Afternoon Update

This afternoon's weather map shows a large high pressure area dominating most of the U.S. There is virtually no precipitation anywhere east of the Rockies except for some showers in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northernmost Minnesota.

The rain associated with the cold front which we discussed yesterday did bring the lightest of accumulations to the western and northern fringes of the Washington metro area. Potomac Falls HS in Sterling, VA, for instance, managed to eke out 0.01".

Temperatures this afternoon are seasonable; they range from 60 through the low 60s.

Regional radar image at 10:09pm last night from the Weather Channel.

Tonight and Tomorrow

Tonight, clear skies and light winds will promote cooling to the mid 40s in the city, as low as the mid 30s in some outlying areas. Tomorrow will be sunny and a little warmer, highs in the upper 60s.

Tropical Beat

"There are no tropical cyclones in the Atlantic at this time," and none are expected to develop through tomorrow.

Broadcast News: Global Warming Special

Reminder: The PBS global warming special is on tonight at 8pm (both channels 22 and 26 locally). South Carolina ETV, which co-produced the show, has a preview on their web site.

Disaster Recovery

WaPo prints an AP story today reporting that Donald Powell, the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, has been appointed to "oversee federal efforts to rebuild the U.S. Gulf Coast region devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita." Among Mr. Powell's many qualifications for overseeing disaster recovery are:

• Downsizing the FDIC
  
• Running the First National Bank of Amarillo, Texas
  
• Raising over $100K for the Bush campaign

COMET: The Little Web Schoolhouse

One of our objectives here at CapitalWeather is to educate as well as entertain. The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has developed an online educational program called COMET (Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology). Modules are available for a variety of levels, from kids through operational forecasters. One of the more intriguing hurricane topics is "Community Hurricane Preparedness", in which "the last section is a decision-making exercise in which you, as the emergency manager, must decide when and if to call for an evacuation as a hurricane moves toward your city." Presumably, if you make the right decision, it says, "You're doing a heckuva job."