The title image above is generated from the NOAA Weather supercomputer aviation weather model’s forecast for January 20th. It shows a broad band of rain headed directly for Washington DC which is marked with the big dot. (For links to more images of Washington weather, temperatures, wind and rain scroll down to end of this item.)

It appears United States weather is not yet ready to return to anything approaching normal with long range weather forecasts signalling a big storm heading for Washington DC and New York on January 20th-21st , the day scheduled for President Elect George. W. Bush’s inauguration.

The storm driven by a strong low pressure system looks likely to affect most of the Eastern Seaboard bringing gale force winds to the coast rain from Florida to Canada and dumping lots of snow inland.

Links (images from NOAA Medium Range Forecast model) :
Rain (mm of rain over 12 hours) 20th January Morning
http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/20theastrainam.gif
Rain 20th (mm of rain over 12 hours January Afternoon
http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/20theastrainpm.gif
Temperatures (degrees centigrade) 20th January
http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/20theasttemp.gif

Meanwhile the West Coast of the US where an energy crisis has been threatening all winter to turn off the lights, unseasonably low temperatures look set to continue through to the end of January.

Links (all images of temperatures in degrees centigrade from the NOAA Medium Range Forecast model):
18th Jan - http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/18thwesttemp.gif
20th Jan - : http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/20thwesttemp.gif
22th Jan - http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/22westtemp.gif
24th Jan - http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/24westtemp.gif
26th Jan - http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/26thwesttemp.gif
28th Jan - http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/28thwesttemp.gif

On Inauguration Day the storm is due to cross over Washington D.C and guests at George W. Bush’s function look likely to have to contend with close to freezing temperatures, strong winds and heavy rain (possibly turning to snow.)

The links below show wind, temperature and rain forecasts for the North East on the 20th and 21st of January and show that the brunt of the storm looks likely to hit New York hard after moving rapidly over Washington.

Links (images all from NOAA Medium Range Forecast model:
Rain (mm of rain over 12 hours) AM 20th January
http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/wash20rainam.gif
Rain (mm of rain over 12 hours) PM 20th January
http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/wash20rainpm.gif

Temperature (degrees Centigrade) AM 20th January
http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/wash20tempam.gif
Temperature (degrees Centigrade) PM 20th January
http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/wash20temppm.gif
Temperature (degrees Centigrade) AM 21st January
http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/wash21teampam.gif

Wind speed (knots) AM 20th January
http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/wash20windam.gif
Wind speed (knots) PM 20th January http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/InaugurationChill/wash20windpm.gif

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

CONTACT ALASTAIR THOMPSON

• Mobile - 021707044
• Twitter - @althecat
• Google+

• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Email - alastair@scoop.co.nz