Not Bad for August

Now

Partly sunny, moderately muggy. Morning clouds and a slight easterly component to a mostly southerly wind have kept temperatures a degree or 2 cooler this afternoon in the metro area. Readings at mid afternoon were mainly in the low and mid 80s; while Dulles reached 85°, National has been hanging in at 83°. Culpeper was the warm spot in the region at 88°, while some 90s were observed in southern Virginia. Easterly winds kept Ocean City at 75°.

Humidity is seasonable, with dewpoints very near the long-term August average of 66°. The nearest precipitation on radar is in the form of very widely scattered showers in the mountains of far southwestern Virginia.

Tonight and Tomorrow

Partly cloudy, warm, seasonably humid. Lows tonight will be very similar to last night under hazy, variably cloudy skies: low 70s to near 70° in the urbosphere and some upper 60s in the sub-urbosphere. Depending on how early the clouds burn off tomorrow, high temperatures should be a couple of degrees warmer tomorrow, 85-90°.

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

Tropical Topics

The National Hurricane Center is tracking Depression 10-E in the Eastern Pacific, but the Atlantic is still relatively quiet. The disorganized area of storms off the Carolina coast still has the possibility for development as it drifts southward in the next couple of days. An Air Force flight is tentatively scheduled for tomorrow to investigate. The wave now about 900 miles east of the Windward Islands also remains disorganized, but conditions are expected to gradually become more favorable for development.

The Orlando Sentinel opines today about the selection of a new permanent Director of the National Hurricane Center: "Some of the whistles Mr. Proenza blew no doubt made it too uncomfortable for many to work for, near or above him. A department manager needs better people skills than that. But a department head also mustn't resist sounding alarms . . . "

Mediarology

South Florida's WFOR-TV has a video report on the NHC management situation.

The Weather Channel continues its coverage today of the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with live reports from Mike Bettes in New Orleans and Julie Martin in Mississippi.