Quick Changes...

Here is some great video from the BBC as seen in this YouTube Clip yesterday. A colony of Penguins were discovered that can fly!. Obviously an April Fools Joke. Next year, flying Polar Bears quickly evolve with wings out of need.

While we overshot my call of 70F by 5 degrees yesterday, the quick pattern is still on target. I have often pointed out the Law of Averages when relating extreme weather. The fact that we jumped to a high 15 degrees above normal yesterday may very well be balanced out by temperatures 10-15 degrees below normal tomorrow. Today is the transition day- and as you can see here - the 48 Hour forecast map from HPC (Hydrometeorological Prediction Center), show a brief visit of High Pressure bringing the strong winds this morning, will be out of here Thursday. (note this is a live link- so it will update and be posted after today).
The next wave of Low Pressure will spread over running moisture into Maryland in the form of thickening clouds Thursday and late day rain. Our chance of rain goes up on Friday as a surge of warmer air moves in, but it will not compare to what the lower Mississippi Valley will get.
This is going to be a moderate to major flooding event again for some of the same places that have had it in the past month. We have the potential of 1 inch of rain in Maryland, but south of St. Louis- there is a bullseye of 6 1/2 inches of rain. That is not good news, but will make news.
Climate Change or La Nina?
There have already been hints of the climate side with the flooding in March, however I am still not convinced. The Mississippi River Floods. A Lot! It is not a deep river, and is surround by a wide valley of low flatlands. That is topography that has been carved out by many thousands of years of frequent flooding. It floods when it rains, but especially with snow melt upstream. When you consider the near record snowfall this past winter in most of the upper midwest this past winter melting into the Mississippi, and combine the persistent storm track- it all results in too much in the same places. weather pattern reminds me of the flooding of 1993 along the Mississippi. It wasn't a significant La Nina Event, but a break from the strong El Nino's of the 1990s that lead to pattern of heavy rain from May through October and 20 Billion dollars in damage. While this recent La Nina is weakening, the already high water from snow melt and this rain will make things tense in this region through the Spring.
Tomorrow I will share some of Jim Schuyler's pictures of this season's Cherry Blossoms Festival. We should be left with seasonable temperatures this weekend.
Today ABC2 begins our relationship with the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Today I will be broadcasting the noon newscast on location to kick off the partnership. I will be standing next to a Toyota Prius they will be giving away this weekend at their Green Gala. Tickets may seem steep at $150, but it does afford the chance at a car that can get you close to 50 miles per gallon. For more on the Gala, check out the National Aquarium's web site.