Video Weather Forecast

In honor of AOL once again becoming an independent company today, here is the Washington, DC forecast from The Weather Channel via AOL Video (click the link to select other locations). Back in the days when the Web was young, the Climate Capitalist was a Systems Performance Analyst at AOL.

Watch more AOL News videos on AOL Video

The Rabett Does Dirty Hare-y

Perfesser Bunny sez:

Eli knows what you’re thinking. “Is climate change really happening?” Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement the bunny kind of lost track himself. But being greenhouse gases are the most powerful forcing we know, and the best science predicts disaster ahead, you’ve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

Image (click to enlarge): Yesterday's Daily Dose from Doonesbury@Slate

Mid Atlantic Precipitation Update

See here for more Washington, DC weather records.

The major storm moving through the central part of the U.S. brought record-breaking rain for December 9 to the Washington/Baltimore metro area. The 1.29" which fell at Washington National exceeded the record of 1.05" set in 1931, although that was previously the lowest daily record for December. Baltimore (BWI) also broke its record with 1.41", well above the old record of 1.08" in 1991. Washington Dulles, on the other hand, with a much shorter period of record, had 0.93", which failed to break the 1973 record of 1.12".

In the first 9 days of the month, Washington National is now within 0.01" of the average total for all of December. This is almost 2.5 times the average December amount to date. At 4.43", the November rainfall was just under 50% above average. April, May, June, and October, the other above-average months this year, have all been at least 50% above. February and July were over 50% below average. If current trends continue, December will be the seventh month in 2009 which is at least 50% above or below average.

Daily, monthly, and year-to-date amounts are:

Washington National 1.29"/3.04"/43.15"
Washington Dulles   0.93"/2.49"/45.13"
Baltimore (BWI)     1.41"/3.68"/51.19"  

Other daily records set in the Mid Atlantic region (old record in parentheses):

Wallops Island VA 2.93" (0.93", 1995)
Martinsburg WV    1.15" (0.98", 1978)
Newark NJ         1.96" (1.66", 1978)
Atlantic City NJ  2.51" (1.31", 1986)
Islip NY          1.74" (1.07", 1995)
Reading PA        1.16" (1.12", 1978)
Philadelphia PA   2.13" (1.91", 1978)
Pittsburgh PA     0.85" (0.71", 1878)
Wilmington DE     2.28" (1.55", 1978) 
Georgetown DE     1.93" (1.38", 1963) 

Images (click to enlarge):
- 24-hour precipitation ending 7 am December 9, from National Weather Service
- Washington DC 2008-2009 monthly precipitation amounts and percentages above or below average, CapitalClimate charts from NWS data

Pathetic Post Pimps Palin Propaganda

As if regularly publishing George Will's anti-scientific ravings weren't enough, the WaPo sinks to a new level today by attempting to become the high-fiber Facebook. Sarah Palin's anti-climate-science recycled Facebook page is given prominent placement as an "opinion" piece. ThingsBreak has links to reactions. Here are a few more:

• AtlanticWire: Washington Post Gets Burned for Publishing Palin's Op-Ed
  
• Discover/The Intersection (Chris Mooney): Sarah Palin’s Bogus Climate Arguments Graduate From Facebook to the Washington Post
  
• Chicago Tribune/The Swamp: Sarah Palin: Obama, boycott Copenhagen
  
• Newser: Post, Palin Skewered for Climate Op-Ed
  
• FirstPost (UK): Washington Post slated over Palin’s climate rant
  
• Gawker: Sarah Palin's Washington Post Op-Ed Debunked
  
• Politico: Palin's climate change
  
• L.A. Times/The Ticket: Washington Post is booed for giving Palin op-ed platform
  
• Kansas City Star/Midwest Voices: Surprise: Palin calls Copenhagen conference a sham

Image (click to enlarge): Today's Daily Dose from Doonesbury@Slate

November 2009 3rd Warmest in U.S.

Following a cold October, U.S. temperatures rebounded strongly in November to reach their third warmest levels on record. The preliminary analysis for November 2009, posted by the National Climatic Data Center this morning, shows that the monthly average of 46.5°F was 4.0°F above the 20th Century average. Regionally, the Southwest and South were above normal, and the West North Central through the Northeast were all much above normal. Only the Northwest, West, and Southeast were near normal.

Much above normal temperatures were widespread on an individual state basis:

• Record warmest: Delaware
  
• Second warmest: Wisconsin, New Jersey
  
• Third warmest: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Iowa, and North Dakota

Temperatures were in the top 10 warmest for 18 other states, and no individual state was below normal.

Precipitation was heavy in the Southeast, Mid Atlantic, and northern New England, but most of the country was drier than average in November. Nationally, it was the 18th driest November since 1895. Virginia had its second wettest November, and North and South Carolina had their sixth and ninth wettest Novembers, respectively. On the other hand, nine states had precipitation in the top ten driest Novembers, and 25 states in all were below average.

Images (click to enlarge): U.S. November average temperature since 1895, statewide temperature and precipitation ranks for November 2009; from National Climatic Data Center

Beavis and Butthead Do Climate Change

The Climate Crock enlists the Dumb Duo to help explain the phony flap over the Hack Attack.
"He said, 'ain us'. Heh, heh.":