vastateofmind

It's SO hard to believe that time trials are ALREADY here...and another season is ready to start! You and @mattie g have my heartfelt sympathies...

Good observation. Same thing with the birds in my neck in the woods, they seem to be unaffected by the pall of smoke. I just took the dog for an (unmasked!) 20 min walk, and I'm astounded that despite the light winds (probably 10-15 mph) in our area, and which actually feel quite nice....they don't really seem to be scouring out the haze and smoke "up there." So, even with light breezes, 30' - 40' treetops that are only 1-3 houses away distance-wise, seem to be perpetually shrouded in the haze/smoke. I know I've shared this observation a couple times today already but...I've never seen anything like this in my lifetime.

Some may see it as nerding...but I absolutely LOVE the access to the WIDE range of data that many of us have access to in our professional lives in the 2020's. Perhaps too much data at times. But to the extent that we can improve our analysis of trends, averages, means, etc. -- absolutely, bring it on and let's dive in.

Agreed, the stat tracking on PurpleAir is awesome. It's funny, Google started throwing that color coded AQI index number at the lower left corner of our smart screens late last year which I never really paid that much attention to except on high pollen days this past spring. Those numbers have never reached the ugly reds, maroons and purples that we have this week, though.

Mt. Vernon (closest reporting sensor to me) recorded a high of 403 (!) at 7:40 a.m. today and we've gradually dropping back down to the mid 190's about since about an hour ago. BUT, like you, on the upward rebound, and back up to 205 right now. Gotta find a mask and then get out there to quickly mow the front lawn. Smoke generally doesn't bother me, but there's a unique stench to this stuff...ugh.

Interesting description, and it tracks with what @Kmlwx described a few minutes ago..."burning fabric." The odor is definitely noticeable this morning and while smoke from a bonfire or campfire can be occasionally nice to catch a whiff of, this crap is NOT that.

WOW. I've never experienced visibility that poor on the WW Bridge, where National Harbor is obscured. Dear God. Just got a reading of 382 at Mt. Vernon, closest to me reporting right now. Again...mind-blowing.

I'm 57, grew up in northcentral PA where we had our share of small-medium sized wildfires in forests surrounding our town...have never experienced anything like this up there, and certainly not in 30+ years living in the DMV. The perennial wildfire threat seems worse out on the West Coast, arguably more the fire part than the smoke part...but this "smokestorm" is just mind-blowing.

You're lucky, my sons would've never asked/wanted me to do that...but then again, I'm just a nameless, faceless communications drone working in DoD. Having admitted that, however, I do believe you work in a unique and fascinating field...one that's interesting to a wide range of folks, certainly younger ones. I think the technological advances in GIS and mapping have been amazing to watch over the years. Also, enjoy those times when your daughter wants you to do career day...or at least have you nearby.

I believe Purple Air does real-time measurements on a map, can look back historically, too, I think -- it's one of the services that Google uses to display AQI on the Home Hub/Hub Max screens.

Indeed, and I'm curious about same -- slated to camp out just north of Allentown, PA region this weekend. I wonder now if this is going to drag out longer than expected. Yech. I've never seen AQI numbers like this in our area ever...this number crept up 20-30 points since I first started watching it around 6 a.m. today. Some pics looking across neighborhood...filtered sun is easy enough to see, but I didn't quite capture the inability to clearly see treetops even 1-2 houses away. Unreal....SURREAL, even.

Full sun for now, up to 73. Cloud breaks come and go but this is more than I expected. Wish I had the patio set up because we could actually sit out this evening without instantly being coated in pollen.

I've become a tad obsessed with photographing mammatus clouds in recent years...we seem to see them a lot in these parts, either just before or after a thunderstorm rolls through. They create some of the coolest textures in the skies.

LOL, I was thinking this morning that same thought about THIS afternoon -- since Fri/Sat/Sun appear to be not-good mowing days, wanted to get the backyard done this afternoon before showers hit (hopefully to last through early next week), and front yard done tomorrow afternoon before the weekend rain arrives. And sure enough...I finished at 2:45, and very light rain started here about 10 min later. Getting even darker now with some heavier returns on radar just to our west...wind picking up a bit as well.

Good question! For the mid-sized Midland radios I mentioned buying twice, the first WR400's backlighting failed (not a deal breaker) and then the siren/alert capability died shortly thereafter (though the radio transmission itself still worked). The second WR400, radio itself simply stopped receiving, period, after two years -- out of the 6-7 frequencies that are preprogrammed to receive automated wx forecasts, all of them simply played static. No amount of radio placement or antenna adjustments worked at all...radio just stopped receiving. I probably just got two lemons. Just received and set up the smaller WR120B yesterday...one nice upgrade Midland includes now is that you can simply select your state/county for SAME alerts right in the radio settings, and you don't have to go look up your county code on the internet and then "type" it in manually. Also, forgot how LOUD the siren is, damn.

As you're likely aware, Midland has cornered the wx radio market. I've bought Midland wx radios for the past 20 or so years, and their lifespan tends to be in the 2-5 year timespan. I tried a Reecom wx radio several years ago for something different and it only lasted a year...so I'm back to considering the Midland brand. My requirements for a wx radio are pretty simple -- 1) program S.A.M.E. codes based on specific (e.g., tornado, severe t-storm, snow, etc.) watch/warning alerts for for counties of my choosing, 2) ability to plug it into a wall, preferably with battery backup, and 3) built-in "siren" for when watches/warnings are issued. Bottom line -- if there's a severe t-storm or tornado warning in the middle of the night, I WANT to be woken up by a siren, no matter how jarring that may be. Here's what I narrowed down to (and sorry in advance for all of the embedded Amazon links): 1st choice, Midland WR120B -- Meets my basic req's listed above, cheapest S.A.M.E. code-capable wx radio out there (~$35), fairly well reviewed; quality on Midland wx radios is variable so I don't want to make the "bigger" investment this time. 2nd choice, Midland WR400 -- The bigger cousin to the WR120B, with an upgraded screen and "fluffy" extras like AM/FM radio and alarm clock, all coming in ~$70; I've purchased this model twice in the past 15 or so years, first unit lasted about 4 years and the second unit lasted about 2 years. When they work, they work well. I don't care about the fluffy extras but the white-on-black screen upgrade on this current model is nicer than the previous WR400 units I had...but that's not enough (for me) to pony up the extra $40 this time for the simpler WR120B model this time around. 3rd choice, Midland ER310 -- Including this as it's a more capable "emergency" radio, with (limited) solar charging and battery crank included, also portability a plus, BUT...no S.A.M.E. coding capability onboard. This one would be a great travel/camping/hiking choice if you and your fam engage in any of those activities, although it's pricier at ~$60. Now that I've documented all of this...going to drop that WR120B into my Amazon cart and get it delivered this week. Been putting off too long.

Just moved in here...very heavy rain, gusty winds but only a bit of lightning, although the beefier returns with more lightning are just to our SW and moving this way. If nothing else...shouldn't have to water the new sod this evening.

Adding to the list, @CAPE...that Utopia sounded incredible. Although I feel like I might only be able to find those at the mothership in Rehoboth. I'm assuming that four-pack is all gone by now... Here are some of our favorite new tries from the past couple of weeks -- the Solace/Ocelot collab? THAT was an immediate buy, based on the label alone...my sons and I are tremendous Archer fans. However, we are also big Solace AND Ocelot brewery fans and this IPA did not disappoint. Extra kudos on them for securing the Archer licensing and getting Sterling and Baboo on the label...they fit perfectly. The Three Notch'd Dreamsicle was GREAT in my estimation, nice balance of vanilla and orange...not so much in my wife's estimation, but then again, she's not a huge fan of citrus flavors in beer. Finally, the Aslin milk stout is probably the best balance I've ever tasted in a peanut butter/chocolate stout...not a high ABV, so a good choice for a "dessert beer."

Absolutely! This morning's STW reminded me that severe season is pretty much here...and I need to get off my arse and order a radio. I have several models saved on Amazon, but I'll let you know what I narrow the selection down to.

LOL. ALEXA just alerted me, and I see no sign of it (yet) on LWX's page. And you just reminded me...I MUST replace my wx radio that died last year. :/

89 IMBY. Wowzers.

Got down to 33 and I'm glad that's as low as it went...we might actually have a full (and non-freeze-burned) set of blossoms on our pink dogwood this season, for the first time in many years.

What a great capture. I'm guessing this particular person MIGHT be a chaser and therefore using more professional equipment, however...most of the cell phones that most of us carry (especially iPhones) are capable of doing captures like this, and it seems like we get a lot more recordings of wx events in recent years because of these technological advances. I'm here for it.

Yeah, I noticed the smell yesterday while on Fort Belvoir...very slightly, anyway. Apparently, though, some of the more hyped-up Fairfax County parents took notice, freaked out, alerted FCPS school officials, and schools were keeping students inside for recess yesterday. For a light bonfire smell.

This is what truly scares the crap out of me...we took a day trip on Saturday, and I was astounded at how many folks ON THE INTERSTATES were weaving/bobbing on the road, and (no surprise) were head-down on their damn phones. I'm somewhat guilty in this regard, but FFS, if I have to take a call I'll do so through my car's Bluetooth connection to stay focused on the road, and if I'm THAT compelled to answer a text I'll DICTATE it via Google Assistant. I'm truly surprised there aren't more accidents. Thank you @Always in Zugzwang for the common b'day wish -- you always remember! -- and TY to others for the well wishes. I can honestly say that most of my birthdays have not been as memorable as some of yours, with the exception of when we were out of town, four hours away, for my birthday seven years ago...and I got the call early that morning from the vet/kennel where our 10-year old Labrador retriever was boarding. He had developed stomach bloat overnight, and it had become so severe that there was no viable options to comfortably extend his life beyond that. He was sedated but in a lot of agony...and I had to make the long-distance/remote decision to have the vet euthanize our four-legged friend. To keep him alive for another four hours so we could be there would've been agonizing for him, and as much as we loved him and wanted to say goodbye, I couldn't put him through that. Thank heaven, we had a wonderful neighbor who was great friends with him, who went to the vet to be with him while he slipped away. Worst...birthday...ever. Adding THIS one to the list....thanks, @CAPE! Oh, dude....the stories I've heard this week about exploded (or imploded!) brackets. And yeah, I notice that the folks who just kinda throw the bracket together on a whim (like your partner) tend to have the best luck...