Capital Weather Gang: Local Climate
Posted at 11:43 AM ET, 08/16/2012
By Jason Samenow
The debate has raged for decades: Does it make sense to observe D.C. weather at Reagan National?
By Jason Samenow |
11:43 AM ET, 08/16/2012 |
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Posted at 02:53 PM ET, 08/08/2012
By Jason Samenow
Temperatures so far this year are warmest on record locally and nationally, and it’s not even close. Year-to-date temperatures are on an entirely different level from past record-setting years.
By Jason Samenow |
02:53 PM ET, 08/08/2012 |
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Posted at 12:08 PM ET, 08/02/2012
By Jason Samenow
For the first time in over 140 years of weather records, Washington, D.C. (based on measurements at Reagan National airport) has received below average precipitation in the first seven months of the calendar year.
By Jason Samenow |
12:08 PM ET, 08/02/2012 |
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Posted at 10:50 AM ET, 08/01/2012
By Matt Rogers
July was a hot one. In fact, it was the second hottest in the history of Washington, DC meteorological records behind only last year. The three hottest Julys on record (dating back to 1871) have occurred in the last three years.
By Matt Rogers |
10:50 AM ET, 08/01/2012 |
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Posted at 10:47 AM ET, 07/31/2012
By Justin Grieser
Barring an apocalyptic freeze tonight, July 2012 should end up D.C.’s all-time second hottest month on record. Last July was a hair hotter. Did it feel that way to you?
By Justin Grieser |
10:47 AM ET, 07/31/2012 |
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Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 07/26/2012
By Ian Livingston
While the “dog days” of summer continue well into August by most definitions, temperatures are on the decline with the year’s hottest month of July largely behind us. Sure, these cool facts might not always be apparent every single day, but by August’s end the idea that refreshing times are ahead is often starting to become noticeable.
By Ian Livingston |
11:00 AM ET, 07/26/2012 |
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Posted at 10:15 PM ET, 07/21/2012
By Jason Samenow
The mist, the showers, and a persistent breeze from the Atlantic resulted in historically chilly afternoon temperatures in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore regions.
By Jason Samenow |
10:15 PM ET, 07/21/2012 |
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Posted at 10:47 AM ET, 07/20/2012
By Jason Samenow
A strong line of summer storms swept throught the metro region Thursday night, dumping 0.5-2” of rain from the south side of the beltway through Howard county.
By Jason Samenow |
10:47 AM ET, 07/20/2012 |
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Posted at 11:58 AM ET, 07/19/2012
By Jason Samenow
Washington, D.C. and its Virginia and Maryland suburbs are not immune from the drought conditions afflicting nearly two-thirds of the country. The latest
U.S. Drought Monitor shows all but D.C.’s far north and northwest suburbs under moderate drought conditions.
By Jason Samenow |
11:58 AM ET, 07/19/2012 |
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Posted at 10:33 AM ET, 07/11/2012
By Jason Samenow
A weak area of low pressure passed over the D.C. area yesterday evening. As the atmosphere was flush with moisture, a very localized, but intense band of thundershowers developed between central Fairfax county and north central Prince George’s county. Torrential rain accompanied the thundershowers - with the heaviest rain falling in the heart of the District of Columbia.
By Jason Samenow |
10:33 AM ET, 07/11/2012 |
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Posted at 04:31 PM ET, 07/10/2012
By Jason Samenow
For some commentators, the recent heat wave signified nothing - other than a few extra drops of sweat. But the numbers reveal this heat wave was a rare event.
By Jason Samenow |
04:31 PM ET, 07/10/2012 |
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Posted at 10:30 AM ET, 07/10/2012
By Matt Rogers
June was an excessively volatile month with a menagerie of meteorological conditions. We experienced some very cool and comfortable days contrasted against the hottest summer has to offer.
By Matt Rogers |
10:30 AM ET, 07/10/2012 |
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Posted at 01:33 PM ET, 07/09/2012
By Ian Livingston and Jason Samenow
Mercifully, Washington, D.C.’s 11-day heat wave is over. We’ve crunched the numbers - and by almost every measure - it ranks as the most intense in 141 years of records.
By Ian Livingston and Jason Samenow |
01:33 PM ET, 07/09/2012 |
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Posted at 12:15 PM ET, 07/08/2012
By Jason Samenow
Washington has extended its streak of 95-plus days to a record-setting 11 days.
By Jason Samenow |
12:15 PM ET, 07/08/2012 |
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Posted at 05:40 PM ET, 07/07/2012
By Dan Stillman and Ian Livingston
The high temperature at Reagan National Airport reached 105 today. That breaks D.C. record high for the date set in 2010, and it’s only the fifth time on record D.C. has climbed to 105 or higher.
By Dan Stillman and Ian Livingston |
05:40 PM ET, 07/07/2012 |
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Posted at 12:49 PM ET, 07/06/2012
By Jason Samenow
For the 9th straight day, Washington, D.C. has met or exceed 95 degrees. In 141 years of records, this is a first. And the streak is likely to be extended to 11 after Saturday and Sunday. This record is just one of countless extraordinary heat records established over the course of the last three summers.
By Jason Samenow |
12:49 PM ET, 07/06/2012 |
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Posted at 12:47 PM ET, 07/05/2012
By Jason Samenow
In terms of the duration of a punishing heat wave, the current spell has arrived at historic levels. For the 8th straight day, the temperature has reached at least 95 degrees in Washington, D.C. - tying 2002, 1993, and 1988 for the most such days on record.
By Jason Samenow |
12:47 PM ET, 07/05/2012 |
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Posted at 02:50 PM ET, 06/29/2012
By Jason Samenow
Mark Richards, weather observer at Reagan National Airport, says the temperature at 2:48 p.m. hit 104, blowing by the old June record of 102 set on June 9 in both 1874 and 2011. We are now experiencing D.C.’s hottest June temperatures in 142 years.
By Jason Samenow |
02:50 PM ET, 06/29/2012 |
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Posted at 11:18 AM ET, 06/29/2012
By Ian Livingston
The saying goes that records are meant to be broken. Today’s record of 101 at Reagan National Airport. may be threatened.
By Ian Livingston |
11:18 AM ET, 06/29/2012 |
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Posted at 03:30 PM ET, 06/28/2012
By Jason Samenow
A heat advisory has been issued Friday for the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metro regions. Our region is on the northern edge of the excessive heat dome, which marks the dividing line between very hot and extraordinarily hot conditions.
By Jason Samenow |
03:30 PM ET, 06/28/2012 |
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Posted at 03:14 PM ET, 06/27/2012
By Jason Samenow
A heat wave of historic proportions, linked to the “epic” wildfire in Colorado, is coming for D.C.
By Jason Samenow |
03:14 PM ET, 06/27/2012 |
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Posted at 12:50 PM ET, 06/22/2012
By Jason Samenow
After two to three days of blistering heat from Richmond, Virginia to Portland, Maine, a cold front closes in that will bring cooler, less humid conditions by the weekend.
By Jason Samenow |
12:50 PM ET, 06/22/2012 |
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Posted at 11:32 AM ET, 06/20/2012
By Jack Williams
For most of the mainland United States the meteorological seasons, agree more with temperatures than the astronomical seasons. But I came up with a more precise way to define seasons based on temperatures.
By Jack Williams |
11:32 AM ET, 06/20/2012 |
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Posted at 02:28 PM ET, 06/08/2012
By David Streit
We know too well that warmer days are ahead and rains will be erratic. Methinks it’s a good time to look at some ways to maximize the moisture we get during the course of the summer.
By David Streit |
02:28 PM ET, 06/08/2012 |
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Posted at 02:14 PM ET, 06/07/2012
By Jason Samenow
The U.S. is off to its
warmest year on record, and this holds true in the Washington, D.C. area. At all three local Washington, D.C. area airports, 2012 is tracking warmest on record by a wide margin.
By Jason Samenow |
02:14 PM ET, 06/07/2012 |
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Posted at 10:44 AM ET, 06/07/2012
By Jason Samenow
The number of confirmed tornadoes on June 1 in Maryland has risen to 11, a new record for the most tornadoes in a single date for the state. The event passes the previous record of 9 that occurred August 28, 1992.
By Jason Samenow |
10:44 AM ET, 06/07/2012 |
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Posted at 01:25 PM ET, 06/06/2012
By Justin Grieser
June is off to a cool start in Washington, D.C. and much of the Northeast this year. As forecast last week, a big dip in the jet stream has released cold air out of Canada. Today will be Washington, D.C.’s third consecutive day with highs only in the spring-like 70s.
By Justin Grieser |
01:25 PM ET, 06/06/2012 |
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Posted at 12:10 PM ET, 06/01/2012
By Matt Rogers
The meteorological spring March-May period easily scored as the warmest on record in Washington, D.C., beating 1977 and the close follow-up 2010 by about 1.5 degrees F. Now, two of the top three warmest springs in 141 years of records have occurred in the last three years.
By Matt Rogers |
12:10 PM ET, 06/01/2012 |
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Posted at 03:13 PM ET, 05/31/2012
By Jason Samenow
After the sweltering 90+ days on Monday and Tuesday, many feared it was a harbinger of a brutal summer. Not so fast. The latest data and projections signal cooler than average weather for the first 10 days or so of June across the eastern U.S.
By Jason Samenow |
03:13 PM ET, 05/31/2012 |
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Posted at 10:30 AM ET, 05/30/2012
By Jason Samenow
In what has been a tame severe weather season in the Washington, D.C. area, Tuesday night was true to form. Despite the severe thunderstorm watch issued for the area and several flash flood warnings, neither severe weather nor flooding was reported in the immediate metro region.
By Jason Samenow |
10:30 AM ET, 05/30/2012 |
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Posted at 01:15 PM ET, 05/24/2012
By Justin Grieser
2012 is on track to become D.C.’s warmest meteorological spring on record, bumping 2010 to third.
By Justin Grieser |
01:15 PM ET, 05/24/2012 |
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Posted at 10:26 AM ET, 05/10/2012
By Jason Samenow
During the opening four months of 2012, it was as dry as it gets in Maryland according to NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).
By Jason Samenow |
10:26 AM ET, 05/10/2012 |
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Posted at 03:41 PM ET, 05/09/2012
By Jason Samenow
More than 200 readers entered our game to forecast the number of 90+ days at Reagan National Airport. The average number predicted was 42.
By Jason Samenow |
03:41 PM ET, 05/09/2012 |
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Posted at 12:45 PM ET, 05/08/2012
By Jason Samenow
Dating back to 1895, never has the U.S. strung together 12 straight months warmer than May 2011 to April 2012 according to new data released today by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) .
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12:45 PM ET, 05/08/2012 |
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Posted at 01:22 PM ET, 05/02/2012
By Justin Grieser
During a typical year, monthly average temperatures move steadily upward as spring progresses. Not so in 2012.
By Justin Grieser |
01:22 PM ET, 05/02/2012 |
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Posted at 10:59 AM ET, 05/02/2012
By Matt Ross
After 2010 and 2011 produced the two hottest summers on record back to back, I am sure almost everybody is hoping for some relief this summer. Unfortunately, we don’t think that will be the case.
By Matt Ross |
10:59 AM ET, 05/02/2012 |
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Posted at 11:03 AM ET, 05/01/2012
By Matt Rogers
After the warmest and top ten driest March on record, April brought back a sense of weather normalcy. While relatively warm (1.5F warmer than normal) and dry (1.1” drier than normal), the month didn’t produce many extremes. But compared to March, April offered more weather variety: with more cooler-than-normal days and at least a few rainy/cloudy days.
By Matt Rogers |
11:03 AM ET, 05/01/2012 |
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Posted at 01:06 PM ET, 04/26/2012
By Jason Samenow
One would have thought that the 1.5-5” of rain that fell from the mid-Atlantic to New England Sunday-Tuesday would have gone a long way to busting the emerging drought. But it shaved off the affected region by less than two percent!
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01:06 PM ET, 04/26/2012 |
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Posted at 10:50 AM ET, 04/25/2012
By Don Lipman
Now that (some of us) have had our little flirtation with winter, I thought it might be interesting to compare the recent April nor’easter with Aprils past.
By Don Lipman |
10:50 AM ET, 04/25/2012 |
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Posted at 09:29 AM ET, 04/23/2012
By Jason Samenow
Sunday’s coastal storm provided a welcome day-long washout, cutting the region’s annual rainfall deficit by 20 percent. Amounts were fairly uniform with most spots receiving between 1-1.5”. At Reagan National Airport (DCA), 1.27” fell, just shy of the daily record of 1.47” from 1883.
By Jason Samenow |
09:29 AM ET, 04/23/2012 |
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Posted at 01:13 PM ET, 04/19/2012
By Jason Samenow
Nearly 680 of you issued predictions about how much snow would fall this winter at Reagan National Airport. Only two people really foresaw the astonishing lack of snow. Topping the list: Bill Walker who forecast 2.1” would fall, within 0.1” of nailing the actual amount of 2.0”.
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01:13 PM ET, 04/19/2012 |
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Posted at 10:49 AM ET, 04/19/2012
By David Streit
It is hard to believe that we have been slipping into a drought in mid-April, but here we are. A spring drought is a bit sneaky since it is hard for us to think about watering yet and yet we must. What are your favorite plants for holding up to the dryness?
By David Streit |
10:49 AM ET, 04/19/2012 |
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Posted at 01:48 PM ET, 04/18/2012
By Matt Ross
As always, we grade our winter and summer seasonal outlooks in spring and fall respectively. In short, we did poorly this winter with not much of a silver lining. The major consolation being that we can commiserate with the authors of the other winter outlooks we encountered.
By Matt Ross |
01:48 PM ET, 04/18/2012 |
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Posted at 11:33 AM ET, 04/10/2012
By Jason Samenow
Through the first quarter of the year, 2012 emerged from the pack of other extremely warm years in Washington, D.C.’s historic past to take the lead. The above time series shows the year’s journey: starting warm, dipping to near normal for only about a day, and then steadily holding ground in unseasonably mild territory.
By Jason Samenow |
11:33 AM ET, 04/10/2012 |
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Posted at 10:54 AM ET, 04/06/2012
By David Streit
The warm and dry weather has been great for getting garden chores but this dryness has got to stop. We are so close to drought status it is not funny.
By David Streit |
10:54 AM ET, 04/06/2012 |
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Posted at 11:04 AM ET, 04/05/2012
By Justin Grieser
Less than two weeks ago our overnight lows were in the May-like 50s, but since then we’ve flirted with the freezing mark twice in the past week. Freezing temperatures may again visit the far northern and western reaches of our region tonight and even creep close to the beltway Friday night. You might be wondering when is the risk of freezing temperatures finally over in the region? In some places, it won’t be until some time in May.
By Justin Grieser |
11:04 AM ET, 04/05/2012 |
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Posted at 01:10 PM ET, 04/02/2012
By Jason Samenow
During the course of March, large chunks of the U.S. experienced spells of warm weather unmatched in recorded history. More than 7,700 daily record high temperatures were set (or tied, compared to just 287 record lows), in some cases by mind blowing margins and over multiple days. It’s no surprise that, after data were crunched, scores of cities easily set March monthly records for warmth.
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01:10 PM ET, 04/02/2012 |
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Posted at 10:29 AM ET, 04/02/2012
By Matt Rogers
Our very warm March has come to a close and not only was it the warmest on record (since 1871), but it also extends our streak of above normal monthly temperature averages to 5 months in Washington, D.C.
By Matt Rogers |
10:29 AM ET, 04/02/2012 |
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Posted at 10:05 AM ET, 03/30/2012
By Ian Livingston
Even with some — generally underachieving — rains last weekend and Wednesday, much of the area remains abnormally dry. The new U.S. Drought Monitor update, released yesterday, even shows the beginnings of a short-term drought to the south and east near the Maryland shore. Does the recent dry weather portend a drought this summer?
By Ian Livingston |
10:05 AM ET, 03/30/2012 |
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Posted at 01:42 PM ET, 03/28/2012
By Jason Samenow
Florida, Kansas, and MARYLAND: these three states have experienced the most tornadoes per 10,000 square miles over the last two decades. That’s right - twisters have concentrated more in Maryland than in the tornado hotspots of Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, Tennessee, and Alabama.
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01:42 PM ET, 03/28/2012 |
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Posted at 04:15 PM ET, 03/25/2012
By Jason Samenow
Just 48 hours ago it was in the low 80s, but in another 30 hours, temperatures may dip near or even below freezing in the metro region. The National Weather Service has issued a freeze watch late Monday night into early Tuesday morning everywhere in the greater Washington, D.C. metro region except for Calvert and St. Mary’s county - due to the moderating Bay waters.
By Jason Samenow |
04:15 PM ET, 03/25/2012 |
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Posted at 10:08 AM ET, 03/21/2012
By Jason Samenow
The winter of 2011-2012, by the astronomical definition, was the warmest on record in Washington, D.C. according to the National Weather Service.
By Jason Samenow |
10:08 AM ET, 03/21/2012 |
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Posted at 10:53 AM ET, 03/20/2012
By Jason Samenow
Real-world data support the overall idea that the D.C.’s March climate is warming and the blosssoms’ bloom dates are shifting earlier in response.. How do the historic changes fit in with future projections?
By Jason Samenow |
10:53 AM ET, 03/20/2012 |
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Posted at 10:08 AM ET, 03/16/2012
By Justin Grieser
With D.C.’s first occurrence of three straight 80-degree days in March since 1998, snow is now a distant memory. Capital Weather Gang officially retired Season 2 of the Snow Potential Index (SPI) last Friday, forcing disappointed snow lovers to come to terms with the remarkably warm winter of 2011-2012.
By Justin Grieser |
10:08 AM ET, 03/16/2012 |
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Posted at 10:24 AM ET, 03/12/2012
By Ian Livingston
Meteorological spring starts with the first day of March, and the astronomical version comes along in the final third of the month. It’s by no means one of D.C.’s warm months, but the signs of milder times to come are often significant. But, it can also still be chilly at times and even snow.
By Ian Livingston |
10:24 AM ET, 03/12/2012 |
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Posted at 04:05 PM ET, 03/06/2012
By Jason Samenow
It was the warmest meteorological winter (December through February) since the Great Depression, ranking third mildest on record. Snow? What snow? We’ve had 2” of it and never more than 0.6” in a single day! Assuming we don’t get any more snow by the end of April, it will also rank as 3rd least snowy on record.
By Jason Samenow |
04:05 PM ET, 03/06/2012 |
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Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 03/05/2012
By Ian Livingston
As we now know, meteorological winter (December through February) 2011-12 finished as the third warmest on record here in Washington, D.C.. Thinking back, warmth seems all too common around here, especially when one considers the last two summers were the hottest two on record. The fourth warmest February on record to close our toasty winter can’t be a good omen going into the warm season, can it?
By Ian Livingston |
11:30 AM ET, 03/05/2012 |
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Posted at 12:11 PM ET, 03/01/2012
By Jason Samenow
Rob DeFeo, chief horticulturalist at the National Park Service, predicts an early peak for this year’s Centennial cherry blossom bloom at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C..
By Jason Samenow |
12:11 PM ET, 03/01/2012 |
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Posted at 10:16 AM ET, 03/01/2012
By Matt Rogers
February and the meteorological winter (spaning December through February) have just come to a close, but why do I feel like we are transitioning from autumn to spring right now? This has certainly been a winter in name only as we continue to draw sharp contrasts against the previous two colder-than-normal winters. So let’s look at how we stacked up in the final tallies...
By Matt Rogers |
10:16 AM ET, 03/01/2012 |
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Posted at 03:13 PM ET, 02/29/2012
By Jason Samenow
Occurring only once every four years, weather records for February 29 are necessarily limited. For example, the number of leap days on record at Dulles airport is just 13, since observations began there in 1963. Thus, it’s not surprising that today’s old rainfall record of 0.51” from 1968 was easily passed today. The airport has received 0.99” so far.
By Jason Samenow |
03:13 PM ET, 02/29/2012 |
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Posted at 12:36 PM ET, 02/29/2012
By David Streit
We are just beginning our most floriferous time of year. Of course, one of the main treats in Washington, D.C. will be the bloom of the region’s cherry blossoms. This is the 100th anniversary of these trees coming to the Tidal Basin so it should be quite an event.
By David Streit |
12:36 PM ET, 02/29/2012 |
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Posted at 01:10 PM ET, 02/28/2012
By Don Lipman
From trying to nail down the rain-snow line in winter to predicting the timing and location of pop-up thunderstorms in summer, the fickle nature of D.C.’s weather presents problems for even the most seasoned forecasters. What forecast challenges do other regions contend with? Are they as difficult as Washington, D.C.’s?
By Don Lipman |
01:10 PM ET, 02/28/2012 |
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Posted at 10:40 AM ET, 02/27/2012
By Don Lipman
Whether it’s extreme heat, extreme cold, blizzards, hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, droughts, floods, or just plain high winds, Washington experiences an incredible range of weather conditions. But is D.C. weather really more difficult to forecast than elsewhere or is that just an urban myth, perpetuated by mean-spirited cynics?
By Don Lipman |
10:40 AM ET, 02/27/2012 |
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Posted at 10:41 AM ET, 02/24/2012
By Justin Grieser
A balmy 60-degree day in early January might feel like spring, but when darkness falls around 5 p.m., we’re inevitably reminded that it is still winter. Now, at least, we’ve got the longer daylight and higher sun angle to accompany our spring-like temperatures, even if they are (once again) several degrees above average.
By Justin Grieser |
10:41 AM ET, 02/24/2012 |
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Posted at 10:34 AM ET, 02/23/2012
By Jason Samenow
Heading into the all-star break, the Washington Wizards have the 2nd worst record in the NBA. Washington, D.C. is also the 2nd biggest snow underachiever in the country, trailing only Baltimore for snow futility.
By Jason Samenow |
10:34 AM ET, 02/23/2012 |
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Posted at 03:25 PM ET, 02/22/2012
By Jason Samenow
Most of the Lower 48 United States has been snow challenged during the winter of 2011-2012. But of all the major cities, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. have the nation’s biggest snowfall deficits compared to normal on a percentage basis.
By Jason Samenow |
03:25 PM ET, 02/22/2012 |
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Posted at 12:03 PM ET, 02/22/2012
By Wes Junker
The warmer than normal winter is expected to continue into at least the first two weeks of March and will probably last through the month. That doesn’t mean there won’t be quick shots of colder than normal weather but that there is unlikely to be sustained cold. And snowstorms will still probably be hard to come by.
By Wes Junker |
12:03 PM ET, 02/22/2012 |
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Posted at 11:40 AM ET, 02/14/2012
By Ian Livingston
February, the final month of meteorological winter (Dec-Feb), features plenty of cold air many years, but also a hint of what’s to come in the months ahead with a hint of milder times. On average, precipitation remains at a cold-season nadir. Still, the month has provided many memorable snowstorms.
By Ian Livingston |
11:40 AM ET, 02/14/2012 |
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Posted at 02:10 PM ET, 02/03/2012
By Ian Livingston
Only about 15 percent of all winters in D.C. have recorded as little or less snow than we’ve seen this year. We’re now running almost 7” below normal season to date and it’s leaving some wondering what our chances are to break even. A look at past occurrences and the historical record might offer a few clues.
By Ian Livingston |
02:10 PM ET, 02/03/2012 |
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Posted at 10:20 AM ET, 02/02/2012
By David Streit
Let me say right off the bat, my garden does not look much different this year than any other year, except it isn’t buried under a snow drift! Why is that? Many of our plants evolved over the centuries to be more in tune with the dependable daylight hours than the more erratic temperature regime.
By David Streit |
10:20 AM ET, 02/02/2012 |
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Posted at 02:25 PM ET, 02/01/2012
By Jason Samenow
January 1950 was a shocking 12 degrees warmer than average in Washington, DC with 14 days above 60 degrees, including 6 above 70. By comparison, our very mild January 2012 was a mere 5 degrees above normal. What made January 1950 so warm?
By Jason Samenow |
02:25 PM ET, 02/01/2012 |
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Posted at 11:21 AM ET, 02/01/2012
By Matt Rogers
The winter of 2011-2012 has taken on a completely different character compared to the previous few winters which started off cold. After the 6th warmest December on record (tie), January 2012 concluded with an average temperature 4.8 degrees warmer than normal (1981-2000 normal), the 17th warmest on record (tied with 1876).
By Matt Rogers |
11:21 AM ET, 02/01/2012 |
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Posted at 02:07 PM ET, 01/31/2012
By Jason Samenow
At 2 p.m., Dulles Airport had climbed to 65, tying the record high previously set in 1993.
By Jason Samenow |
02:07 PM ET, 01/31/2012 |
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Posted at 10:27 AM ET, 01/30/2012
By Jason Samenow
The chart in this post does most of the talking: this winter has taken on a entirely different character from last winter. Whereas we spent most of our December and January days in the 30s and 40s during 2010-2011, this winter more than half our days have reached the 50s and 60s. Warmth, for the win!
By Jason Samenow |
10:27 AM ET, 01/30/2012 |
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Posted at 03:54 PM ET, 01/27/2012
By Jason Samenow
Planting zones are retreating north all over the country, but the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) won’t state the obvious: the shift is a rock solid indicator of climate change.
By Jason Samenow |
03:54 PM ET, 01/27/2012 |
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Posted at 12:26 PM ET, 01/21/2012
By Jason Samenow
The first widespread accumulating snow and ice event of the 2011-12 winter is over. Although the mix of precipitation stuck to area roads and created slippery conditions overnight into this morning, major problems were averted as the storm coincided with light traffic volume.
By Jason Samenow |
12:26 PM ET, 01/21/2012 |
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Posted at 10:46 AM ET, 01/19/2012
By Kevin Ambrose
If we look back at past decades, a few of the surprise snowstorms were quite large. I have researched the storms and rank the top 5 surprise snowstorms that have struck Washington, D.C. plus an honorable mention.
By Kevin Ambrose |
10:46 AM ET, 01/19/2012 |
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Posted at 11:37 AM ET, 01/18/2012
By Jason Samenow
Even after the record-setting snowfall in 2009-2010, the long-term trend for snowfall in D.C. is downward.
By Jason Samenow |
11:37 AM ET, 01/18/2012 |
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Posted at 04:55 AM ET, 01/13/2012
By Kevin Ambrose
The snowstorm of January 13, 1982 will always be remembered for the terrible crash of Air Florida Flight 90. The death toll was 78, making it Washington’s second worst weather-related disaster.
By Kevin Ambrose |
04:55 AM ET, 01/13/2012 |
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Posted at 11:19 AM ET, 01/12/2012
By Ian Livingston
January is the heart of winter. Many years, there is no escaping the coldest average temperatures in the mid-30s. And for snow lovers, January cannot be beat. Normally, it tops all months with the highest snowfall average.
By Ian Livingston |
11:19 AM ET, 01/12/2012 |
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Posted at 09:55 AM ET, 01/10/2012
By Jason Samenow
What was predicted to be a non-accumulating mix of snow, sleet and light rain turned into a surprising mostly snow event Monday, producing a trace to two inches across the region. Officially, National Airport received 0.6”, Dulles 0.5” and BWI airport 0.4”.
By Jason Samenow |
09:55 AM ET, 01/10/2012 |
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Posted at 10:26 AM ET, 01/03/2012
By Matt Rogers
December 2011 offered a stark contrast to the last few winters. Following on the heels of a top-ten warm November, we also have a top-ten warm December. This year ties 1923 for sixth place with an average temperature of 45 degrees.
By Matt Rogers |
10:26 AM ET, 01/03/2012 |
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Posted at 11:09 AM ET, 12/28/2011
By Jason Samenow and Ian Livingston
Following 2010’s weather extremes in Washington, it seemed unlikely 2011 could rival it. Yet somehow it came close.
By Jason Samenow and Ian Livingston |
11:09 AM ET, 12/28/2011 |
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Posted at 01:36 PM ET, 12/23/2011
By Jason Samenow
The National Weather Service office in Sterling, Va., serving our region, put together an excellent overview of Washington, D.C. Christmas weather history, including white Christmas information. I republish it here and wish our excellent NWS office - which will work right through the weekend - the happiest of holidays...
By Jason Samenow |
01:36 PM ET, 12/23/2011 |
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Posted at 09:38 AM ET, 12/23/2011
By Jason Samenow
The best kind of rain drenched the soils last night, falling mainly between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., completely avoiding rush hour commutes. An average of about 1” muddied up the region with the heaviest amounts north and west of the District.
By Jason Samenow |
09:38 AM ET, 12/23/2011 |
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Posted at 02:01 PM ET, 12/22/2011
By Jason Samenow
December is on pace to finish in the top 10 warmest on record in the region.
By Jason Samenow |
02:01 PM ET, 12/22/2011 |
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Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 12/22/2011
By David Streit
Certainly the last month has been a kind one to the late season garden with plenty of rain and relatively mild temperatures. Pansies are looking pretty good out there along with the cabbages and kales. It doesn’t look like any real cold blasts are coming any time soon either so more time to enjoy the hardy garden denizens. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy some time off from the garden. But inevitably I find myself drawn to it. So what is a gardener to do this time of year?
By David Streit |
11:00 AM ET, 12/22/2011 |
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Posted at 09:03 PM ET, 12/21/2011
By Jason Samenow
A mid-evening surge of mild air has pushed high temperatures at Dulles and BWI airports into record territory.
By Jason Samenow |
09:03 PM ET, 12/21/2011 |
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Posted at 10:03 AM ET, 12/21/2011
By Justin Grieser
If you’ve grown weary of short days and are looking forward to more sunlight, you won’t have to wait much longer. Tomorrow is the
winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing us the shortest daylight period and longest night of the year.
By Justin Grieser |
10:03 AM ET, 12/21/2011 |
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Posted at 10:53 AM ET, 12/19/2011
By Jason Samenow
What a difference two years makes. While today it’s sunny with a high near 50, on this date in 2009,Washington, D.C.’s biggest December snowfall on record paralyzed the region. In all, 16-24” fell.
By Jason Samenow |
10:53 AM ET, 12/19/2011 |
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Posted at 11:42 AM ET, 12/16/2011
By Ian Livingston
Winter is here, especially if you follow the meteorological calendar which defines it as December through February. Whether you believe the season starts on the 1st of this month, or you follow the astronomical calendar which brings it along during the final third, the month heralds the start of the coldest time of year.
By Ian Livingston |
11:42 AM ET, 12/16/2011 |
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Posted at 02:35 PM ET, 12/15/2011
By Jason Samenow
Data plotted on two graphs paints a pathetic picture for Washington, D.C. snow lovers this winter.
By Jason Samenow |
02:35 PM ET, 12/15/2011 |
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Posted at 01:02 PM ET, 12/14/2011
By Jason Samenow
Capital Weather Gang’s winter weather expert yesterday became the grinch who announced White Christmas odds in D.C. are even lower than usual this year. Does he still think that today, do others agree, and is global warming changing the odds of a White Christmas?
By Jason Samenow |
01:02 PM ET, 12/14/2011 |
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Posted at 12:48 PM ET, 12/13/2011
By Wes Junker
Santa and his elves have commissioned the Capital Weather Gang to take an early look at the snow potential for the week leading up to Christmas in Washington, D.C.
By Wes Junker |
12:48 PM ET, 12/13/2011 |
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Posted at 10:31 AM ET, 12/12/2011
By Ian Livingston
Temperatures hit freezing over the weekend, and this morning’s low of 19 at Dulles Airport was the coldest there since February 12.
By Ian Livingston |
10:31 AM ET, 12/12/2011 |
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Posted at 10:52 AM ET, 12/08/2011
By Jason Samenow
Wednesday’s storm had it all: heavy mountain snow, raging wind, and severe thunderstorms in the Virginia Tidewater and southern Maryland. But it was truly exceptional as a rain-producer, and the wettest day Washington, D.C. has ever experienced during the cold season spanning November to March.
By Jason Samenow |
10:52 AM ET, 12/08/2011 |
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Posted at 01:53 PM ET, 12/02/2011
By Jason Samenow
From 2002-2009, December 5 was dealt the hot hand for snow lovers. Will it snow on that date this year?
By Jason Samenow |
01:53 PM ET, 12/02/2011 |
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Posted at 02:20 PM ET, 12/01/2011
By Matt Rogers
November 2011 will be remembered as a dry and warm month. In fact, the 9th warmest on record.
By Matt Rogers |
02:20 PM ET, 12/01/2011 |
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Posted at 01:19 PM ET, 11/28/2011
By Jason Samenow
The preliminary high temperature reports are in and it doesn’t appear records were set. Reagan National (DCA) hit 71, three of its record, Dulles 70, one off its record, and BWI 69, four off its record.
By Jason Samenow |
01:19 PM ET, 11/28/2011 |
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Posted at 11:13 AM ET, 11/22/2011
By Justin Grieser
Thanksgiving in the nation’s capital is shaping up to be sunny and seasonably cool this year. But if you’re like me and usually celebrate Turkey Day in the D.C. metro area, you probably recall some years offering typical November weather and others that were nearly warm enough to consider moving the meal outside. At the other extreme, we’ve even had a bit of snow to accompany the turkey on a few rare occasions
By Justin Grieser |
11:13 AM ET, 11/22/2011 |
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Posted at 11:58 AM ET, 11/14/2011
By Ian Livingston
As November progresses, it usually becomes unmistakable that winter is around the corner. The days are short and the landscape begins to turn barren. Cold intrusions become more of a norm than a rarity as well, and on some occasions that cold air combines with moisture to produce an early-season snowfall.
By Ian Livingston |
11:58 AM ET, 11/14/2011 |
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Posted at 12:45 PM ET, 11/10/2011
By David Streit
Depending where you are in the area, the leaves are at the peak of their brilliance or falling fast! Despite the dry spells and deluges this summer, most of the colors came on pretty nicely. It is an annual delight to see those brilliant yellows of the gingko trees in Georgetown, russet beauty of the oak trees in Takoma Park and glowing oranges of the maple trees that line many of our streets throughout the area. But it is now time to focus on some of the other preparations for the winter season.
By David Streit |
12:45 PM ET, 11/10/2011 |
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Posted at 11:23 AM ET, 11/02/2011
By Don Lipman
OK, so we had some snow in parts of our area last month (just a trace at Reagan National and .6 of an inch at Dulles), now that it’s November, we could have some more. Time will tell. (I don’t do the forecasting on this blog.) But what does October snow mean, if anything, for the rest of the winter as a whole? Curiosity got the best of me and, although it’s been done many times before, I decided to do some of my own research.
By Don Lipman |
11:23 AM ET, 11/02/2011 |
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Posted at 02:07 PM ET, 11/01/2011
By Matt Rogers
Looking back at October, the freakish snow event that hit the Northeast hard and grazed our region stands out most. The region experienced its first marginally measurable snowfall in October since 1979.
By Matt Rogers |
02:07 PM ET, 11/01/2011 |
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Posted at 01:50 PM ET, 10/31/2011
By Kevin Ambrose and Ian Livingston
The snowflakes that fell in the immediate Washington area on Saturday were conversational, good for tasting, but not disruptive. Areas to the north and west of Washington, however, had significant accumulations and wide-spread power outages. Areas to the south and east of Washington experienced a cold, rainy day.
By Kevin Ambrose and Ian Livingston |
01:50 PM ET, 10/31/2011 |
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Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 10/27/2011
By David Streit
The weather has been pretty accommodating for gardeners in the past week, given the nice weekends. Moisture has been plentiful as can be seen in the map of the past two week’s rains. I have been busy getting my spots all plotted for those bushels of bulbs that have just arrived. The dormant season is approaching, but now is far from the dormant time for the gardener, so today let’s talk about getting the garden ready for winter.
By David Streit |
11:00 AM ET, 10/27/2011 |
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Posted at 11:12 AM ET, 10/21/2011
By Ian Livingston, Justin Grieser and Katie Wheatley
As we head through fall, the first freeze of the season is assured in only a matter of time. But, when is that time? Well, it depends on where in the area you are located. For many places, especially north and west of downtown D.C., a freeze can be expected before October is out. As you head into lower elevations to the south and east of D.C., or those close to warmer water, the wait often goes through November. Some years, spots even make it to December without one!
By Ian Livingston, Justin Grieser and Katie Wheatley |
11:12 AM ET, 10/21/2011 |
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Posted at 01:59 PM ET, 10/18/2011
By Jason Samenow
After 7 twisters touched down in Virginia last week, the 2011 count has risen to about 50*, second most on record (since 1950) for the state. 2011 ranks only behind 2004, when 87 tornadoes touched down, and just ahead of 2008, when there were 39
By Jason Samenow |
01:59 PM ET, 10/18/2011 |
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Posted at 11:42 AM ET, 10/18/2011
By Matt Ross
Hopefully the pleasant autumn weather of late has helped purge another brutal summer from your memory. Unfortunately, we are here to remind you one last time before we can get on with the business of looking ahead to winter. Here is a quick recap of our summer outlook. Although we did predict all three summer months to be warmer than normal, there will be no back patting. With the second hottest summer on record, rivaling 2010, we missed the mark.
By Matt Ross |
11:42 AM ET, 10/18/2011 |
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Posted at 01:00 PM ET, 10/13/2011
By David Streit
For once, the past two weeks have been pretty uneventful. Rains have been a little light but nothing bad, save for a few heavy showers this morning. Temperatures have been near normal. Why we even have the good weather coming on the weekends now! This brings me to the week’s discussion: musings while working in the garden last weekend.
By David Streit |
01:00 PM ET, 10/13/2011 |
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Posted at 01:38 PM ET, 10/07/2011
By Don Lipman
With the recent release of the new climate “normals,” the perennial question rears its head, as it always seems to do every 10 years, if not sooner: “What does normal weather really mean?” Is it the weather to be expected or is it just an average of weather over the past 30 years?
By Don Lipman |
01:38 PM ET, 10/07/2011 |
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Posted at 01:30 PM ET, 10/05/2011
By Ian Livingston
October and abundant sunshine often go hand in hand in the D.C. area, but the pattern is still a bit lazy compared to winter, so rains can come in heavy bouts over several days. When it comes to temperatures, averages are about as good as they get all year for some serious outdoor enjoyment! The shift toward colder weather is clearly evident though.
By Ian Livingston |
01:30 PM ET, 10/05/2011 |
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Posted at 02:52 PM ET, 10/03/2011
By Matt Rogers
The cloud cover quantity in September was quite impressive as only TWO days qualified as mostly sunny (30% or less cloud cover). At Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), it rained on 60% of the days. Those rainy days piled up a 5.12” surplus of rain compared to normal (8.84” total!). Historically, that is the fifth wettest September on record. Despite a very wet month, it was still less than half of the record for the wettest September (a super-saturated September 1934’s 17.45”)!
By Matt Rogers |
02:52 PM ET, 10/03/2011 |
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Posted at 12:51 PM ET, 10/03/2011
By Jason Samenow
The region’s experienced an odd mix of rain, mountain snow, record cold, and even rainbows in the past 24 hours. Here’s why.
By Jason Samenow |
12:51 PM ET, 10/03/2011 |
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Posted at 10:15 AM ET, 09/30/2011
By Jason Samenow
On Thursday, the count for mold spores in Washington, D.C. rose to 47,483 spores per cubic meter of air. That concentration was the highest in the U.S. Army Centralized Allergen Extract Lab’s ten year record for September according to Susan Kosisky, a microbiologist at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center lab.
By Jason Samenow |
10:15 AM ET, 09/30/2011 |
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Posted at 12:15 PM ET, 09/29/2011
By David Streit
If you feel like our climate has shifted to rain forest, you are not alone. The damp mild weather is not a novelty here but the persistence has been. However, for those of us close to D.C., would you believe that over the past two weeks (prior to last night), our rainfall has been nearly an inch below normal? There is probably no need to run for the sprinkler as temperatures have been mild and humidity levels high. Last time we spoke it was to prepare for spring bulb planting. Today, we go even farther into the future and think about summer bulbs.
By David Streit |
12:15 PM ET, 09/29/2011 |
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Posted at 03:01 PM ET, 09/27/2011
By Jason Samenow
With deluge after deluge over the past one to two months, just how wet has it been in Washington compared to past rainy periods?
By Jason Samenow |
03:01 PM ET, 09/27/2011 |
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Posted at 03:36 PM ET, 09/26/2011
By Jason Samenow
If you’re missing the blue skies, that’s because the last truly sunny day occurred September 13, almost two weeks ago.
By Jason Samenow |
03:36 PM ET, 09/26/2011 |
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Posted at 02:45 PM ET, 09/22/2011
By Justin Grieser
While meteorological fall already began three weeks ago, the autumnal equinox occurs Friday at 5:04 a.m. (EDT), signaling the official start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. Besides ushering in a new season, the fall equinox marks the time at which the sun shines directly overhead at the equator, which results in nearly equal periods of daylight and darkness at all latitudes. Until the winter solstice in December, the sun will continue its southward migration towards the Tropic of Capricorn, bringing us increasingly shorter days and a lower sun angle in the months ahead.
By Justin Grieser |
02:45 PM ET, 09/22/2011 |
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Posted at 02:40 PM ET, 09/21/2011
By Jason Samenow
”Wake me up when September ends”: Although that Green Day lyric is so 2005, it probably has entered more than a few minds during this depressingly dim September. So far this month, we’ve had at least a trace of precipitation on 12 out of 20 days. And dismally, we’ve had only four days with more than 50% sunshine.
By Jason Samenow |
02:40 PM ET, 09/21/2011 |
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Posted at 02:18 PM ET, 09/16/2011
By Jason Samenow
The onset of fall weather came abruptly last night. After more than 90 days when lows failed to even reach the 50s in D.C., we plummeted all the way into the 40s. And this afternoon’s temperatures are stuggling to reach the mid-60s, the coolest since early May.
By Jason Samenow |
02:18 PM ET, 09/16/2011 |
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Posted at 12:15 PM ET, 09/16/2011
By David Streit
Hopefully everyone’s garden survived the deluge from tropical storm Lee’s remnants. We were stuck between a rock and a hard place with all of Lee’s voluminous moisture funneling up from the south and Hurricane Katia offshore, blocking it from progressing out of the area. While the onslaught of rain was one way to break a drought for good, it was probably not the best way. Fortunately, we are drying out nicely now as it is about time for one of my favorite garden endeavors, bulb planting.
By David Streit |
12:15 PM ET, 09/16/2011 |
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Posted at 10:10 AM ET, 09/15/2011
By Ian Livingston
September may often be cited as the beginning of the “nice weather season” in Washington, D.C. Summertime heat and humidity are on the wane, and glorious sunny days are only sometimes stopped in their tracks by (often tropical and sometimes significant) rain events. As the month progresses, those overnight lows start getting back into the light jacket type of territory. Can talk of snow be far off?
By Ian Livingston |
10:10 AM ET, 09/15/2011 |
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Posted at 03:15 PM ET, 09/12/2011
By Jason Samenow
On Thursday, September 8, Ft. Belvoir received an astounding 7.03” of rain in three hours. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), that amount of rain in that amount of time was an “off the charts above a 1000-year rainfall (based on precip frequency from Quantico).”
By Jason Samenow |
03:15 PM ET, 09/12/2011 |
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Posted at 10:15 AM ET, 09/09/2011
By Ian Livingston
There are certain weather events that get etched into our memories because of their impact. This week’s flooding rains are sure to end up in that category for many in the Washington region. While the rain event is not completely over, some early comparisons can be made by taking a look at the historical record in the area.
By Ian Livingston |
10:15 AM ET, 09/09/2011 |
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Posted at 10:40 AM ET, 09/08/2011
By Jason Samenow
Relentless and punishing: words used to describe the heat in June and July can now describe the onslaught of torrential showers and thunderstorms since late Sunday. East of D.C., 6-10 inches of rain over the last four days has been common and widespread flooding has occurred. An uncommon combination of moisture streams has converged to make this prolific rain-producer possible.
By Jason Samenow |
10:40 AM ET, 09/08/2011 |
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Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 09/06/2011
By Jason Samenow
The rain poured down fast and furiously last night producing 1-2” of rain across the immediate metro region, and up to 2-4” to the west and southwest. The rain, which prompted several flash flood warnings, was just the first of several waves of rainfall likely over the next few days. By the end of the work week, cumulative rainfall totals may reach 3-6” in the immediate metro region, with 4-8” towards the mountains. With in both of these areas, locally higher amounts cannot be ruled out.
By Jason Samenow |
11:00 AM ET, 09/06/2011 |
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Posted at 03:00 PM ET, 09/01/2011
By David Streit
I hope everyone is recovering from the wrath of Irene. Looking at some of those pictures of flooding in wetter areas up north, I would say our drought was our salvation. Having dry soils helped to keep most trees well rooted and safe from toppling, which would not have been the case if the ground had already been soaked. So I guess we can count our blessings in many ways.
By David Streit |
03:00 PM ET, 09/01/2011 |
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Posted at 10:15 AM ET, 09/01/2011
By Matt Rogers
After our all-time hottest month on record in July, it was certainly a relief to see a change in the jet stream pattern over the mid-Atlantic by mid-to-late August. The big hot heat dome that dominated June and July resided primarily over the South Central U.S. in August (consider Houston’s pain- only one day of the entire month saw a high temperature below 100 degrees!). However, a cooler August did not allow us to escape the status as the second hottest summer on record- behind only last year (2010).
By Matt Rogers |
10:15 AM ET, 09/01/2011 |
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Posted at 01:15 PM ET, 08/31/2011
By Justin Grieser
If you’re an avid reader of Capital Weather Gang’s morning forecasts, you have no doubt noticed that little box with the green number and a snippet of commentary, better known as the “Daily Digit.” We announce it on Facebook and Twitter the night beforehand. And depending on what kind of weather is your cup of tea on any given day, you may find our assigned digit to be too generous, too harsh, or sometimes just right. What is the daily digit, and how did it come about? For lack of a better definition, we define the digit as a somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of 0 to 10. It debuted on December 16, 2009, just three days before D.C.’s biggest December snowfall on record. Since then it has become an integral part of our morning forecasts – so much so that many of you have asked questions about the history of this arbitrary number. Today we’ll look at some overall trends and other interesting trivia in the daily digit’s now 20-month history.
By Justin Grieser |
01:15 PM ET, 08/31/2011 |
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Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 08/29/2011
By Jason Samenow
Around the Washington, D.C. metro region, Irene behaved largely as predicted (at least by the Capital Weather Gang), raking the I-95 corridor and points east with wind and rain, with steadily diminishing impacts as you headed west towards Loudoun and Frederick county.
By Jason Samenow |
11:30 AM ET, 08/29/2011 |
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Posted at 09:20 AM ET, 08/15/2011
By Jason Samenow
When the heavy rain finally arrived Sunday evening, it fell fast and furious. But, in some spots, it was pretty much a no show. Amounts were highly variable ranging from as little as 0.1” west and southwest of the District to almost 3” in portions of Montgomery and northeast Prince George’s county. The locations with the highest totals were subject to some extreme rainfall rates as well as an onslaught of lightning.
By Jason Samenow |
09:20 AM ET, 08/15/2011 |
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Posted at 02:45 PM ET, 08/11/2011
By Jason Samenow
It’s official. Our region is in a drought. Neither severe nor expectional like in vast portions of Texas and Oklahoma, but a drought nonetheless. The good news is rain - perhaps substantial rain - is possible this weekend.
By Jason Samenow |
02:45 PM ET, 08/11/2011 |
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Posted at 10:30 AM ET, 08/11/2011
By David Streit
I figured that while the weather took a little break from the baking we have seen all summer, this would be a good time to talk about moving plants. I have joked before that at this point in the life of my garden, I spend as much time rearranging plants as I do planting new ones.
By David Streit |
10:30 AM ET, 08/11/2011 |
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Posted at 02:55 PM ET, 08/09/2011
By Jason Samenow
There is no disputing D.C. summer climate has warmed markedly since record-keeping began in the late 1800s. There is an overall warming trend of about 3 degrees F per century - slightly greater at night and lower during the day. But what one might dispute is the cause.
By Jason Samenow |
02:55 PM ET, 08/09/2011 |
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Posted at 10:00 AM ET, 08/08/2011
By Ian Livingston
Yeah, it’s still summer but we're used to it by the time August rolls around, right? Even though temperature averages are on their way down, August provides just a bit less in the way of heat than July but considerably more than June. And while it holds several rainfall records, recent Augusts seem a bit dry.
By Ian Livingston |
10:00 AM ET, 08/08/2011 |
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Posted at 03:15 PM ET, 08/02/2011
By Jason Samenow
After a record hot July, should Washingtonians be dreading what’s to come in August? The good news is that August is usually cooler than July. The average temperature in July is 79.8 compared to 78.1 in August. But it can still be scorching. Take, for example, August 1980 which set monthly records for both average temperature (82.8 degrees) and the number of 90+ degree days (22). That made August of 80 only slightly less sweltering than July 2011, with an average temp of 84.5 and 25 90+ days
By Jason Samenow |
03:15 PM ET, 08/02/2011 |
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Posted at 10:40 AM ET, 08/01/2011
By Matt Rogers and Ian Livingston
Congratulations D.C.-area readers. You have just experienced -- or tolerated, survived, and suffered -- the hottest month in recorded history. We did it last July too, but this time we soared just over another degree on average to achieve an incredibly toasty 84.5F at Washington Reagan National Airport. That’s 4.7 degrees hotter than the new 1981-2010 normal or 5.3 degrees hotter than the old 1971-2000 climatological baseline. Also, it is slightly hotter than a normal July for Houston, TX and slightly cooler than a normal July for Dallas, TX. It’s like we were living in a whole different part of the country.
By Matt Rogers and Ian Livingston |
10:40 AM ET, 08/01/2011 |
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Posted at 12:30 PM ET, 07/29/2011
By Jason Samenow
As hot as it is, it begs the question, where are the best and worst places to be?
By Jason Samenow |
12:30 PM ET, 07/29/2011 |
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Posted at 09:00 AM ET, 07/29/2011
By Ian Livingston
After last summer’s record-breaking heat, perhaps it seemed like we may have to wait a while to get back to those levels again. Sadly, not so! Thus far, this July has beaten July 2010 on almost every heat metric and it’s now poised to become the sole leader for hottest month ever in D.C. Yuck?
By Ian Livingston |
09:00 AM ET, 07/29/2011 |
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Posted at 02:15 PM ET, 07/28/2011
By David Streit
Oh what a summer this is turning out to be! If your lawn/garden looks like anything but the Mojave, give yourself a pat on the back. So what are we to do…water is the main solution at this point, plain and simple. The key is to try to make the most of the water you put down.
By David Streit |
02:15 PM ET, 07/28/2011 |
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Posted at 03:30 PM ET, 07/27/2011
By Jason Samenow
Water temperatures on the Potomac River at Little Falls reached their highest levels on record last week, reaching as high as 96 degrees.
By Jason Samenow |
03:30 PM ET, 07/27/2011 |
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Posted at 02:00 PM ET, 07/27/2011
By Jason Samenow
Although the current heat wave, defined as any stretch of at least three consecutive days at or above 90, has reached its tenth day, the drop in humidity since yesterday has provided a reprieve of sorts. Smitten by today’s low humidity, Twitter follower @aimster215 wrote: “Today=best 90 ever.” But tonight, the sinister southerly wind returns, amping up the humidity Thursday through Saturday. How and hot and humid are we talking about? When will it end? And what’s causing the heat?
By Jason Samenow |
02:00 PM ET, 07/27/2011 |
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Posted at 01:51 PM ET, 07/25/2011
By Jason Samenow and Justin Grieser
Dangerous, oppressive, stifling. These words were repeatedly used to describe the historic heat wave that slowly engulfed the D.C. area by the middle of last week and earned the name “Sweat Ceiling”. This post contains a summary of all the heat records that were set in the past week.
By Jason Samenow and Justin Grieser |
01:51 PM ET, 07/25/2011 |
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Posted at 05:05 PM ET, 07/23/2011
By Dan Stillman
The heat has been terrible again today, though thankfully the humidity has been lower than yesterday so the heat index has been more forgiving - to around 110 compared to Friday’s 120+. D.C. has broken its record high for the date, with National Airport reaching a high of 102 at 3:38 p.m. So far, no storms have affected the immediate metro area, but a few strong storms could still develop in spots into this evening.
By Dan Stillman |
05:05 PM ET, 07/23/2011 |
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Posted at 05:55 PM ET, 07/22/2011
By Jason Samenow
Dulles and BWI airports blew by old record high temperatures for the date this afternoon, reaching at least 105 and 106, respectively. Dulles’ 105 is the hottest temperature ever recorded there. Reagan National’s heat index (factoring in humidity) reached 121 at 3 p.m., the highest known level since 122 on July 16, 1980. Excessive heat warnings remain in this evening and Saturday when dangerous heat is once again likely.
By Jason Samenow |
05:55 PM ET, 07/22/2011 |
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Posted at 09:50 AM ET, 07/22/2011
By Jason Samenow
Reagan National Airport dropped to a mere 83 degrees this morning, which - barring a cooling thunderstorm this evening - will set a new record high minimum temperature for the date. Even more impressive, that steamy 83-degree low (assuming it stands) would tie for the second warmest low all-time in Washington, D.C. (since records began in the late 1800s).
By Jason Samenow |
09:50 AM ET, 07/22/2011 |
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Posted at 04:00 PM ET, 07/21/2011
By Jason Samenow
Readers, radio show hosts, and even meteorologists are questioning whether this is an unusual heat wave. I keep hearing this is just typical July heat. No it’s not. Let me explain...
By Jason Samenow |
04:00 PM ET, 07/21/2011 |
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Posted at 02:20 PM ET, 07/20/2011
By Jason Samenow
Over the last few days, I’ve blogged about heat index values of 130 or higher in parts of Iowa and Minnesota and dew points (a measure of humidity) over 80 (any dew point over 70 means really high humidity). Has the District seen heat and humidity readings reach these levels?
By Jason Samenow |
02:20 PM ET, 07/20/2011 |
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Posted at 01:20 PM ET, 07/19/2011
By Ian Livingston
Even though the average high temperature never quite reaches 90, Washington hits at least 90 36 times in an average year. Of course, this average comes from some pretty wide swings, like going from 11 such days in 2004 to 67 in 2011. Find out just about everything you need to know about 90s in D.C., and let us know if there is something we’re missing!
By Ian Livingston |
01:20 PM ET, 07/19/2011 |
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Posted at 11:15 AM ET, 07/14/2011
By David Streit
All gardeners have their horror stories when it comes to caterpillars in the garden devouring their hard work. My pansies disappeared thanks to all the munching. But to my surprise, a couple weeks later the garden was aflutter with hordes of fritillaries! I was hooked on finding other ways to help promote the caterpillars
By David Streit |
11:15 AM ET, 07/14/2011 |
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Posted at 12:50 PM ET, 07/12/2011
By Jason Samenow
Last night’s thunderstorms, a few of which were severe, produced two bands of meaningful rain. One band tracked from Loudoun county through Montgomery county then into northern Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties. A second band tracked from Prince William county through Charles county. Both bands generally dropped about 0.25-0.5” of rain, with some isolated areas receiving 0.5-1”. In between these two bands, there was a noticeable gap in precipitation (where less than 0.1” fell), a recurring theme in 2011 begging the question: can this really just be a coincidence?
By Jason Samenow |
12:50 PM ET, 07/12/2011 |
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Posted at 02:15 PM ET, 07/08/2011
By Jason Samenow
The Weather Channel came out with its rankings of the hottest cities by region Thursday, and D.C. was tops in the Northeast. The other winners, by region? Northwest: Medford, Oregon; Midwest: Wichita, Kansas; Southeast: Montgomery, Alabama; South-central: Laredo, Texas; Southwest: Yuma, Arizona
By Jason Samenow |
02:15 PM ET, 07/08/2011 |
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Posted at 01:20 PM ET, 07/07/2011
By Ian Livingston
What can you say about July in Washington? It’s hot — in fact, it’s the hottest month of the year. Along with all that heat comes the near-daily risk of a pop-up thunderstorm in its usual hit-or-miss nature. But, the real story is the heat. The month tops all others in the 90-degree day category, averaging right around 14 such days.
By Ian Livingston |
01:20 PM ET, 07/07/2011 |
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Posted at 02:30 PM ET, 07/06/2011
By Jason Samenow
On July 1, NOAA released its new climate normals - which are used as a baseline for comparison with the current weather. The new climate normals span the period 1981-2010, whereas the old climate normals encompassed 1971-2000. In a post last week, I indicated that across the United States, the new climate normals were warmer than the old climate normals by about 0.5 degree F and that every state’s new normals had warmed. But what about Washington, D.C.? How have normals in the Nation’s Capitol changed? In short - they have also warmed - and a bit more than the national average. And interestingly, Washington, D.C.’s “normal” snowfall has dropped.
By Jason Samenow |
02:30 PM ET, 07/06/2011 |
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Posted at 01:35 PM ET, 07/05/2011
By Matt Rogers
While not as hot at the record-shattering 2010, summer got off to a historically steamy start in Washington, D.C. Averaging more than four degrees above average, June 2011 tied with 1943 as the third hottest on record.
By Matt Rogers |
01:35 PM ET, 07/05/2011 |
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Posted at 11:45 AM ET, 06/30/2011
By David Streit
If the sneaky drought wasn’t enough to worry about, two of my most dependable pests have arrived right on cue in the garden: deer and Japanese beetles. Little did I know that some of my plantings are, as a good landscaping friend stated, “their version of filet mignon”.
By David Streit |
11:45 AM ET, 06/30/2011 |
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Posted at 10:45 AM ET, 06/29/2011
By Jason Samenow
Characteristic of many weather systems in 2011, the cold front passing through the region Tuesday left the District and many spots inside the beltway dry. (Post contains image of rain hole smack dab over the District)
By Jason Samenow |
10:45 AM ET, 06/29/2011 |
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Posted at 10:09 AM ET, 06/17/2011
By Jason Samenow
Generally half an inch to two inches of rain fell in the heart of the metro region Thursday night, at least temporarily quenching the thirst of area lawns and gardens.
By Jason Samenow |
10:09 AM ET, 06/17/2011 |
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Posted at 11:50 AM ET, 06/14/2011
By Jason Samenow
Prior to yesterday, Washington, D.C. had six straight days of highs of 90 or higher. The temperature averaged ten degrees above normal during that span. Now, for at least a few days, the pattern has reversed, and temperatures are at or below average. In fact, Monday was the first below average day in the last 25. Of particular significance, the low the last two nights even at the urbanized Reagan National airport dipped to 65 and 64 (and to 61 and 53 at the more rural Dulles). The sudden shift in temperatures no doubt inspired many to open up their windows and shutoff the energy hogging air conditioning. But as comfortable temperatures are a matter of individual preference, I thought it would be interesting to pose the poll question, how cool is cool enough to allow mother nature to act as our cooling machine?
By Jason Samenow |
11:50 AM ET, 06/14/2011 |
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Posted at 12:51 PM ET, 06/13/2011
By Jason Samenow
Despite rain chances varying from 30 to 60 percent Thursday through Sunday, most of the region inside the beltway grossly underachieved in the precipitation department with multi-day totals of less than 0.10”. Our lawns and gardens are now paying for it.
By Jason Samenow |
12:51 PM ET, 06/13/2011 |
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Posted at 11:11 AM ET, 06/10/2011
By Jason Samenow
Hot on the heels of Wednesday’s 99-degree record high at Reagan National Airport, Washington’s official observation station, the mercury spiked to 102 degrees Thursday, equaling the record for the date set in 1874. The 102-degree reading also matched the warmest temperature reached in the month of June since records started being kept in 1871.
By Jason Samenow |
11:11 AM ET, 06/10/2011 |
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Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 06/09/2011
By Ian Livingston
Washingtonian’s know that by June the forecast often features heat and the chance of showers and storms. Just a few hints of the spring storm track remain, as summer really builds in. Days below 80 are increasingly rare, and nights are quite mild as well. While summer can be a little more on the boring side, June often provides some pre-Independence Day fireworks.
By Ian Livingston |
11:00 AM ET, 06/09/2011 |
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Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 06/07/2011
By Matt Rogers
May 2011 closes out the meteorological springtime, and it ended on a very hot pre-summer note. The scorching 98F degree reading on May 31st was only one degree shy of the hottest temperature on record for the month (99F in 1991). We exceeded 90 degrees three times in May, which is about twice the normal (1.6 times). Our coldest reading of this month was a triplet of crisp, 46 degree lows back on May 4-6 (wow, that seems so long ago!). Overall, it was warmer and drier-than-normal for Washington, D.C. The precipitation story is probably a bigger concern with only about 1/3 of normal falling this past month. We could use a bit more rain here in June as I’m sure most of you have noticed recently.
By Matt Rogers |
11:00 AM ET, 06/07/2011 |
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Posted at 01:55 PM ET, 06/02/2011
By David Streit
Xeriscaping. Sounds like something out of a sci-fi story. For me, it was always something I associated with rocks and cactus in the Arizona desert. Well, taking a course from the USDA a few years ago, I got a real awakening. It is not just about rock gardens, it can be adapted to any environment and can be every bit as inviting as the grandest English garden.
By David Streit |
01:55 PM ET, 06/02/2011 |
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Posted at 11:45 AM ET, 06/02/2011
By Ann Posegate
Summer heat and humidity aren’t the only things to have arrived early in the D.C. area this year. Early last week, Capital Weather Gang commenters reported their first firefly spottings of the season. A warming climate has fireflies along with many other insects appearing earlier in the year than they used to. Recent trends also suggest a ‘renaissance’ of fireflies might be underway, with fireflies increasing not long after scientists feared they might be disappearing.
By Ann Posegate |
11:45 AM ET, 06/02/2011 |
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Posted at 01:20 PM ET, 05/26/2011
By Dan Stillman
Last year we tied the record for 90-degree days in a year. How many do you think we’ll notch this year?
By Dan Stillman |
01:20 PM ET, 05/26/2011 |
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Posted at 09:45 AM ET, 05/24/2011
By Matt Ross
The good news is that it doesn’t look like we’ll be making any run at last year’s record hot summer. The bad news? Like most summers, it will almost certainly be another hot and humid one in the D.C. area.
By Matt Ross |
09:45 AM ET, 05/24/2011 |
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Posted at 10:45 AM ET, 05/20/2011
By Jason Samenow
First we had the D.C. snow hole, now we have the D.C. dry tongue. For much of this week, we advertised flood watches, severe thunderstorm watches, heavy rainfall potential and so forth. The Nats even cancelled Tuesday’s game over the dire forecasts and only a few drops of rain fell. So what in the heck happened to all the rain? Answer: it artfully avoided us.
By Jason Samenow |
10:45 AM ET, 05/20/2011 |
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Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 05/19/2011
By David Streit
How can you beat a garden that is both beautiful and edible?! A couple of herbs that do great at filling that bill are dill and fennel. I am a spice freak, so peppers like cayenne make a great addition to the hot spots in my garden. But by far my favorites are the edible flowers! In the spring there are the pansies and violas. Another great edible is squash blossoms.
By David Streit |
11:00 AM ET, 05/19/2011 |
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Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 05/05/2011
By David Streit
We all hear plenty about climate these days! Many of you know about microclimate too. One example is the urban heat island around D.C. which results in a longer frost free period; another is the infamous National Airport with its cooling river breezes (warming in winter). However, today I want to go even smaller scale. Let’s call it “nanoclimate”! It is something that nearly every gardener is going to run into at some time or another and the more you think about it the better off your plants are likely to be.
By David Streit |
11:30 AM ET, 05/05/2011 |
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Posted at 10:30 AM ET, 05/04/2011
By Ian Livingston
After April’s showers comes May’s flowers, right? Yes -- and more rain as well. While warmth typically continues to increase its grip on the region, there are still volatile mixes with winter’s remnant cold air masses to the north that create energetic storms with plenty of rain. In fact, May is typically D.C.’s wettest month of the year.
By Ian Livingston |
10:30 AM ET, 05/04/2011 |
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Posted at 10:45 AM ET, 04/14/2011
By Matt Ross
By Matt Ross |
10:45 AM ET, 04/14/2011 |
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Posted at 10:45 AM ET, 04/08/2011
By Ian Livingston
April is a transitional month in D.C., but warm begins to win out as the days progress. And what about those April showers?
By Ian Livingston |
10:45 AM ET, 04/08/2011 |
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Posted at 10:20 AM ET, 04/06/2011
By Matt Rogers
Our recently-ended March 2011 was a strange month with lots of temperature variability and some interesting precipitation events. From a temperature standpoint, the month was 5.6 degrees colder than last March and almost 1degree colder than the thirty-year fixed normal (1971-2000). Our warmest day was that excellent 80-degree high temperature on March 18 and our coolest day was the 41-degree high on March 3 followed by the 42F just last week on March 31.
By Matt Rogers |
10:20 AM ET, 04/06/2011 |
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Posted at 02:30 PM ET, 04/01/2011
By Jason Samenow
Capital Weather Gang reader S.P. Gass awoke to a “pretty and surprising” 3.5 inches of snow this morning in Warren County between Linden and Chester Gap, Virginia. His picture of the snow backlit by diffuse sunlight is above. You can view more of his photos at OldDominionWildlife.com.
By Jason Samenow |
02:30 PM ET, 04/01/2011 |
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Posted at 11:16 AM ET, 03/29/2011
By Jason Samenow
After we hit 70 and 80 just over a week ago, many thought we had turned the corner and spring was here to stay. Now, all I hear is complaints about how cold it is. How cold has it really been relative to average?
By Jason Samenow |
11:16 AM ET, 03/29/2011 |
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Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 03/28/2011
By Jason Samenow
With the paltry 0.2 inches of snow that fell at Reagan National Airport early Sunday, Washington D.C.’s official winter 2010-2011 snowfall total barely edged into double digit territory. It’s only the second winter in the past five to cross the ten inch threshold.
By Jason Samenow |
11:00 AM ET, 03/28/2011 |
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Posted at 10:30 AM ET, 03/22/2011
By Don Lipman
Now that we’re really done with winter (but not necessarily winter-type weather)--both meteorologically (December 1-February 28) and astronomically (December 21-March 20)--I thought I’d compare the two for the 2010-11 winter season, focusing mainly on temperatures. Bear in mind, however, that in the future, when most statistics are gathered, they will refer to the meteorological season, the official standard of the National Weather Service (NWS) as well as some other countries such as Australia and Brazil.
By Don Lipman |
10:30 AM ET, 03/22/2011 |
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Posted at 10:40 AM ET, 03/17/2011
By Ian Livingston
Capital Weather Gang introduced the Snow Potential Index (SPI) prior to winter 2010-11 starting, and it ran up until mid-March. A look back reveals that the SPI was largely successful during the winter, but there was at least a little controversy as well.
By Ian Livingston |
10:40 AM ET, 03/17/2011 |
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Posted at 10:40 AM ET, 03/16/2011
By Jason Samenow
If only all rain events were like last night’s. It largely avoided both rush hours, mostly fell while we were sleeping, and umbrellas were sidelined. Also, it was accompanied by no severe weather, and generally did not cause flooding. Perhaps best of all , milder air is streaming in behind it.
By Jason Samenow |
10:40 AM ET, 03/16/2011 |
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Posted at 05:58 PM ET, 03/07/2011
By Don Lipman
I don’t know about you, but I thought that this past (meteorological) winter, although not particularly snowy around here, was brutally windy on many days, perhaps more so than in many years. But perceptions are often wrong, particular when it comes to the weather, so I decided to do a little research. Was I right or am I just getting older so that I can’t take those “hold-your-hat-down-days” any more?
By Don Lipman |
05:58 PM ET, 03/07/2011 |
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Posted at 12:30 PM ET, 03/01/2011
By Jason Samenow
The saying goes: If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb. But how has that saying held up over the last decade?
By Jason Samenow |
12:30 PM ET, 03/01/2011 |
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Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 12/03/2010
By Dan Stillman
Will this winter bring anything like last winter's record-breaking 56 inches of snow at National Airport (and 73 inches at Dulles)? Or will it be much closer to or below the average annual snowfall of 15 inches at National (and 21" at Dulles)? We've already given you our forecast. Now, it's your turn...
By Dan Stillman |
11:30 AM ET, 12/03/2010 |
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Posted at 07:30 PM ET, 11/09/2010
By Jason Samenow
After consultation with agricultural extension agents across the Baltimore/Washington Weather Forecast Office's county warning area ... it has been determined that the growing season for frost and freeze sensitive vegetation has ended.
By Jason Samenow |
07:30 PM ET, 11/09/2010 |
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Posted at 10:15 AM ET, 11/08/2010
By Jason Samenow
What's the average first date of snow in D.C.? The answer: Between 1971-2000, the average date of the first 0.1" of snow was December 13 and December 28 for the first inch.
By Jason Samenow |
10:15 AM ET, 11/08/2010 |
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Posted at 02:00 PM ET, 10/11/2010
By Jason Samenow
In what is almost certainly summer's last hurrah, temperatures today head for the mid-to-upper 80s.
The mercury should easily sail past Dulles Airport's record high of 78 from 2001.
Reagan National's record of 90 from 1919, the latest its ever hit 90, probably won't be matched or exceeded. Likewise, BWI's record of 89 from 1954 is a reach.
By Jason Samenow |
02:00 PM ET, 10/11/2010 |
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Posted at 12:45 PM ET, 10/04/2010
By Jason Samenow
September ended with record torrents of rain that may have washed away memories of one of the distinctive aspects of the month. It was one of the hottest Septembers in Washington history, continuing a trend of thermal overachievement that began here months ago.
By Jason Samenow |
12:45 PM ET, 10/04/2010 |
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Posted at 10:50 AM ET, 10/01/2010
By Ian Livingston
After months of mostly dry, it's been quite the wet week. Yesterday, September 30, 2010, Baltimore added another big record to its list for the year -- the one-day rainfall record for the month. The 6.02" of rain that fell at Baltimore-Washington (BWI) in a 24 hour period surpassed the previous Sept. record of 5.97" on Sept. 24, 1912.
By Ian Livingston |
10:50 AM ET, 10/01/2010 |
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Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 09/25/2010
By Jason Samenow
Washington, D.C. has reached 90 or higher on 66 days in 2010, the second most on record. The record is 67 from 1980 as we've stated an untold number of times on this blog.
The forecast high today is around 89 -- oh, so close. We think there's a 40% chance Reagan National (DCA, D.C.'s "official" observing station) makes 90.
Track today's temperature each hour right here:
By Jason Samenow |
11:00 AM ET, 09/25/2010 |
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Posted at 01:30 PM ET, 09/08/2010
By Jason Samenow
While D.C. is 6 days away from breaking its record for 90+ degree days, Baltimore has already done it.
By Jason Samenow |
01:30 PM ET, 09/08/2010 |
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Posted at 01:30 PM ET, 08/24/2010
By Jason Samenow
Weather Services International (WSI), a private forecasting company owned by the Weather Channel, is calling for a warmer than average fall for much of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast
By Jason Samenow |
01:30 PM ET, 08/24/2010 |
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Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 08/11/2010
By Jason Samenow
Two more daily climate records around the area may be broken today. First...the daily record highest minimum temperature for Aug 11 at DCA [Reagan National] is 78 in 1988. The min temp earlier this morning only fell to 80. Therefore, if the temp does not drop below the 1988 reading by midnight EST...then the highest min temp record will be broken today. Also...the daily record high temperature at IAD (Dulles Airport) for Aug 11 is 96f in 1980. The forecast high temp for today at IAD is 97.
By Jason Samenow |
11:00 AM ET, 08/11/2010 |
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Posted at 10:50 AM ET, 08/06/2010
By Dan Stillman
AccuWeather.com's Joe Bastardi is out with his initial forecast for the upcoming winter, and the news is good for people in the D.C. area hoping for an end to the extreme and record-breaking conditions of this past winter and the ongoing summer.
By Dan Stillman |
10:50 AM ET, 08/06/2010 |
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Posted at 04:00 PM ET, 07/31/2010
By Ian Livingston
83.1 average temperature warmest of any month on record * How's tomorrow looking? Full Forecast | NatCast * Regional temperature departures from July 1 through July 30 show most of the area well above average. Image courtesy: High Plains Regional Climate Center. Though still unofficial, it appears that D.C. has...
By Ian Livingston |
04:00 PM ET, 07/31/2010 |
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Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 07/26/2010
By Jason Samenow
As we mentioned yesterday, BWI airport hit 100 - breaking the previous record of 99 from 1934. But more notable is the fact Baltimore reached 100 for the fifth time this month - the most ever 100-degree occurrences for any month in Baltimore in recorded history. And yesterday marked Baltimore's seventh 100 degree or higher day in 2010 - tying 1988 and 1930 for the most ever in a summer.
By Jason Samenow |
11:00 AM ET, 07/26/2010 |
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Posted at 10:00 AM ET, 07/08/2010
By Jason Samenow
THE EARLIEST REPORTED READING OF 100F IN A CALENDAR DAY WAS RECORDED YESTERDAY JULY 6 2010 ... JUST BEFORE 12 PM NOON EDT ... OR 11 AM IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME...EST. PREVIOUSLY THE EARLIEST RECORD OF A 100F READING IN WASHINGTON DC WAS AUG 21 1930 AT NOON EST ... OR 1 PM EDT.
By Jason Samenow |
10:00 AM ET, 07/08/2010 |
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Posted at 12:00 AM ET, 06/22/2010
By Jason Samenow
Astronomical spring for 2010... defined as March 20 to June 20 in the Northern Hemisphere... was the warmest on record at both Washington National D.C. and Washington Dulles.
By Jason Samenow |
12:00 AM ET, 06/22/2010 |
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Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 04/09/2010
By Don Lipman
A few weeks ago, some of you may remember my article, "Believe it or not, D.C.'s is a Climate to Relish," in which I argued that, despite our winter of record-setting snow, the D.C. area's climate -- the highs, the lows, the extremes and the normals -- is relatively tame compared to other parts of the country. As a postscript to that article, and in the wake of yet another period of notable weather (this time a stretch of summer heat in early April), I will now focus on the latter of those climate components -- the "normals."
By Don Lipman |
11:00 AM ET, 04/09/2010 |
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Posted at 12:45 PM ET, 03/23/2010
By Don Lipman
I've found that the term "mid-Atlantic states" is often confusing, even to long-time inhabitants. Several times this past winter, the National Weather Service referred to storms which would primarily impact the northern or the southern mid-Atlantic and I had to ask myself, "Where are we?"
By Don Lipman |
12:45 PM ET, 03/23/2010 |
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