Wind advisory for Arlington area – Friday 2/24/12, from 3 pm to midnight

[vvill]

There would have to be a fully manifested tornado or lightning storm for me to get on metro. That, or a happy hour.

[jrenaut]

@creadinger 15240 wrote:

Sissy…… TOTALLY kidding!! I drove today of course.

Haha. There are two reasons to drive to get the kids – 1) I don’t like to force my views of what constitutes “too cold” or “too wet” on my kids before they’re old enough to really decide on their own and 2) The trailer is shaped not entirely unlike a sail. Having grown up in Annapolis, I do have some idea what 50mph gusts do to sails.

[Dirt]

@OneEighth 15239 wrote:

You heading north on the MVT?
I’m planning on heading out from the Metro Center area between 4:30 and 4:40. Haven’t made up my mind whether to go north or south on the MVT, but either way, I’m also willing to pull a bit if anyone wants to join in. Black fixie, white bullhorns, black backpack with two orange panels on either side of a reflective panel.

Loop me in on the plans. I’ll ride with you, sir. It’ll be fun…. especially with 50mm deep rims. Just make sure to get a photo of me riding off the side of Roosevelt bridge.

[OneEighth]

@Dirt 15248 wrote:

Loop me in on the plans. I’ll ride with you, sir. It’ll be fun…. especially with 50mm deep rims. Just make sure to get a photo of me riding off the side of Roosevelt bridge.

Lessee…riding one-handed across a bridge in high wind while fiddling with a camera…what could possibly go wrong?

[slowtriguy]

@vvill 15246 wrote:

There would have to be a fully manifested tornado or lightning storm for me to get on metro. That, or a happy hour.

Ice or active lightning for me. I rode home through the rain just now, and it wasn’t bad. Well, except for the big truck that blasted through a puddle beside me and soaked me from head to toe. I admit to cursing fluently, and then grinning later when I rode by the same truck — it was stuck in I66 traffic, and I was cruising along the Custis. Heh heh heh.

Custis and W&OD up until Great Falls in Falls Church were fine, by the way, though the creek was running high.

[rcannon100]

Storm was not suppose to hit till 3 pm. So I left at lunch to head up the W&OD for a round of golf at bluemont.

At approximately 2.15 I arrived home, having abandoned my plans, soaked.

Stupid weathermen. :p

[vvill]

@slowtriguy 15250 wrote:

Ice or active lightning for me. I rode home through the rain just now, and it wasn’t bad. Well, except for the big truck that blasted through a puddle beside me and soaked me from head to toe. I admit to cursing fluently, and then grinning later when I rode by the same truck — it was stuck in I66 traffic, and I was cruising along the Custis. Heh heh heh.

Yeah it was fine, I left around 3:10 and took the CCT/C&O and crossed Chain Bridge. The C&O does not appear to drain that well heh. I also forgot to attach my rear fender this morning so a bit of cleaning up to do now. I remembered after I left home but it may well be worth it to turn around to put it on next time.

[Dirt]

Uhhhmmm… It wasn’t bad at all. OneEighth and I enjoyed a gentle spritzing as we rode home. Nice to see Will on his recumbent toward the end of my ride. Good day for running into forum people today.

[OneEighth]

Yeah, at no point were we ever in danger of not being in Kansas anymore.
Great to ride with you and catch up again. Thanks much!

[eminva]

@americancyclo 15211 wrote:

hoping someone who commutes home today takes some video!

Wasn’t quite sure how to depict gale force winds, or total lack thereof, with a video or still photography, but here goes:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]781[/ATTACH]

Liz

[Greenbelt]

Issued by The National Weather Service
Baltimore/Washington, MD
3:53 am EST, Fri., Feb. 24, 2012

… WET PAVEMENT AND DISTRACTING YELLOW SUNSET ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WET PAVEMENT AND DISTRACTING YELLOW SUNSET ADVISORY… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT.

* TIMING… WET ROADS WILL PANIC MOTORISTS INTO FLEEING THE CITY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON, WITH RESIDUAL PANIC-STRICKEN TRAFFIC JAMS EXTENDING INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THE BEAUTIFUL DISTRACTING YELLOW SUNSET WILL BECOME APPARENT TO BICYCLE COMMUTERS AROUND 5PM IN WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE ADVISORY AREA AND WILL MOVE EASTWARD TOWARD THE BAY AREA BY 6PM.

* WINDS… CALM. BECOMING WEST AND STRENGTHING LONG AFTER THE EVENING COMMUTE HAS ENDED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WET PAVEMENT ADVISORY MEANS THAT ROAD SURFACES MAY BE COMPLETELY COATED WITH WATER AND RESIDUAL OILS FROM CARS AND TRUCKS. ALL DC AREA DRIVERS SHOULD THEREFORE PANIC, LEAVE WORK EARLY, AND MAKE A FUTILE EFFORT TO GET HOME BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE AND THEREBY CREATE GRIDLOCK THROUGHOUT THE DC ADVISORY AREA. THE DISTRACTING BEAUTIFUL YELLOW SUNSET ADVISORY MEANS THAT BICYCLE COMMUTERS SHOULD USE EXTRA CAUTION AND AVOID RIDING OFF THE TRAIL OR INTO OTHER TRAIL USERS OR WILDLIFE WHILE ADMIRING THE SUNSET’S BEAUTIFUL YELLOWNESS.

***

[bikenurse]

@Greenbelt 15262 wrote:

Issued by The National Weather Service
Baltimore/Washington, MD
3:53 am EST, Fri., Feb. 24, 2012

… WET PAVEMENT AND DISTRACTING YELLOW SUNSET ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT…

If having a dirt streak up the back of your jacket is a bad commute then keep it coming. And yes, the beautiful yellow sunset was quite the distraction. Roads were empty because everyone was still bottled up in traffic in DC. Thanks, Greenbelt, for convincing me to ride in today!

[bikenurse]

@Greenbelt 15262 wrote:

Issued by The National Weather Service
Baltimore/Washington, MD
3:53 am EST, Fri., Feb. 24, 2012
… WET PAVEMENT AND DISTRACTING YELLOW SUNSET ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT…
***

If having a dirt streak up the back of your jacket is a bad commute then keep it coming. And yes, the beautiful yellow sunset was quite the distraction. Roads were empty because everyone was still bottled up in traffic in DC. Thanks, Greenbelt, for convincing me to ride in today!

[dbb]

IT issues kept me at the office till about 5:30. By that time, the rain had ended and the ride was sweeeet! Sunset was a pleasure (both the beauty and the fact the sun was still up). I’m liking these longer days.

[creadinger]

As a meteorologist, I can safely say that yesterday was a busted forecast. The elements were there, but the timing was way off. Most notably the wind. Which, was absent yesterday, but has caused my flight to Boston this evening to be delayed 2 hours. There were some crazy squally snow showers this morning that were fun to drive through on my way to yoga.

PS – on my way to yoga I drive up VA 110 past the Pentagon. As I got near Rosslyn I saw a cyclist riding up the shoulder. Is that road legal for cyclists to ride? It seems a bit too much like a highway for bikes, and in addition the shoulder is in terrible shape.

[Author]

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