Tag Archives: Weather

Winter Storm Janus, Midday Tuesday Update

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Snow blowing sideways early afternoon in Gaithersburg, MD, in the suburbs north of Washington. No more than 2 inches accumulation here so far, but we’re still in the early part of Janus. Winds 15-25 mph, temp 28, going down to 18 before the afternoon is over. That’s more than 30 degrees colder than 24 hours ago.

The city of Washington might get less snow than expected, but it is snowing there now. Forecasters still calling for 4-8 inches of snow throughout Central Maryland and Northern Virginia. But they’re now predicting 8-12 inches from Baltimore north to NYC. Heaviest snow in MidAtlantic might be in a narrow belt from Philadelphia across New Jersey and into NYC, and definitely Long Island.

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Winter Storm Janus Takes Aim At Eastern Seaboard

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Janus is almost upon us, and it’s looking like the big storm of Winter 2014. At least, I hope we don’t get one bigger than this. Tuesday will be an interesting day for the MidAtlantic states.

By the time Janus is finished on Wednesday, the most heavily populated region of the U.S. will be snow-covered, with millions of people affected. Snow from at least as far south as Richmond, maybe even North Carolina, to north of Boston.

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Super Bowl and Groundhog Day Together

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I’m pondering the significance of this coincidence: the Super Bowl and Groundhog Day both fall on Sunday, Feb. 2, in 2014. I suppose in the long history of Super Sunday, and the even longer history of Groundhog Day, this may have happened once or twice before. Does anybody remember?

Will the Groundhog be guest of honor at halftime? Will “Groundhog Day,” the movie, be on TV immediately before or after the game? That might extend the party and the mega-bucks commercials another three hours.

Alternatively, some channels will probably run “Groundhog Day,” the movie, in direct competition with the game. It makes sense, but it wouldn’t put a dent in the Super Bowl’s audience.

I hope the Arctic freeze is over by Feb. 2. If we’ve entered a new ice age by Super Sunday, will they cancel the game and just air the commercials?

Most important of all, will the groundhog predict the Super Bowl winner? No, even more important, will the groundhog predict Spring?

Stand by for two solid weeks of Super Bowl hype. But that’s the last you’ll read about it on my blog. — John

A Midwinter Night’s Dreams About Longitude and Attitude

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tree dupAs I sit here in Maryland on this freezing and snowy midwinter night, I understand why my brother liked Florida. He passed away in the spring, so this is the first winter he’s not in Florida, or anyplace else in this mortal world, which can be cold and mean.

If money were no object, I’d spend the winter months in Florida, summer in Maine, and spring and fall in Maryland.

But money IS an object. It’s a downright major impediment, to be honest.

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Snow In Maryland Before Christmas

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Snow. You gotta love it. Unless you hate it. It’s your choice. This is, after all, still a free country — more or less — depending on which of the 50 states you’re living in or traveling through. Your mileage may vary.

Winter has arrived in Maryland, and it’s nasty. (Technically, it’s not winter until the Winter Solstice on Dec. 21, but let’s not be technical.) Continue reading →

Winter Without Frost

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A panoramic windshield on a 1959 Edsel Corsair...

Windshield on a 1959 Edsel Corsair. (Photo via Wikipedia)

WINTER WITHOUT FROST — I’ve seen frost on the windshield only once so far this winter. When I was a kid, we had frost on the windshields nearly every winter morning. Folks had to scrape off the ice and let the engine warm up for five minutes before they could leave for work. (I can hear college students wondering, “Warm up the engine?”)

I live now in the warmest part of Maryland, a mid-Atlantic state with moderate temperatures. But truth is, we used to have ice skating around here. — John

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December Sunshine @ The Beach

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pine tree on bdwk

Seventy degrees in December! It’s not unheard of in Maryland, although normal temps would be in the 40s during the day, maybe 30s at night.

But throughout the northern U.S.? Seventy degrees in December in Chicago? Temperature records are being broken in some places. Winter’s off to a mild start. (Reality check: Don’t get too excited. Winter doesn’t officially begin until Dec. 21.)  I’m trying not to be complacent. A blizzard might slap us in the face when we least expect it.

December is always a variable month here in Maryland. We rarely get snow before Christmas. But we don’t often enjoy 70 degrees, either. The photo above was taken a few days ago at the south end of the Ocean City boardwalk. Too bad there’s not many people here to enjoy it, except us year-rounders.

Seventy in December. Global warming? You think?

— John Hayden

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Lessons From Hurricane Sandy — Part 1 of Many Parts

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It's global warming, stupid

(Photo credit: scriptingnews)

A respectable business magazine is out with the cover headline:

“It’s Global Warming, Stupid”

Fair enough. Quibble about the causes and terminology, if you must, but face reality.

I suggest two related subjects clamoring for serious consideration in the public square (or in smoke-filled back rooms) going forward:

“Geography Is Destiny”

And:

“It’s Infrastructure, Stupid”

What do you think? Suggestions for additional subjects to include in the syllabus? Extra credit for class participation.

— John Hayden

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Surreal Ocean City Beach And Sky After Hurricane Sandy, A Photo Story

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Dancing sand moving machines

Surreal photos of the Ocean City, Maryland, beach and sky Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, the day after Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey and moved inland. Photos made possible by my new digital camera. No extra charge for the words.

Shoreham Hotel with Irish pub @ 4th St. stands tall after the storm, reflected in a pool of water deposited at the base of the boardwalk sea wall by Hurricane Sandy.

The little sea wall that saved the Ocean City boardwalk from Hurricane Sandy. How close did the ocean come to the boardwalk? This close, and more.   Continue reading →

Hurricane Sandy Flooding in West Ocean City, MD

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A car tries to navigate a West Ocean City street which flooded at high tide about 8 a.m. Monday morning. The water has since subsided, but another high tide is coming this evening.    Continue reading →