Frost is Off the Pumpkin

Now

Sunny, warm. Yesterday's chilly rain has been replaced by warm October sun in the Washington metro area. Temperatures at mid afternoon were generally in the mid to upper 70s, with exurb Fredericksburg reporting 81° for about the last 3 hours. Summery dewpoints in the low to mid 60s were adding a hint of mugginess as well. Another warm day is on tap for tomorrow before the next storm system developing in the Ohio Valley helps bring in some Gulf moisture for rain or showers tomorrow night and into Friday.

Tonight and Tomorrow

Continued Warm. Skies will be mainly clear tonight, but without any drying, lows are unlikely to be much below 60° in most places. Some fog is probable in low-lying areas. Tomorrow will again be mostly sunny and warm with highs in the mid 70s, but with cloudiness increasing late in the day.

For the outlook through the rest of the week and the weekend, scroll down to Dan's post below.

The Future Ain't What It Used to Be

Issue 14.09 (September) of Wired Magazine has an article, "Storm Center", reviewing the tradeoffs between form and function in the design of the new NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in the venerable Suitland Federal Center. In replacing the old mission control in an "asbestos-riddled, flood-prone, former World War II-era hospital", the techno-geeks said, "Save money! Just build us a box." The architect, however, took a broader view, given that the cost of his futuristic design was only about 8 hours of Iraq War. (Before you start the political flames, that's his quote, not mine!) The building is scheduled to begin operations this fall.

Image from Wired Magazine