Capital Weather Gang: Nature


Posted at 10:29 AM ET, 08/14/2012

The heart-warming and heart-wrenching tales of dogs in toasty weather
By Jason Samenow
Very warm weather can pose hazards to dogs, but can also prove therapeutic. During the nation’s hottest month on record in July, viral stories of the trials of several canines have evoked all kinds of human emotions from inspiration to terror to anger.

By Jason Samenow  |  10:29 AM ET, 08/14/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Latest, Nature, Extreme Heat, Photography, U.S. Weather

Posted at 02:24 PM ET, 06/29/2012

Can pets take the heat? Tips for keeping your dog or cat cool
By Ann Posegate
With the second heat wave of the summer underway and heat indices rising into the 100s this weekend, it’s time to give our pets a little extra tender love and care.

By Ann Posegate  |  02:24 PM ET, 06/29/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Latest, Extreme Heat, Nature, Posegate

Posted at 11:02 AM ET, 06/28/2012

What’s that smell west of Washington, D.C.? Forest fires burning near Skyline Drive and Front Royal
By Jason Samenow
Several Twitter followers this morning noticed the scent of smoke and burning wood in the air in Loudoun, western Fairfax, and Prince William county. The cause is most likely two forest fires burning to the west and southwest: near Front Royal and Shenandoah National Park.

By Jason Samenow  |  11:02 AM ET, 06/28/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Latest, Nature

Posted at 02:10 PM ET, 04/06/2012

The bluebells of Bull Run
By Kevin Ambrose
The Tidal Basin has the cherry blossoms but Bull Run has the bluebells. The bluebell, which carpet the forest floor in large areas along Bull Run, is a native perennial plant that can grow up to 2.5 feet tall and prefers moist, wooded areas.

By Kevin Ambrose  |  02:10 PM ET, 04/06/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Latest, Photography, Nature

Posted at 10:45 AM ET, 03/23/2012

Stink bugs emerge from hibernation
By Kevin Ambrose
The recent warm weather has awakened stink bugs from hibernation, causing them to scamper from their hideouts in our attics and walls, emerging both indoors and outdoors, wherever they can find a getaway.

By Kevin Ambrose  |  10:45 AM ET, 03/23/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Nature, Latest, Photography

Posted at 11:36 AM ET, 02/16/2012

Warm winter may ease stress on pets
By Ann Posegate
There’s no doubt some snow lovers resent this winter’s warmth and lack of precipitation. But despite our own preferences for warm weather, our pets may be enjoying it more than we know.

By Ann Posegate  |  11:36 AM ET, 02/16/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Posegate, Latest, Nature

Posted at 10:15 AM ET, 02/16/2012

Little snow, but a blizzard of snow geese (PHOTOS)
By Jason Samenow
Sickened by the lack of snow this year? Venture out to the eastern shore of Delaware and get your snow fix. Snow geese fix, that is. Nature photographer Cortez Austin did exactly that, and he captured some gorgeous images of these graceful birds.

By Jason Samenow  |  10:15 AM ET, 02/16/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Latest, Photography, Nature

Posted at 07:25 AM ET, 02/02/2012

Groundhog Day 2012: Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow, 6 more weeks of winter
By Jason Samenow
At 7:25 a.m. this morning, amidst mostly cloudy skies, and temperatures in the low 30s, Groundhog Phil saw his shadow in the little town of Punxsutawney, Pa. According to folklore, Phil’s sighting of his own shadow means there will be six more weeks of winter.

By Jason Samenow  |  07:25 AM ET, 02/02/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Latest, Nature, U.S. Weather, Humor

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 12/09/2011

Stink bug season 2011-12: If you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em?
By Kevin Ambrose
Last December, I wrote a post about stink bug weather and tips for keeping the bugs out of homes and businesses. A year later, the battle against the stinky pest continues.

By Kevin Ambrose  |  12:00 PM ET, 12/09/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Latest, Nature

Posted at 01:45 PM ET, 08/17/2011

Traps for fighting the inevitable stink bug invasion
By Kevin Ambrose
The first wave of stink bugs arrived at my house last week. It was a small wave, I saw about two dozen stink bugs crawling up the siding of my house to the soffits, no doubt searching for an area to hibernate this winter. To combat the stink bugs this year, I plan to use battery-powered light traps to the catch the bugs.

By Kevin Ambrose  |  01:45 PM ET, 08/17/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Nature, Latest

Posted at 11:35 AM ET, 07/26/2011

The scoop on gnats: the weather they like & why they drive us nuts
By Ann Posegate
They hover around your eyes, ears, nose and mouth. They slowly devour the roots of your houseplants. They levitate in swarms called ghosts, haunting stream beds and forests throughout the region. What is it about summer that entices these tiny flies to wake up and smell the … rotting roses? Gnat larvae live in moist environments. Given the average annual precipitation of 40 inches and ample waterways and wetlands in the DC region, finding the perfect gnat breeding site does not seem to be a problem.

By Ann Posegate  |  11:35 AM ET, 07/26/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Posegate, Nature, Latest

Posted at 11:45 AM ET, 06/02/2011

Fireflies flashing earlier as climate warms. Are we amidst a ‘renaissance of lightning bugs’?
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 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Climate Change, Environment, Education, Local Climate, Nature, Posegate, Wx and the City, Latest

Posted at 10:30 AM ET, 10/15/2010

Local pumpkins survive summer heat, fall rains
By Ann Posegate
Summer heat and dry weather affected pumpkin patches and other fall crops throughout the region this year, but the extent varied.

By Ann Posegate  |  10:30 AM ET, 10/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Nature, Nature

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 04/13/2010

Atmosphere's revenge? Monarchs in short supply
By Steve Tracton
Normally this time of year, millions of real-life monarch butterflies are migrating from their winter haunts in Mexico toward the northern U.S. and Canada. This year, however, it seems the atmosphere has taken revenge by devastating the butterflies' winter sanctuary in the mountains of Mexico.

By Steve Tracton  |  11:00 AM ET, 04/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Nature, Nature

Posted at 10:45 AM ET, 10/23/2009

Woolly worm makes winter forecast
By Ann Posegate
* Which weekend day will be nicer? Full Forecast | CWG photo contest * A woolly bear caterpillar, captured on camera by CWG reader spgass1. Move over, Punxatawny Phil. Make way for Wilbur -- the winner of this year's Woolly Worm race at the 32nd Annual Woolly Worm Festival in...

By Ann Posegate  |  10:45 AM ET, 10/23/2009 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Nature, Nature

Posted at 11:05 AM ET, 02/11/2009

Warming Changes Where Birds Wait Out Winter
By Ann Posegate
Wx and the City * Poll: Warm Weather Affecting You? | Windy Tomorrow: Full Forecast * The American Robin now waits out winter over 200 miles further north than where it did 40 years ago. Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. A report released yesterday by the National...

By Ann Posegate  |  11:05 AM ET, 02/11/2009 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Nature, Nature, Nature, Nature, Nature

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 02/05/2009

Warm Weather: When the Ants Come Marching In
By Ann Posegate
Wx and the City * Warming Up? Full Forecast | Backlash Against AccuWeather Hype * A carpenter ant, coming soon to a kitchen near you? From Wikimedia Commons, by Richard Bartz. Temperatures well above average are on their way for this weekend, according to our latest forecast. During a warm...

By Ann Posegate  |  11:00 AM ET, 02/05/2009 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Nature, Nature, Nature