February Daffodils February 26, 2008

George Jackson, a weather observer over in American Corner, MD, checks in regularly here at WBAL-TV with reports from Caroline County. In George’s words,
“It is a miserable, gloomy, windy, and not to pleasant day. So I went outside and took these photos to brighten the day. Yep, I took the photos [...]

Thunder From Above February 25, 2008

The website SpaceWeather.com posted this spectacular picture of a thunderstorm in Mali, West Africa. The flat, anvil shape to the top of the thunderstorm is indicative of a storm that has pushed all the way up through the troposphere and is now bumping up against the very stable layer called the stratosphere. According [...]

More Storms Needed! February 25, 2008

Now there is a headline that needs explaining.
Simply put, we need more precipitation in the Mid Atlantic region. We are on the extreme northern fringe of the much publicized drought that has hit the southeast states. Technically, northern Maryland is “abnormally dry”. That is very evident if you take a look at any of the [...]

Clipper or Eclipse? February 20, 2008

The last total lunar eclipse until 2010 will occur Wednesday evening but the Alberta Clipper forecast to be moving through the mid Atlantic states might spoil our view, if it doesn’t move fast enough. Clouds and snow showers from the Clipper are expected to begin moving out of the area between 7pm and 10pm. [...]

President’s Day Storm 2003 February 18, 2008

The President’s Day snow storm of 2003 was a record breaker. The snow was spread out over 4 days and within those four days there was a 30 hour period in which it snowed continuously. The region was crippled by 18 to 28 inch snow accumulations.One of the biggest casualties of the storm was the [...]

Little Snows and Big Snows February 15, 2008

A fast moving area of low pressure tracked from Atlanta to Charlotte, NC to Cape Hatteras during the pre-dawn hours of Thursday, brushing southern Maryland with a light snowfall. Reports from Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties indicate 1-2″ was common with slightly more on the lower eastern shore. Just a few flurries fell [...]

Slippery, But Beneficial Soaker February 14, 2008

The storm that created all the icy problems late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning also brought some needed rain to the area. As of 7:00pm on Wednesday, the two day (Feb. 12th and 13th) storm total precipitation at BWI-Marshall is 1.44″. That brings the total precipitation for the winter season (December, January [...]

Another Arctic Blast February 11, 2008

The Mid Atlantic region is taking another hit of arctic air. Strong northwest winds on Sunday quickly took temperatures from the upper 40s in the early afternoon to around freezing by sunset.
A potent jet stream at 18,000 feet was packing winds of 155 knots (178 mph). At 3,000 feet winds were running at roughly 60 [...]

Temperature Rollercoaster February 9, 2008

Temperatures are riding a rollercoaster and winter is starting to re-establish itself in the region.
Last Wednesday temperatures hit record levels with a reading of 72 at BWI-Marshall. This weekend winter returns with a shot of cold air coming in from central Canada.
The graph below shows the swing in temperatures between last week and the coming [...]

Happy Weatherman’s Day! February 5, 2008

February 5th is National Weatherman’s Day…or so I’m told. A search for information on the net reveals this explanation on the website holidayinsights.com:
“According to the Air Force News, Weatherman’s Day commemorates the birth of John Jeffries, one of America’s first weathermen. Jeffries was born on [...]