Going Out Like a Lamb

Strong southerly flow ahead of a strong low pressure area over the western Great Lakes brought balmy temperatures to the entire East Coast this afternoon. Readings in the 60s and even the 70s reached well into northern New England. Here in the Washington DC metro area, the month is ending on an up note with widespread upper 70s.

Showers out ahead of the cold front extending southward from the low were just reaching the outskirts of Pittsburgh and the northern West Virginia panhandle around 4pm. By 5pm, a first wave of showers had ended at Pittsburgh with less than 0.10" of rainfall; Morgantown WV reported a trace. A few of these showers may make it over the mountains into the metro area overnight, but the focus of upper-level energy will remain near or to the north of the Great Lakes.


Tonight and Tomorrow


Clouds will increase this evening with a 40% chance of showers in the late evening or early morning and lows near 56. Tomorrow will see a chance of showers in the morning and decreasing clouds in the afternoon, highs near 70.

"Parched March"

Today's WaPo has an article "After a Parched March, Water Worries Percolate" discussing the developing drought situation in the area. One item not mentioned is that a scan of the records indicates that if the current total holds through midnight, this month would join only 3 other months in 135 years of Washington records with less than 0.10" of precipitation. The others were April 1985 (0.03"), October 2000 (0.02") and October 1963 (trace).