NatCast | Climate Poetry * Low clouds move rapidly across the eastern sky at sunrise as a strong breeze produces ripples on the Capitol Reflecting Pool, April 23, 2009. I brought my 14-year-old...
By Kevin Ambrose | April 30, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (4)
Photos: Early Spring at Niagara Falls, New York
* Full Forecast: Here Comes Some Heat | NWS Media Day * A strange object (lower right) points toward the falls and stands its ground. I found myself in Buffalo for Easter this year and was given the chance to...
By Ian Livingston | April 23, 2009; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (1)
National Weather Service Media Day
* Full Forecast: 80s on the Way | Climate Change Chat * Group photo from media day at the National Weather Service's Sterling forecast office, April 21, 2009. In attendance were on-air meteorologists from D.C., Baltimore, Charlottesville and Winchester. Also...
By Kevin Ambrose | April 23, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (1)
Maui's Scenic, Sometimes Scary Road to Hana
* Sun Today & Soon the 70s: Full Forecast | NatCast: Clear and Cool * The Wailua Falls, one of many waterfalls along the road to Hana on Maui's eastern coast. If you visit Maui you will probably notice many...
By Kevin Ambrose | April 16, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (7)
Cherry Blossoms Wind Down as D.C. Greens Up
* Spring Chill Continues: Full Forecast | Later: Hurricane Outlook * The Jefferson Memorial framed by cherry blossoms Sunday afternoon. With all the clouds and windy weather lately, opportunities for photographing the cherry blossoms have been somewhat limited this year,...
By Ian Livingston | April 8, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (2)
Cherry Blossom Morning
* Showery Full Forecast | March Recap | Climate Controversy * * Blossoms: Changing Dates | Poetry | Photos of Early Bloomers * The light from the rising sun shines on the cherry blossoms near the Washington Monument Tuesday morning....
By Kevin Ambrose | April 1, 2009; 12:45 PM ET | Comments (5)
Washington D.C.'s Cherry Blossom Bloom Begins
* Our Full Forecast | NY Times Climate Story | Cherry Blossom Guide * Blossoms begin to bloom on the Tidal Basin. With the start of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, spring has undoubtedly arrived in D.C. In order to...
By Ian Livingston | March 30, 2009; 12:45 PM ET | Comments (0)
A Ghostly Fog
* Sun to Return Soon: Full Forecast | AccuWeather's Hurricane Outlook * A ghostly form drifts across Arlington National Cemetery Wednesday morning. A ghostly apparition slowly drifted across Arlington National Cemetery early Wednesday morning as the day's first light appeared...
By Kevin Ambrose | March 19, 2009; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (3)
Recap and Photos: Washington with Snow
* Winter Storm Warning through 2 p.m. today * * More snow showers possible this afternoon...along with very strong winds (gusts to 40 mph) and blowing snow | Our full forecast | Live Chat at 1 p.m. * * CWG...
By Kevin Ambrose | March 2, 2009; 11:55 AM ET | Comments (44)
Snow With Sunshine: The Pictures
* Windy & Cold: Full Forecast | Later: Snow With Sun - The Explanation * Presidents' Day sunrise in Oakton, Va., Feb. 16, 2009. What makes this sunrise unique is that light snow was falling from a blue sky above....
By Kevin Ambrose | February 19, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (0)
Potomac Ice and a Magenta Sky
* A Mild Sunday, Then A Little Cooler: Full Forecast * Ice on the Tidal Basin reflects the Jefferson Memorial and the magenta sky as dawn breaks over Washington, February 7, 2009. A streak of red on the eastern horizon...
By Kevin Ambrose | February 8, 2009; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (7)
Iwo Jima in the Snow
* Winter Storm Warning Extended Until 6 PM: Our Full Forecast * The Marine Corps Memorial during a lull in the storm Tuesday afternoon. I was scheduled to pick up family at Reagan National Airport at 3 p.m. yesterday. I...
By Kevin Ambrose | January 28, 2009; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (16)
Inauguration Contrails
Wx and the City * Mild, Only for a Day: Full Forecast | Inauguration: How Cold Was It? * Contrails in the D.C. sky on Inauguration Day. By CWG's Ann Posegate. I was probably the only one in a crowd...
By Ann Posegate | January 23, 2009; 12:45 PM ET | Comments (9)
Inauguration Weather: Record Cold for Reagan
* Full Forecast Thru Weekend | InaugurationCast | Stop the Scaremongering * In a swirling snowstorm, police and security inspect the podium where President Ronald Reagan was supposed to have been sworn into office for a second term, Jan. 20,...
By Kevin Ambrose | January 13, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Our Microclimate Ice Storm
* Biting Cold Looms: Express & Detailed Forecast | InaugurationCast * An icicle melts late Wednesday morning near Fairfax, Va. By Capital Weather Gang photographer Kevin Ambrose. Click here for enlarged image. I read the comments on CWG (here and...
By Kevin Ambrose | January 11, 2009; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (12)
National Christmas Tree, Sans Snow
* Bitter Cold Takes a Break: Express & Detailed Forecast * The National Christmas Tree and the National Hanukkah Menorah on a blustery evening last Sunday. I had high hopes that I'd get to photograph the National Christmas Tree with...
By Kevin Ambrose | December 25, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (1)
Our New Weather Photo Gallery
* Outlook through Christmas and beyond: Express & Detailed Forecast * Last month, we displayed the top 10 weather photos submitted in our photo contest. With winter weather (hopefully soon) upon us, there are bound to be more opportunities for...
By Ann Posegate | December 22, 2008; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (2)
Close Encounter with the Moon
The moon rises over the District Saturday night. Kennedy Center in the foreground. Forecast: A Wet Week | Weather Wall If the full moon looked unusually big and bright this past weekend, there was an explanation. The moon passed by...
By Kevin Ambrose | December 15, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (1)
2009 Washington Area Weather Calendar
* How Low Does the Temperature Go? Full Forecast * Front cover of the 2009 Washington Area Weather Calendar. For the third year in a row, I've published a calendar featuring my Washington area weather photography. This year, I've included...
By Kevin Ambrose | December 12, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Ice Skating in Washington
* Turning Colder: Full Forecast | Snow Lover's Crystal Ball | SkinsCast * Ice skating on the Reflecting Pool, circa 1918. Source: "Washington Weather." The Washington area offers a nice selection of indoor and outdoor ice skating rinks for the...
By Kevin Ambrose | December 4, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Weather Gang Photo Contest Top 10 Picks
Creative snapshots of the sky * CWG's Winter Outlook and Q&A Transcript | Full Forecast * Photo contest top 10 pick. By Bennett Lipscomb. Taken from Mt. Pleasant on June 7, 2008. Our skies are constantly showing us the world...
By Ann Posegate | November 20, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Saturday's Fleeting Rainbow
*** Tomorrow: CWG's Winter Outlook & Live Chat (1 p.m.) | Forecast *** A close-up view of Saturday's rainbow in Oakton, Va., with a bit of autumn foliage. The rainbow Saturday afternoon was brief, lasting a only a few minutes...
By Kevin Ambrose | November 18, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Fall Foliage at Arlington National Cemetery
A member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with orange autumn leaves in the background. Visiting Arlington National Cemetery is always a somber, patriotic and moving occasion. Shortly after moving to D.C., I found...
By Ian Livingston | November 14, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Mount Vernon in Autumn
The view of Mount Vernon during the early afternoon of Saturday, November 8. The fall foliage was reaching peak color along the Potomac River. The last time I was at Mount Vernon was during summer break when I was 14...
By Kevin Ambrose | November 11, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (5)
Weather Service Celebrates, Balloons and All
A weather balloon is launched during the National Weather Service Open House Saturday afternoon, Oct. 18. Click here for larger photo. When I saw the announcement about this past weekend's National Weather Service Open House in Sterling, Va., which included...
By Kevin Ambrose | October 24, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Photo Contest (Earth as Art, Part 2: You)
Submit your creative snapshots of the sky A colorful sun dog is visible to the left of the sun. Captured by Capital Weather Gang photographer Kevin Ambrose from Fairfax, Va., on Sept. 17, 2008. Last week, I displayed several artistic...
By Ann Posegate | October 22, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
Fall's First Colors Spread Through Washington
Orange leaves backlit by a setting sun on Tuesday evening in Glover Park, D.C. Mid-autumn is one of my favorite times for photography. The weather is typically quite pleasant, haze-free skies are the norm, and the trees show off their...
By Ian Livingston | October 16, 2008; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (7)
Photography: Fine Weather for Golf Tournament
Redskins' legends tee it up Brian Mitchell, NFL record holder and sports host, crushes a drive at the ESPN Redskin Radio Golf Tournament. In this photo, the golf club appears invisible during the swing, but the ball traveled 350 yards...
By Kevin Ambrose | October 11, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: Stormy Scenes, Slow Traffic
Lightning strikes Fairfax, Va., at 7:11 p.m. Tuesday evening. Severe thunderstorms moved into the Washington area Tuesday evening, accompanied by vivid lightning, heavy rain and strong winds. I was in Fairfax, Va., when the storms approached and I captured a...
By Kevin Ambrose | October 2, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (3)
Photography: Ducks at Sunrise
Sunrise over Washington as ducks frolic in the Reflecting Pool, 7:12 a.m. Wednesday morning. During the spring and autumnal equinox, the sunrise aligns in the eastern sky with D.C.'s monuments and the Reflecting Pool. Within a week or so on...
By Kevin Ambrose | September 28, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (6)
Autumn's First Dusk at the National WWII Memorial
7:22 p.m. Monday | Photo stats: 8 second exposure at f/14 and ISO 160. Fall often provides several stretches of pleasant weather each year -- notwithstanding the next few days of rather gloomy conditions -- and the beginning of the...
By Ian Livingston | September 25, 2008; 11:05 AM ET | Comments (8)
Photography: Sun Dog Extreme
A very bright and colorful sun dog that is visible to the left of the sun. This photo was taken at 6:01 p.m. Wednesday in Fairfax, Va. On Wednesday evening, I observed one of the best and most vivid examples...
By Kevin Ambrose | September 19, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (3)
Incredible Ike Imagery
Storm surge over Galveston Island, Texas. AP Photo/David J. Phillip After posting an amazing compilation of hurricane satellite images from space, the Boston Globe's Big Picture blog published another must-see series of some of the most remarkable post-Ike pictures. Want...
By Jason Samenow | September 17, 2008; 06:45 PM ET | Comments (2)
Photography: Hazy, Humid Sunrise
The sun rises over the Lincoln Memorial at 6:53am on Sunday morning. This photo was taken from the Netherlands Carillon. This time of year, the sun aligns with the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Capitol. I usually hope for a...
By Kevin Ambrose | September 15, 2008; 06:45 PM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: Hurricanes From Orbit
Hurricane Emily on July 16th, 2005 from the International Space Station. The storm was a strengthening category 4 with 155 mph sustained winds over the northwest Caribbean Sea about 135 miles southwest of Kingston, Jamaica. (Image Courtesy NASA) While Hurricane...
By Ian Livingston | September 9, 2008; 07:15 PM ET | Comments (3)
Photography: Hanna's Sunset
Sunset at the Manassas Battlefield Park as the last cloud bands from Hanna move east Saturday evening. I have found that tropical storms often produce beautiful sunsets. The clear, tropical air combined with distinct cloud bands produce nice shades of...
By Kevin Ambrose | September 8, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (4)
Photography: Hanna Visits D.C. and Alexandria
Boat at dock in Alexandria on the Potomac River during Hanna on Saturday. Post Storm Forecast Assessment After several weeks of benign weather, Hanna decided to stir things up by throwing a good dose of heavy rain and gusty winds...
By Ian Livingston | September 7, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Photography: Williamsburg Weather
A Williamsburg windmill on a bright, sunny morning last week. Colonial Virginians depended on local mills to grind grain to make their bread. Williamsburg is a great place to visit if you love history, golf, and roller coasters, and it...
By Kevin Ambrose | August 24, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Photography: A Thunderstorm Reflection
A severe thunderstorm and its reflection Saturday evening. This photo was taken at sunset near Fairfax, Va., as the storm was moving rapidly southeast through Fairfax County. Late Saturday afternoon, thunderstorms developed across the D.C. area, with a couple storms...
By Kevin Ambrose | August 8, 2008; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (1)
Photography: Storms From 30,000 Feet
Classic strong to severe thunderstorm southeast of the area around 3:15 p.m. one week ago. As severe weather was passing through the area last Sunday, I was inbound on a flight returning from a trip to Florida. Though I was...
By Ian Livingston | August 3, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: Sunset Storm
This is a panorama of three photos pasted together to show a wide view of a storm that approached Washington Wednesday evening, just before sunset. The Tidal Basin is in the foreground. On Wednesday evening, I was in Arlington watching...
By Kevin Ambrose | July 12, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (1)
Photography: Fireworks Over Iwo Jima
By Ian Livingston and Kevin Ambrose The first fireworks of the undelayed Washington, D.C. show last night. By Ian Livingston The saying goes "great minds think alike", and if at all true, then hopefully it is good news for us....
By Capital Weather Gang | July 5, 2008; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: Storm Chasing the Tidal Basin
A combination of sheet lightning and lightning bolts sets an artistic backdrop for the Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin during Monday evening's storms. This photo was taken on the west side of the Tidal Basin. Storm chasing in our area...
By Kevin Ambrose | July 3, 2008; 01:30 PM ET | Comments (4)
Photography: Judging Weather Photos
Photo entries in the 2008 Weatherwise photo contest. A week ago last Thursday, I was one of the judges in the Weatherwise annual photo contest. Other judges included Bob Ryan, Chief Meteorologist of WRC-TV, and Doyle Rice, Chief Weather Editor...
By Kevin Ambrose | July 1, 2008; 06:30 PM ET | Comments (2)
Photoshopping the Weather
Is this photograph fake or real? Credit: Unknown. Fake or real? As pointed out by PBS, it's a question being asked about more and more pictures in this age of digital photography and advanced image editing software, such as Adobe...
By Steve Tracton | June 26, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: D.C.'s Double Rainbow Connection
From Old Town, Alexandria, Va.: Capital Weather Gang visitor Alex produced this stunning composition. See full size. Between 7:00 and 7:30 p.m. yesterday evening, many area residents gazing at the sky caught sight of a full, towering double rainbow. In...
By Jason Samenow | June 24, 2008; 12:15 PM ET | Comments (13)
Photography: Air Force Memorial Lightning
A thunderstorm develops west of the Air Force Memorial Sunday Evening. A quick storm chase Sunday evening produced one of my more interesting lightning photos. The above photo shows a developing, but short-lived thunderstorm that developed over eastern Fairfax County,...
By Kevin Ambrose | June 23, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
Photography: Saturday's Severe Storm
A plane approaching National Airport passes in front of a severe thunderstorm at 8:15 p.m. On Saturday evening, environmental conditions perfectly aligned for the development of isolated severe storms that impacted parts of the metro area. An outflow boundary, a...
By Ian Livingston | June 22, 2008; 11:45 AM ET | Comments (9)
Photography: Rudin's Rainbows
A double rainbow as seen from a rooftop in Dupont Circle Wednesday at 6 p.m. By Steve Rudin. Steve Rudin, a broadcast meteorologist working at WJLA (ABC-7) and News Channel 8, captured some beautiful rainbow images as sunshine interacted with...
By Capital Weather Gang | June 21, 2008; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (5)
Photography: Tidal Basin Storm Clouds
A shelf or roll cloud associated with a thunderstorm Monday night moves quickly north of D.C. The cold front that blasted through the D.C. area Monday night was accompanied by some scattered, fast-moving thunderstorms. The above photo, which I took...
By Kevin Ambrose | June 19, 2008; 07:15 PM ET | Comments (0)
Refreshed Without Power
The tree that closed Vale Road and cut the power to my home in Oakton, VA. We just got power restored yesterday morning after being without electricity for two nights due to the first storm that blew through on Wednesday....
By Kevin Ambrose | June 7, 2008; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Recap: June 4 Severe Weather Outbreak
A historic severe weather outbreak for the area One of several large limbs that fell in Dupont Circle during "Round One" of severe weather. Once the numbers are finalized, June 4, 2008 may go down in the books as one...
By Ian Livingston | June 5, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (38)
Photography: Tornado or Shelf Cloud?
An ominous cloud near Springfield, Va. I was driving home from a soccer game yesterday afternoon as the sky began to darken to the west. As I drove over the mixing bowl, I got a good view of an impressive...
By Kevin Ambrose | June 1, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: Weather for the Frogs?
A frog peers out from a flooded yard. Heavy rain and storms a couple weeks ago may have caused some inconveniences with our spring activities, but the wildlife in our area seems to be adapting just fine to the wet...
By Kevin Ambrose | May 29, 2008; 06:50 PM ET | Comments (4)
Photography: Great Falls in Flood Stage
Flood Watch tonight as more rain approaches The Potomac River peaked just over flood stage at Great Falls on Tuesday at 2 p.m. When I arrived at Great Falls National Park Tuesday afternoon, the parking lot was over half full...
By Kevin Ambrose | May 15, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Photography: A Fine Day for Fishing
Tuesday was a beautiful day for sailing and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay. The weather Tuesday on the Chesapeake Bay was beautiful. The temperature is usually much cooler on the open water of the bay during the spring because the...
By Kevin Ambrose | May 10, 2008; 03:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: Lincoln's Duck and Lincoln Sunset
A lone duck rests motionless on the Reflecting Pool Thursday evening. Photography often reminds me of fishing in that some luck is typically involved. With Thursday evening's photo shoot, my good luck arrived in the form of a duck that...
By Kevin Ambrose | April 27, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (8)
Photography: D.C. Sunrise & Potomac Moonset
Sunrise with the Reflecting Pool and Washington Monument, 6:34 a.m. Saturday morning. This past Saturday morning, with good sky conditions for viewing and photographing, moonset and sunrise in the D.C. area occurred about an hour apart. I'd like to say...
By Kevin Ambrose | April 25, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Photography: Falling Blossoms & Spring Scenes
Cherry blossoms fall with help from the wind Sunday in Oakton, Va. Some people are sad to see the cherry blossoms go, but this 10-year-old boy delights in the blizzard of blossom petals that fell with the strong breezes on...
By Kevin Ambrose | April 15, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Photography: A Blooming Good Time
Capital Weather Gang photographers join forces By Ian Livingston -- A man enjoys the cherry blossoms. With all the unsettled weather recently, I focused on last Wednesday as a great opportunity for a photo shoot down at the Tidal Basin...
By Ian Livingston | April 6, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (6)
Photography: Glorious Cherry Blossom Sunrise
The sun rises yesterday behind the Jefferson Memorial as cherry blossoms hit peak bloom. Let me start by saying I seriously dislike waking up at 4:30 a.m. to shoot sunrises -- I'm just not a morning person. But after seeing...
By Kevin Ambrose | April 3, 2008; 11:25 AM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: Cherry Blossoms by Night
Cherry blossoms approach peak bloom at the Tidal Basin Sunday evening Having missed this weekend's Cherry Blossom festival kick-off due to a mini-vacation, I took a trip down to D.C. Sunday evening to try out my new camera and external...
By Kevin Ambrose | March 31, 2008; 07:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: Flying High as Spring Blossoms
1/640 second exposure at f/6.3 and ISO 160 Saturday marked the beginning of the two week long National Cherry Blossom Festival. With trees along the Tidal Basin nearing peak bloom, the massive crowd was treated to a somewhat chilly late...
By Ian Livingston | March 30, 2008; 06:00 PM ET | Comments (4)
Photography: Dusk at the Georgetown Waterfront
7:27 p.m., 10 second exposure at f/10 and ISO 100 A week ago yesterday, I grabbed my gear hoping to capture images of the waning dusk light at the Georgetown Waterfront. On the way, I stopped to smell and...
By Ian Livingston | March 23, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
The Superstorm of March 13, 1993
Ski-sailing by the Washington Monument, March 14, 1993. Washington Weather I will always remember the weather forecast issued on March 12, 1993 for the storm expected to hit the East Coast the following day. It was the first time I...
By Kevin Ambrose | March 16, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (23)
Photography: Cloud Art
Have you ever seen clouds that race across the moon at night? On the night of Feb. 20, clouds from a departing storm system moved quickly across the sky as the full moon headed toward a total eclipse. I...
By Kevin Ambrose | March 6, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: Vietnam Memorial & Reflecting Pool
Sunrise, March 2, 2008 Settings: Olympus C8080WZ, F7, 4 seconds, ISO 50 I made the trip to DC this morning for a photo shoot of the Vietnam Memorial and Reflecting Pool at sunrise. The two landmarks are close enough together...
By Kevin Ambrose | March 2, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: Monumental Eclipse
Eclipse at the Washington Monument, February 20, 2008 The eclipse begins: F7, 6 seconds, ISO 100 I was part of a small group of photographers last night trying to capture an image of the full eclipse, with the context of...
By Kevin Ambrose | February 21, 2008; 02:55 PM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: Clouds Break for Lunar Show
Lunar eclipse headed towards totality Wednesday's Alberta Clipper threatened to ruin local lunar eclipse viewing opportunities -- our last chance to see a total one here until December 2010. Instead, and almost on queue, clouds began breaking across the region...
By Ian Livingston | February 21, 2008; 11:20 AM ET | Comments (0)
Jefferson Dawn
Dawn at the Jefferson Memorial, February 16, 2008 The Jefferson Memorial at Dawn: F7, 2.5 seconds, ISO 100, 6:25AM I awoke Saturday morning at 5 AM for a sunrise shoot with the Jefferson Memorial as my target. The sunrise continues...
By Kevin Ambrose | February 18, 2008; 05:30 PM ET | Comments (9)
Photography: Sunrise Squall
A Squall Shows its Color A vigorous squall near Warrenton, VA, Sunday 7:01 AM. I photographed an interesting sunrise sequence Sunday morning as a vigorous squall, defined as a sudden onset of strong winds often accompanied by brief storminess, moved...
By Kevin Ambrose | February 11, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (10)
Photography: Virga Dawn
A cloudy Saturday morning f/7, 2.5 second exposure, ISO 100 at 6:45am, sunrise was 7:07. When I left to photograph DC early this morning the radar showed precipitation moving into the area, but no rain was actually hitting the ground....
By Kevin Ambrose | February 9, 2008; 07:30 PM ET | Comments (4)
"Blue Hour" Photography at the Capitol
Settings: f/10, 4 second exposure at ISO 200. Saturday's high temperature of 51 degrees at Reagan National Airport was seven degrees higher than the average for the date and presented a great opportunity for some mid-winter blue hour photography. And...
By Ian Livingston | February 4, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
The Great Knickerbocker Snowstorm of 1922
86 years ago today, the big one hit... Digging out during the record-breaking Knickerbocker snowstorm, January 28, 1922. From NOAA Library. When I was a young kid back in the 1970s there was a neighbor we called "Old Man Bean"...
By Kevin Ambrose | January 28, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (14)
Clipper Sunrise
A sunrise view of the Washington Monument Thursday morning as clouds from an approaching clipper, a weather system originating from Canada, move into the area. Note, the setting moon, which was full two days earlier. Clipper systems usually produce...
By Kevin Ambrose | January 26, 2008; 04:45 AM ET | Comments (1)
For the Love of Snow
Sledding Sunday in Fairfax County. As an adult I still love snow. I know I'm in good company judging from the comments on this blog and other weather Web sites. I'm rather happy that I've held onto my love for...
By Kevin Ambrose | January 21, 2008; 01:45 PM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: Fun in the Snow
Thursday's snow was perfect for sledding and snowmen, especially for Washington area kids who have not seen much snow this winter. I photographed some neighborhood scenes in western Fairfax County, where there was almost 4" of snow. The snow...
By Kevin Ambrose | January 18, 2008; 04:45 AM ET | Comments (0)
Photography: Downtown DC in Heavy Snow
As the snow poured down just before the lunch hour I grabbed my camera and headed out into the elements to see what the situation was on the ground. Upon exiting the building where I work downtown, I was greeted...
By Ian Livingston | January 17, 2008; 02:20 PM ET | Comments (3)
Squall Chasing and a Sun Pillar
I know it's a bad winter for snow when I need to chase a squall to try to get a good snow photo. What made the situation worse is that I could not catch up to the darn squalls,...
By Kevin Ambrose | January 16, 2008; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Twelve Years Ago, After the Storm
Today marks the 12 year anniversary of my very first storm photo shoot of Washington, D.C. At that time, a series of snowstorms, including the Blizzard of 1996, had just dumped over two feet of snow across the D.C....
By Kevin Ambrose | January 14, 2008; 01:30 PM ET | Comments (0)
The Mystery Cloud
KISS or Contrails? Kevin's cloud photo post this morning inspired some interesting creativity among the site's visitors. I think the most original explanation was submitted by Curtis, who said: Folks, that's the universal signal for a pending KISS concert. It...
By Steve Scolnik | January 10, 2008; 07:28 PM ET | Comments (0)
What Caused this Cloud Formation?
Sunset over Fairfax, January 8. At 5:15pm on Tuesday I noticed an odd cloud formation in the sky. I took a photograph and have posted it above. Can anyone explain this cloud formation and what may have caused its shape?...
By Kevin Ambrose | January 10, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (25)
Photography: Snowless Sunrise
Sunrise at the reflecting pool, January 5. The alarm sounded at 5:30am Saturday morning and I slowly got out of bed to check the infrared satellite and water vapor loops on my computer. I find that satellite imagery is the...
By Kevin Ambrose | January 8, 2008; 04:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
