Hint: Greens are rain, blues are snow, pinks are somewhere in between.

There is some magically crappy weather in store for this afternoon/evening:

TAF CYOW 271754Z 2718/2818 22015G25KT P6SM -RA OVC040 TEMPO 2718/2721 5SM -RA BR OVC020
BECMG 2718/2720 22010KT
FM272100 32010KT 4SM -RA BR BKN008 OVC015 TEMPO 2721/2723 P6SM -RA OVC020
FM272300 33012G22KT P6SM -RAPL OVC012 TEMPO 2723/2802 2SM -SN BKN005 OVC010
FM280300 34012KT P6SM OVC020 BECMG 2804/2806 FEW020 BKN160
FM280600 34010KT P6SM FEW020 BKN160
FM280900 35008KT P6SM SKC
RMK NXT FCST BY 272100Z=

Rain, rain with pellets, and snow. And wind. And with the air temperature hovering just above freezing it wouldn’t take much to add some freezing rain to the mix.

I’m making a quick trip to Toronto tomorrow, so I thought I’d check the weather forecast. That’s when I noticed a decidedly unpleasant symbol on the current conditions for Ottawa.

A quick check of the current METAR for the airport showed:

METAR CYOW 140300Z 30011G16KT 8SM -SN BKN013 OVC020 02/00 A2964 RMK
SF6SC2 SLP041=

Fortunately, the TAF suggests it’s only going to do this for an hour or so:

TAF CYOW 140241Z 1403/1424 31012G22KT P6SM -RA SCT012 OVC025 TEMPO 1403/1404 21/2SM -SHSNRA OVC012
FM140400 31010G20KT P6SM BKN030 TEMPO 1404/1422 OVC020
FM142200 28015KT P6SM FEW030 SCT120
RMK NXT FCST BY 140600Z=

Both of the teams I’m steering for at the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival have their final practices this evening, so naturally the weather is shaping up to be a little more exciting that necessary:

TAF CYOW 241740Z 2418/2518 27010G20KT P6SM FEW060
FM241900 29012KT P6SM BKN050 TEMPO 2420/2424 P6SM -SHRA PROB30
2420/2423 21/2SM TSRA BR BKN020 OVC040CB
FM250200 31008KT P6SM FEW050
BECMG 2504/2506 VRB03KT
FM251500 33007KT P6SM SCT050 BKN120
RMK NXT FCST BY 242100Z=

Hopefully, the 30% chance of moderate thunderstorms will not interrupt the light rain showers (which, frankly, I could do without).

Compared to this time last week, the weather this evening looks perfect for dragonboating:

TAF CYOW 191738Z 1918/2018 30008KT P6SM FEW040
BECMG 2001/2003 VRB03KT
RMK NXT FCST BY 192100Z=

Almost no wind or clouds in the forecast. I think this will make three practices in a row that I won’t have needed head-to-toe Goretex. 🙂

As you’ve probably noticed if you live in Ottawa, it has been raining all day today. That means the chances are high the I have a dragonboat practice this evening (which I do) and it looks like it’s going to be (another) wet one, at least for the first part of the practice:

TAF AMD CYOW 121851Z 1218/1318 VRB03KT 6SM -RA BR OVC030
TEMPO 1218/1220 3SM -RA BR BKN020 OVC050 PROB30 1218/1220 2SM TSRA BR BKN008 OVC015CB
FM122000 18005KT 6SM -RA BR SCT006 OVC012
TEMPO 1220/1302 2SM RA BR BKN006 OVC012
BECMG 1222/1224 06006KT
FM130300 05006KT P6SM BKN012 OVC090
FM130500 33005KT 3SM BR FEW015 PROB30 1305/1312 1/4SM FG VV001
FM131200 31010KT P6SM FEW025
RMK NXT FCST BY 122100Z

Thank goodness for GoreTex™!

We’re in for some exciting weather during the next few hours:

TAF CYOW 102040Z 1021/1118 19010G20KT 6SM -SHRA BR OVC080
TEMPO 1021/1023 VRB15G30KT 2SM TSRA BKN008 OVC030CB
FM102300 19010G20KT 6SM -SHRA BR OVC080 PROB40 1023/1024 VRB15G30KT 2SM TSRA BKN008 OVC030CB
FM110100 24010KT P6SM FEW020
BECMG 1106/1108 24010G20KT
FM111400 27015KT P6SM BKN040
RMK NXT FCST BY 110000Z

And there’s a severe thunderstorm watch warning in effect as of the time of this post, and up the Valley they’ve had tornado watches
A quick peek at the radar right now shows that a bunch of rain has passed south of the city, but there’s still a couple of fairly energetic cells making their way down the Ottawa River towards us:

Naturally, I’m supposed to be on the water steering for a couple of dragonboat teams this evening, when it’s probably going to be quite windy and probably rainy. Yay Goretex™!