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Have you ever wondered how a rainbow forms?
Or maybe you have always wanted to know why tornadoes are more active in the midwest than here in our area.
Whatever your question is, Doug Hill and the StormWatch 7 team is ready to give you an answer.
Just fill out the form below and send them your question.
Or maybe you have always wanted to know why tornadoes are more active in the midwest than here in our area.
Whatever your question is, Doug Hill and the StormWatch 7 team is ready to give you an answer.
Just fill out the form below and send them your question.
Featured WeatherBug Station
Today's Question:
from dan at westland middle school
When you speak of "North and West of the city"--- how far is north and how far is west for there to be a difference in weather patterns compared to the city?
This is a good question but will always depend on the situation. The main difference in the weather occurs more because of the elevation chages as you go west. This has a vast effect on the temperatures, but also the mountains come into play as well for cloud cover, snowfall, thunderstorms, etc. The city is its own heat island as the buildings and roads retain heat a lot better as compared to trees and other foliage. These are just a few of the things that come into play. SO when I say northwest of the city, we typically mean Frederick County, MD and northwest. We don't want to keep out the mention of the Virginia Counties either though as a lot of the time they too have significantly different weather than places farther to the east.
More Questions
What exactly is a T-Storm
from SHANICE at MEADE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
It is just another word for thunderstorm. Occasionally our graphics don't have enough space to write out the whole word, so we have to abbreviate it as needed.
Do you think we'll get a decent amount of snow this winter? The past winters have been bad around dc area and i have to snowboard on fake snow (not cool)
from Jordan at Wootton High School
Well we can at least say we are long overdue. Our region normally recieves between 15 and 20 inches of snow, with greatly higher amounts through the mountains. We think this year will have a better chance for snowfall as it has been cooler than normal through the year and we think it will persist through the winter months. We will have more on this through November. Keep your fingers crossed!
How much snow do you think we will have this year?
from Chad at Catoctin High
That is a tough question, as we are in an El Nino period which typically makes our region milder than normal and wetter than normal. We could also, however, get a coastal storm or two, so that could up our yearly snowfall totals. Since we have been below normal for snowfall for the past 6 years, we are long overdue for a decent sized snowstorm. We'll have plenty more information in the next couple of months.
doug
will we have a lot of snow this year?
i hope so.
from jen at ==============================
We are in an El Nino year, which usually means mild and wet. BUT, there also is the chance for more coastal storms in El Nino years, so we could have a big one as well. We will know more as we get closer to the Winter months. Our Winter Weather Update is usually in November before Thanksgiving, so stay tuned.
is the snow going too be bad or we going too have a warm winter
from jeffrey at armstrong elm
It is a little too early to tell exactly what is going to happen this winter, but a big key to help us solve the puzzle is that we are in a El Nino year. This is the phenomenon that occurs in the eastern Pacific by South America. When we have it, we have certain weather patterns. This could mean a snowier winter, but we will be continuing to watch it through the Fall to get a better handle on things. We are long overdue though...
What is the difference on weather forcasts between "isolated" and "scattered" showers?
from Carol at
Isolated means that there will be few and far between, whereas scattered means that there is a better chance for showers. Percentage-wise, isolated is closer to 20% coverage, while scattered is closer to 30%. Not a big difference, but big enough for us to use the different verbage for each.
trying to plan a outdoor bake sale for september 19th
what do you forcast for the 19th?
from maraha at
As we go into a more Fall-like weather pattern, the weather is going to change more often. This is the case for the 19th, as I am positive the forecast will change again and again by that time. Your best bet would be to check back with us at the beginning of next week and continue to check back through the week. Right now, highs in the upper 70s under partly cloudy skies. That is subject to change though!
Just an FYI, forecasts are at their best out to 3 days, then get less accurate the further out the forecast runs.
Do tornados touch down in the Blue Ridge/Shenandoah mountains? When we hear of tornado warnings/watches, how concerned do we need to be if we live in the Linden area?
from Michelle at
They can touch down anywhere when conditions are right. When there is a tornado watch posted for your area, remember that means that conditions are right for severe weather that could include tornadic thunderstorms. When a tornado warning is posted, it means to take cover immediately, as a tornado has either been spotted on the ground by someone, or doppler radar indicates strong rotation in a thunderstorm so a tornado may form at any moment.
I am a science teacher at the Rappahannock Juv. Ctr. at Stafford CH.
Has any window been predicted as to when the fall foliage will peak on Skyline Drive?
THANKS!!
from Jeffrey at RJC
Skyline drive Fall foliage typically peaks in late October but leaves will begin to change through early October.
Have any tornados hit fairfax?
from Harrison at Greenbrair East Elementary School
Harrison, this is Alex Liggitt. I'm the weather producer here at the station, and am from Fairfax. Yes, fairfax has been hit many times in the past by Tornadoes. My high school W.T. Woodson on Main St. was hit twice in 7 years! Of course, that was prior to me being born. I still remember the storm that dropped a tornado in Centerville in 1996 as well. There were 12 tornadoes reported in the county from 1950-1995, so it not a common occurrance.
Will we have any snow this winter?
from Alison at
Two words... El Nino! We think this phenomenon which hurts the chances for more hurricanes will also help bring the chance for more snow this year. There is typically a better chance for Nor' Easters in El Nino episodes.
oN the extended forcast chart, can you add a horizontal line to show what the normal "average" temperatur is?
from Patty at U of MD
We thought about it, but the average high temperature changes in a 7 day period, so we thought it may not be correct. If you watch our news at 6:15ish every day, we show our almanc page or Ford board, which shows the normal high below the high today. We also show that page again at 11pm.
Doug,
I know it's early to ask, but it has been so hot lately! When will the weather cool to more seasonable fall temps and when can we possibly see our first snowfall this year?
from Maria at
We don't think this will occur until early September, though a brief cool-down from the heat should come through this weekend where highs are expected to be near normal in the mid 80s.
What is the difference between scattered and isolated Thundershowers?
from John at I'm a retiree
If we say there is a chance for isolated thunderstorms, then we mean your area has about a 20% chance of being hit by a storm. Scattered storms mean that there is a better chance of a storm hitting your area, typically 30% or more.
did a tornado hit in calvert county to day july 29 2009?
from patsy at smiley faces early learning center
We do not think a tornado touched down there but there was a brief Doppler indication of some rotation. There weren't any reports so we are very confident there wasn't a tornado.
Hi Doug,
I am unable to find the WTOPNews/weather/traffic on TV now. The channel now has accuweather and ads and limited info...not as interesting and hope that the previous info will return soon. Thank you!
from Kris at
We just recently switched our digital channel over and will continue to work out the kinks in it. Be sure to give us your feedback for it so we can continue to improve it in the future.
If there's a Tornado that is in the same area as your broadcasting building where do you go to still broadcaste the weather alerts but still remain safe yourself?
from Christian at Largo High School
We would tell the audiance that we are going to go off air for a few minutes to take shelter ourselves, then come back on air as soon as possible to continue warning others. Our safest place in the building would more than likely be the stairwell, or lower levels of the garage if we could make it there.
Yesterday your team passed out info concerning the moon, can you be so kind as to provide it to me again (for some reason I missed most of it)?;
Also another astronomy type question: I have noticed for the past month or so, two bright objects (planets?) about 100° (SSW from Jeffersonton, VA) in the sky around 6 - 8 PM. Can you identify these objects for me or direct me to a web site that has this info?
Tkns & keep up the good work!
from Bruce at N/A
They were Venus and Jupiter, which actually were lined up right next to the moon for a couple nights. I'm not sure what we said about the moon, other than that it was a full moon.
Are we going to have a mild winter. It's been cooler then normal so far, but I have a feeling we will be above normal for temps this winter with more rain then snow.
What say you.
from Tom at Hammond High
We are thinking the region will experience warmer than normal temperatures through the end of December before turning back to lower than normal temperatures in January and again in February. Right now, we are transitioning back to warmer than normal temperatures from our cold start in Novemeber through mid December.
Hello, I am a junior in high school. I have been fascinated with weather just about all of my life. I would like to further my knowledge in meteorology, but my current resources are very limited. Do you think you could recommend some ways for me to learn more? Also, what classes should I look into that will help me in my future career as a meteorologist?
from Nima at Park View High School
First off, I am happy that you are interested in the weather and meteorology as a science. A great website anyone can look at that explains a lot about the weather is Jeff Haby's www.theweatherprediction.com which has countless explanations of different weather phenomenon.
As for classes, make sure you take your physics class very seriously as well as calculus, because if you want to major in meteorology in college, that will dominate your curriculum and make a huge difference between you getting A's and B's or C's.
