I just rode home (just downtown, so can’t say what the suburbs are like) and it’s windy but not terrible. I’m hoping I can get another 45 minutes before Armageddon so I can pick up the kids . . .
Looks like the squall line is about 15 to 20 minutes from Rosslyn. We just had an outdoor public address announcement that I couldn’t understand sitting in my office with my ear to the window. I think I’ll shelter in place.
15:00 Looks like it’s crossing the Beltway! Yikes!
Looks like the squall line is about 15 to 20 minutes from Rosslyn. We just had an outdoor public address announcement that I couldn’t understand sitting in my office with my ear to the window. I think I’ll shelter in place.
Our windows open. They said “Arlington County is under a severe thunderstorm warning until 3:15.”
I need to get one of these great weather sites you all use bookmarked and open at all times. I figured it was much more wide spread than just MoCo, but MoCo has an awesome “411-911” text messaging system that I was quoting. It’s pretty cool, I don’t know if other counties have it, but I get alerts on all kinds of emergency situations; weather, road closures, accidents, etc.
You could always work for an employer who imagines themselves as Big Brother. Every time there is a weather warning, for the DC area, we get a pop-up window on our computer, an e-mail message to our work account, an e-mail to our personal account, and a voice call to our work phone. (I’m not sure if it’s a text or voice call to our cell phones, because I keep telling them I don’t have one.) I don’t mind the severe thunderstorm or tornado warnings, but the flooding ones rarely apply to most of us.
Update from Arlington (Cherrydale — had a dr’s appointment and am now working from home): LOTS of rain, but no other ominous weather. Just lots and lots of water. Be careful out there.
My work email said there was a tornado warning for DC (office is in Foggy Bottom), but it has been cancelled. I don’t see any mentions of said warning for NW DC at any point today.
When I rolled through at 3:45, the Shirlington Connector and Glebe Road underpass both had about 2″ of water in them. I suspect things’ll get there nasty fast if the rain starts pouring down again later this evening. Otherwise though it was a fun ride – I dodged the squall line nicely by delaying my departure about 20 minutes.
I timed my ride perfectly. Left about 25 minutes early in a very slight drizzle, got to Old Town as it started to sprinkle, and watched a steady downpour develop a few minutes later. The MVT was empty, though I did see my Bob coming up the Crystal City connector, and just a bit of minor debris to watch out for.
Yeah, that wasn’t much to get worked up over. I feel like a ninny, but at least I rode in and faced my potential fear! (did I mention how much lightning scares me?)
This afternoon is nice so far.
And at 5 pm down to just a little light rain and some headwind, but not too bad. Clearly the W&OD Wilson Blvd underpass was badly flooded earlier, but when I rolled through at 5:45, it was almost all gone. Sure was fun tracking the storm all day though.
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