One more warm day Thursday, shower chance late

How warm has it been lately? Today's third consecutive 80 degree or higher reading at National Airport (DCA) marks the latest such occurrence since 1963. Add to that, if this morning's low of 67 at DCA stands, it will be a record for the highest minimum temperature for the date. Meanwhile, most in the area have topped out in the upper 70s to low 80s this afternoon despite a fair amount of mid and high level clouds throughout the day. Expect mild conditions through the remainder of the afternoon and into the evening.

Tonight: We will see partly to mostly cloudy skies overnight with temperatures dropping to the upper 50s in the suburbs and mid 60s in D.C. Winds will be light and variable.

Tomorrow: Thursday looks to be the last real warm day this week, and maybe until next spring. Expect highs to one again reach the upper 70s and low 80s throughout the area as skies generally stay mostly cloudy. A late afternoon shower, or isolated thunderstorm, is possible as a cold front slides through -- rain totals will generally be light wherever it falls. Winds may gust up to 20 or 25 mph, from the northwest, late in the day behind the front.

See Dan's full forecast through the weekend.

Courtesy HAMweather.

All remains quiet in terms of tropical threats to the U.S. mainland. But the same cannot be said for the Caribbean, where Omar has become a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. Omar could strengthen as it moves northeastward toward the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where rainfall amounts up to 20 inches could cause dangerous flooding and mudslides.

Meanwhile, the 16th tropical depression of the season could gain tropical storm status later today or tonight -- its name would be Paloma. The storm is already dumping heavy rains in Central America as it moves west along the northern Honduras coast and toward Guatemala, Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula. Rain totals up to 15 inches could trigger floods and mudslides in these areas as well.

For local weather, see our full forecast through the weekend.

Wx and the City

Aleutian Clouds. Image courtesy of USGS National Center for EROS and NASA Landsat Project Science Office. More information about this image here.

While visiting NASA's Landsat booth at a recent exhibit fair, I noticed what I thought was a color print of a beautiful piece of pastel artwork. Only, it wasn't just art -- it was "Earth as Art."

It turns out that Earth's atmosphere and surface can be pretty creative places, as demonstrated at the NASA/USGS Earth as Art and NOAA Art in Nature online image galleries. Above, and after the jump, are examples of the stunning patterns in the sky on display at these Web sites. Sometimes, images speak louder than words...

Keep reading for more images, and see here for an explanation of how "Earth as Art" images are created. For local weather, check out our full forecast through the weekend.

Much cooler air on its way for Friday and beyond

Our recent stretch of mild days with highs in the mid 70s to low 80s began Thursday of last week and will continue through tomorrow. If you're a warm weather fan, then you better savor the last two days of this streak, the likes of which may not be repeated until spring. Friday into early next week brings highs mostly in the 60s -- quite a bit cooler, but rather typical for mid-October.

TODAY (WEDNESDAY)

Partly sunny. Near 80. After a not-so-chilly start -- morning lows in the mid 50s (burbs) to low 60s (city) -- temperatures will climb nicely to afternoon highs near 80 under a mix of sun and clouds. Winds will be light from the north or west.

Tonight, pretty mild for this time of year with partly cloudy skies and lows in the upper 50s in the suburbs to the low 60s downtown.

Confidence: High

Keep reading for the forecast through the weekend, and see our Weather Wall for the ultimate overview of local conditions.

Partly sunny Wednesday, above-average temperatures

Webcam: Latest view of D.C. from the Netherlands Carillon at Arlington National Cemetery. Courtesy National Park Service. Refresh page to update. See this image bigger on our Weather Wall.

If you like blue skies and warm temperatures, this was another in a string of great days. Highs are now reaching the very warm (for this time in October) low 80s across most of the region -- a good 10+ degrees above average for the date. Expect quite pleasant conditions to last through the evening as temperatures fall back through the 70s prior to sunset.

Tonight: We'll see partly cloudy skies overnight with fairly warm temperatures continuing. Look for lows to hit the mid 50s in the suburbs to right around 60 in D.C. Winds will be light and variable.

Tomorrow: A few more clouds may be around on Wednesday compared to today, but warm conditions will remain entrenched across the area for now. Highs should top out right around 80 in most locations. Winds will be light from the north or west.

See Matt's full forecast through the weekend.

A wintry scene on the Mall. By Capital Weather Gang photographer Kevin Ambrose.

Last week, AccuWeather's Chief Long-Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi issued his 2008-2009 winter outlook. The outlook calls for an "overall colder and snowier" winter compared to the last "several" winters for the East Coast. About the winter Bastardi says:

"It may be a shock to some when compared with the above-average temperatures of last year in the East. It will put some 'brrrrrr' in the saddle of folks who have not had to deal with such things for a while."

Keep reading for more on Bastardi's outlook. For the weather through the week, see our full forecast.

Some summer and then some autumn

A warm ridge in the upper atmosphere is wholly responsible for the very warm October weather that should continue to affect our area through Thursday. The Washington DC normal high temperature now is only in the upper 60s. So expected weather in the lower to possibly even middle 80s is well above the mean. By late Thursday, a cold front will work through the area, offering more seasonal temperature levels on Friday. A cool weekend is in store with some weather models offering a chance for highs only in the very chilly 50s on Saturday.

TODAY (TUESDAY)

Wonderfully warm. Low-to-mid 80s. That warm ridging pattern in the upper levels will keep conditions warm and dry today. Look for partly sunny skies today with highs in the low-to-mid 80s throughout the area. Winds will be shifting back to out of the south and southwest at light levels.

Tonight should should feature a few clouds in the area, light southwest winds, and lows dropping down into the middle 50s suburbs to lower 60s in the city.

Keep reading for the forecast through the weekend!

In an article last week, I explored the climate science positions of the Republican and Democratic tickets. The story made clear that both presidential candidates agree with the consensus view of the scientific community that recent climate change is mainly the result of human activities, such as the burning of coal and oil for energy. The vice presidential candidates, however, disagree on the human contributions to climate change.

What the story didn't explore was how, if elected, the candidates might change the sprawling federal climate science research enterprise, which totals nearly $2 billion per year. Although the candidates themselves haven't addressed the specific issue of climate science research coordination, both have indicated that they would reorient climate science programs to give policymakers at the regional and local levels more information about how climate may affect their communities.

Keep reading for more on future directions in Federal climate research. See our full forecast for the outlook through the week.

Cooling trend late week

Columbus Day will feel a lot more like Labor Day as temperatures climb to around 80 degrees. This unseasonably warm weather will continue for the next several days. Later this week, cooler air will gradually filter into the region and next weekend will feature more fall-like 60s.

TODAY (MONDAY)

Gorgeous. 79-83. Fifties start the day, so throw on a warm-up jacket or fleece for an early stroll this morning. But by late morning, tee-shirts and shorts will suffice as the mercury passes 70 degrees. Mid-to-late afternoon temperature should hit 80 or so in most spots. How about a Columbus Day barbecue?

Clear skies overnight, but not quite as cool as the past several night due to light flow from the southwest. Low temperatures should reach the upper 40s in the coolest suburbs with mid-to-upper 50s in the city.

Confidence: High

Keep reading for the forecast through the week.

Extreme Weather Alert: Meteorologists Predict Intensely Brisk Autumn