Like a Wet Blanket

Now

Scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon have been associated with a stationary front taking up residence just south of the Potomac Valley. At mid afternoon, a broken line of these showers extended from I-66 just east of the Blue Ridge southeastward across Fauquier and Stafford Counties into southern Charles County. Another very small, but locally intense, cell popped up just inside the Beltway north of Springfield. None of these were showing much sign of wanting to move anywhere, except slightly south, so a few places will receive moderate to heavy downpours, while many others will remain dry.

Tonight and Tomorrow

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will be concentrated well south and west of the Beltway through this evening, although an isolated storm could pop up just about anywhere else. Lows will be in the upper 70s in town, mid 70s in most other places. Tomorrow will be continued humid with hazy sunshine and highs in the upper 80s; the chance of showers or thunderstorms is 40%.

For the extended outlook and suggested weekend activities, see Camden's post below.

Tropical Topics

The tropical Atlantic remains much quieter than last year at this point, but the advent of Hurricane Bud in the eastern Pacific earlier this week prompted this bit of Weather Channel humor: "Can Weiser be far behind?"

Have a great weekend, and stay cool responsibly!

Mega Muggy

Now

Unlike yesterday afternoon, when most of the storm activity was south of the District, today's heaviest thunderstorms are focused on the Baltimore area. These storms, ahead of a weak cold front sagging southward from the Mason-Dixon line, prompted a Flash Flood Warning until 6pm for portions of Baltimore County. Since the general motion is more east than south, they are unlikely to reach any but the most northeastern fringes of the Washington suburbs.

Conditions are still favorable for some other scattered storms to develop in the metro area through this evening, however.

Tonight and Tomorrow

Continued muggy. Tonight will be warm and humid with a 40% chance of showers or thunderstorms through this evening and lows in the low to mid 70s. Tomorrow will be sunnier than today with highs in the upper 80s and a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly south of the immediate metro area.

For the outlook through the weekend and Larson's Long-Range, see Josh's post below.

Northeast Storms

New York State was heavily pounded with storms yesterday. The 3.33" of rain in Rochester was the greatest daily amount ever recorded there in July and the third highest amount in 100 years. A tornado was reported in Westchester County, just north of New York City.

Scattered Storms Spawned, Some Severe

Now

The oppressive humidity has provided fuel for the development of some locally severe thunderstorms in the Washington DC metro area. At mid afternoon, the focus of activity was along the I-66 corridor in Virginia and moving eastward. Current watches and warnings are listed by county in the box above.

Tonight and Tomorrow

Tonight will continue warm and very humid with a 40% chance of thunderstorms through this evening and lows in the mid 70s. Tomorrow will see more clouds than today, a 50% chance of showers or thunderstorms, and highs in the upper 80s.

For the outlook through the weekend, see Dan's post below.

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A small, but intense, cell moved eastward a little south of I-66 in Virginia and dumped just under half an inch of rain at National Airport in 10 minutes around 4:00. Another cell was behind it headed toward Manassas and Centreville.

More widespread rain, however, was spread across northern New York state and much of New England, where they don't need any more rain. Golf ball to tennis ball size hail was reported yesterday in Exeter, NH. Severe storms were widespread in southern New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts.

Lazy Hazy Daze

Now

Haze and clouds have limited some close-in locations to the upper 80s this afternoon, but outlying places such as Leesburg (91°) and Frederick (93°) have exceeded the 90° mark. Even Momma Nature's kitchen was feeling lazy, cooking up only a few scattered thundershowers in the mountains of West Virginia.

Tonight and Tomorrow

Tonight will continue warm and humid with lows in the low to mid 70s. Tomorrow will be similar to today, but a degree or two warmer in most places; highs should be 89° to 92&deg. The chance of afternoon or evening thunderstorms is 35%.

For the extended outlook through the weekend, see Jason's post below.

Thunderstats

With the year only a little more than half over, Washington is already close to the long-term annual average of 30.6 thunderstorm days. The 3 thunderstorms in January were followed by 1 in February and none in the extremely dry March, but the pace picked up again through the rest of the spring and early summer. June's total of 12 was double the average of 5.9, and we have had 2 thunderstorms (the 2nd and 4th) so far in July vs. the average of 6.5.

In the continuing aftermath of the recent flooding rains, the IRS announced today that the headquarters building on Constitution Ave. will be at least partially closed until January for repairs. Three million gallons of water flooded the building's basement and sub-basement, destroying air-conditioning and electrical equipment.

CapitalWeather.com chart from NWS data, photo © Kevin Ambrose

Climate Comments

Today's WaPo editorial, "A Sorry Record", comments on federal government policies for promoting greenhouse gas reductions. It concludes that

. . . the longer this country goes without action, the more difficult will be the reductions necessary to help prevent an environmental catastrophe.

2-H Club

Currently

It's definitely hazy and humid in the Washington DC metro area (check out the murk in the Live Shot to the right), but hot it's not. Temperatures inside and around the Beltway at mid afternoon were mainly in the mid 80s, several degrees below the average for this part of July, but dewpoints were pushing 70° at many locations. Precipitation on regional radar was limited to a few scattered showers in the general vicinity of Charlottesville.

Tonight and Tomorrow

Muggy. Murky mugginess will continue tonight with only a 20% chance of scattered showers or thunderstorms through this evening and lows ranging from the low 70s in town to the upper 60s in some cooler 'burbs. Tomorrow will add a third "H" as hazy and humid are joined by heat in the form of highs between 90° and 92&deg. There is a slight chance (20%) of afternoon or evening thunderstorms.

For the outlook through next weekend, see Jason's post below.

Support Your Local NOAA

The National Weather Service Employees Organization has started a Friends of NOAA website "to support increased funding for NOAA." So far, the House has voted to increase the NWS budget by $2 million over the amount recommended by the Appropriations Committee, but the overall NOAA budget has been reduced significantly.