Degrees of Separation

Now

Windy, chilly. A late-morning frontal passage which was much more of a humidity drop than a temperature change, strong downsloping winds, and abundant sunshine have separated the forecasts from the observations today in the Washington metro area. Temperatures have reached the upper 40s and even 50° in some favored locations, including Quantico and Culpeper. The high at National of 48° brings an end to the string of below-average days at 2.

A reinforcing shot of cold air from the Great Lakes region should lower readings tomorrow on brisk northwest winds while a low pressure area becomes organized in the southern branch of the jet stream over the Gulf States for possible action late in the weekend.

Tonight and Tomorrow

Clear, windy, colder. Skies will be mostly clear tonight with lows in the upper 20s downtown, mid and lower 20s in the 'burbs. Tomorrow will be sunny and windy with highs in the mid 30s.

For the outlook through the rest of the weekend and the Snow Lover's Crystal Ball, scroll on down to Camden's post below.

One Degree of Separation

The uproar started by the posting on the web site of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works that we noted yesterday has continued. Dr. Heidi Cullen has a response, "A Very Political Climate", on her blog, a video response, and an interview with Mike Bettes on the One Degree web site.

Christopher Mims has a posting on the Scientific American editors' blog, "Now Hold On, People - Sen. James Inhofe vs. The Weather Channel" . If you thought you detected the pungent whiff of Swift Boat fumes in the Senate Committee statement, Mims has a good explanation: "Senator Inhofe's Pet Weasel", from another SciAm editor. SourceWatch has more details.

Seeing Green

If the politicization of climate change has you upset, Jim Jubak of TheStreet.com has the ultimate pragmatic solution. Whatever your opinion on the subject, you can "Turn a Profit From Global-Warming Stocks".

Even if you think that global warming is based on bad statistics and unconvincing computer models . . .The deck is stacked at the moment in favor of action on global warming. Even if global warming winds up on the rubbish heap of discredited scientific theories, entities such as the European Union, Japan, China, India and even the U.S. are going to adopt a program that looks a whole lot like one designed to stop global warming because it fits each nation's need to increase its energy security as well.

Mediarology

Today's SciFri on NPR featured an interview with Kevin Trenberth, senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, on recent extreme weather. Also on the program was David Goldston, former chief of staff for the House Committee on Science, speaking on the prospects for climate change legislation in the new Congress. Audio should be posted around 6pm, according to the web site.