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Yesterday, it looked as if the rain might cutoff by mid-afternoon, but the latest data indicate rain -- heavy at times -- could continue into tonight - prolonging the flooding threat.

You may run into some heavy rains and gusty winds along the Eastern shore this evening.  The National Weather Service is calling for wind gusts as high as 50 mph there.  High surf and minor coastal flooding is also likely.

There's no doubt this has been an unusually busy and extreme weather year.  From the record snowy winter to the record hot summer to now this extreme rain event, we've certainly had our hands full.  Hot summers -- like we just experienced -- may become more common in the future due to global warming.

This storm is vast and impacting much of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast with wind and torrential rain.  I would expect flight delays up and down the East Coast today.  Hard to say what will happen with an individual flight.

I'm not expecting widespread power outages in the immediate metro area. Winds will only be 10-20 mph or so -- with perhaps some modestly higher gusts in heavy rain bands.

Near the Chesapeake Bay there is a slightly better chance -- especially if tornadoes touchdown (there have been warnings in Calvert, St. Mary's and Anne Arundel counties).  And also in the vicinity of the Va./Md./De. beaches which  could see gales and gusts over 50 mph .  But even in these locations, outages probably would be isolated, not widespread.

Good point.  I've never experienced this myself, but have heard horror stories.

Average temperatures have warmed since the 1950s.  The data clear indicate that.

This is a really tough question.  Rain -- heavy at times - should continue into the early afternoon.  There may be a break or lull at some point -- with coverage and intensity diminish as you go west of DC.  From DC and points east, however, the chance of a break is lower -- and another batch of heavy rain could even come through tonight.

The good news is that it dries out a bit tomorrow -- with a considerable sunshine in the Shenandoah.  That should prevent it from being a total mudfest.  The weekend looks nice'n dry.

Great advice.  This is a serious East Coast storm and caution should be exercised.

If the Redskins performance is the barometer for weather, I fear protracted weather misery.

On average, 1" of rain is equivalent to 10" of snow... so this would be 30-60" of snow or more.  But in winter, we never have this kind of deep tropical moisture feed, so those amounts would never occur.

I'm afraid the rain might push the stink bugs to take refuge inside.  I really hope not though.

While this is a fast moving storm, the feed of moisture is really, really long -- all the way south of Cuba.  So we may get an additional wave tonight after the wave today passes -- but the exact track of the second wave isn't clear (probably more impacting DC and points east, rather than west).

Though the salinity is mixed out of the rain, this storm is being fed by abundant Atlantic moisture.  The rain bands we're getting  originated over the ocean.

This storm is remarkable in its north-south extent.  Thanks for the report.

Before yesterday we were 2.5" below average for the month.  I'm confident we'll erase that deficit with this storm.  National has already received more than 2".   I think the total there will be in the 3-6" in rain -- cutting the annual deficit of just over 7" in half, at least.

Thanks for the comment. Long term temperatures show an increase but average snowfall has declined -- even when you factor in 2010's remarkable winter.  There's high confidence global warming will increase temperatures.  What it will do to snowfall is a more complex question.