PM Update: Frigid as cold peaks Tuesday; everyone’s talking polar vortex

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

PM Update: Frigid as cold peaks Tuesday; everyone’s talking polar vortex

GFS model shows polar vortex over northern U.S. and southern Canada this evening (WeatherBell.com)

The polar vortex in no way disproves climate change

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The Washington Post

By Ian Livingston

January 6 at 10:10 pm

Snow potential index: 1/10 (?) Light stuff late Thursday looks weak if at all. Jan 6 11:57

12 in DC at 11 pm, wind chill -7. Winds gusting to 35 mph. Temp has dropped 37 degs in 15 hours. Jan 6 11:03

What is a polar vortex, why is it here? Interactive graphic: http://t.co/hC51A1mbyS via @postgraphics w/ assist from CWG Jan 6 10:56

Tuesday's digit: 0/10 - It will feel worse than zero Tues AM with a very nasty wind chill. Matt, CWG Jan 6 10:43

Actual air temps (wind chills are much colder) in DC region at 10 pm: http://t.co/PI4CC3K3m4 Jan 6 10:32

Lower! MT @DonGiovanna: "Below" as in unmet expectations (not as bad as model predicted) or "below" as in even lower? Jan 6 10:24

10pm temps/wind chills... DCA: 15/-8, Dulles: 12/-7, BWI: 13/-9. All running a few degrees *below* model forecasts Jan 6 10:06

9pm wind chill down to ZERO at DCA! Air temp 18. Dulles wind chill is 1 and BWI's is -1. And this is just the beginning Jan 6 9:10

RT @AndreaVieira100: @capitalweather Just called @311DCgov 2 report man sleeping @ 9&NY NW. They'd gotten 5 calls & already picked him up. ? Jan 6 8:49

Yes we did MT @marabuchi: pretty sure [@capitalweather] corrected Al Gore back when they thought he made up new [hurricane] level Jan 6 8:20

Wind chill in DC is 8 degs at 8 pm. At Dulles,wind chill is 3 (air temp 19). Winds gusting to 30-40 mph. Brutal! Jan 6 8:19

10:10 p.m. Update: 10 p.m. temperatures are pretty silly. Reagan National is down to 15 with a wind chill of minus 8. Dulles is 12 with a wind chill of -7. And BWI comes in at 13 with a minus 9 wind chill. All of these are running a few degrees *below* model forecasts from earlier today.

Temperature Map

Temperatures: Latest D.C. area temperature map. See interactive map on our Weather Wall.

From 5:15 p.m. … Temperatures have begun their plummet that will continue through the night. After readings started the day well above normal, in the mid-and-upper 40s, some of the coldest air in recent decades will greet us by the time we head out the door tomorrow. Add in whipping winds to go along with. Bundle up… then bundle up again!
Through Tonight: If you thought it wasn’t already cold and windy enough, this is the night for you. Winds should increase a bit heading to and through midnight as temperatures head for the teens around that time. Though wind peaks around 25 mph sustained, with gusts past 45 mph, any dwindling heading toward dawn will be quite minor. Under mostly clear skies, lows dip to near zero in the cold spots and maybe as high as around 10 downtown. Wind chill readings between -5 and -20 are possible across the area after midnight.

Wind Chill Map

Wind chills: Latest D.C. area wind chills. See more maps on our Weather Wall.

Tomorrow (Tuesday): The main happy news is it’s sunny. Everything else is less fortunate. Off frigid morning lows, the mercury only slowly climbs during the day toward highs ranging mostly from 11-17 across the area. Winds continue to howl around 15-20 mph from the west, with gusts near 35 mph. Wind chills rise from the -5 to -20 range early up toward the single digits below (northern ‘burbs) or above (D.C. area) zero as the day closes and winds finally ease in earnest.
Read More Here
** Wind chill advisory immediate area tonight through Tuesday | Wind chill warning for N. Fauquier, Loudoun, and Frederick counties **
** Related info: Closings and delays | Staying safe in the cold | How the cold may rank locally | Polar vortex and climate change **