The title image above is generated from the NOAA Weather supercomputer aviation weather model’s forecast for January
20th. It shows a broad band of rain headed directly for Washington DC which is marked with the big dot. (For links to
more images of Washington weather, temperatures, wind and rain scroll down to end of this item.)
It appears United States weather is not yet ready to return to anything approaching normal with long range weather
forecasts signalling a big storm heading for Washington DC and New York on January 20th-21st , the day scheduled for
President Elect George. W. Bush’s inauguration.
The storm driven by a strong low pressure system looks likely to affect most of the Eastern Seaboard bringing gale force
winds to the coast rain from Florida to Canada and dumping lots of snow inland.
Links (images from NOAA Medium Range Forecast model) :
Rain (mm of rain over 12 hours) 20th January Morning
Rain 20th (mm of rain over 12 hours January Afternoon
Temperatures (degrees centigrade) 20th January
Meanwhile the West Coast of the US where an energy crisis has been threatening all winter to turn off the lights,
unseasonably low temperatures look set to continue through to the end of January.
Links (all images of temperatures in degrees centigrade from the NOAA Medium Range Forecast model):
On Inauguration Day the storm is due to cross over Washington D.C and guests at George W. Bush’s function look likely to
have to contend with close to freezing temperatures, strong winds and heavy rain (possibly turning to snow.)
The links below show wind, temperature and rain forecasts for the North East on the 20th and 21st of January and show
that the brunt of the storm looks likely to hit New York hard after moving rapidly over Washington.
Links (images all from NOAA Medium Range Forecast model:
Rain (mm of rain over 12 hours) AM 20th January
Rain (mm of rain over 12 hours) PM 20th January
Temperature (degrees Centigrade) AM 20th January
Temperature (degrees Centigrade) PM 20th January
Temperature (degrees Centigrade) AM 21st January
Wind speed (knots) AM 20th January
Wind speed (knots) PM 20th January http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/wash20windpm.gif
