Currently is a weather service for the era of climate change
Currently is a free subscription weather service — delivering daily weather poetry to your inbox, and connecting you with interactive weather alerts and real-time climate context straight to your phone. We’re a community of people sharing resources and delivering justice, hope, safety, and resilience in a world in urgent need of systemic action.
Wednesday, June 1st, 2022
⛅🚴♀️🐦🍉
Hello again friends — The Summer heat creep we’ve seen across DC so far this week hangs Wednesday; keeping highs again in the warmer-than-average mid-90s°F while mixing with cloudier, sweaty skies. Swamp hive rise up. Stay hydrated & take care of yourselves & each other in cool shelter. Here’s your map of DC’s public cooling resources (spray parks, recreation centers, pools, libraries, & shelters).
I’ll spare you the “turning up the” & “beating the” Heat metaphors, as you already know: continuing fossil-fueled climate change is intensifying, multiplying, & lengthening heatwaves. At least the rest of the week is expected to cool ~10-degrees Fahrenheit. Possible showers & thunderstorms are expected, too. Take heart in the heat-breaking for now. Stay clear-eyed & stay cool.
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2022
Thursday’s giving enthusiasm as relatively warm energy ahead of an approaching cool front. If you're getting ready to spend your day out, I’d equip yourself rain gear for later and a humidity-aware outfit to ready your position. Conditions start to shift a bit with clouds bounding around mid-morning. Increasing winds, rain, and possible thunderstorms expected in the afternoon. Storms could get severe between the rainfall and possible flooding, especially close to coasts. Temperature highs will still get up there, just reaching 90°F (feeling even hotter in heat islands) before heading down towards 80s-to-mid-70s°F lows. Morning commutes will give your best bike rides. As for evenings— stay cautious of conditions.
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2022
⛅
While the beginning of our week was replete with heat, the cool front we’ve just seen brings temperature highs right in-line with historical averages Friday. Giving the start of a gorgeous warm weekend. You’ll still get a parade of clouds, in especially conversational winds through afternoon Friday. After Friday, a calming. So go ahead & plan your nice long bike ride through capital crescent trail, knowing it’ll be dry.
🚴
It’s both good & sad to see DC’s $200 bike rebate fund exhaust so quickly, but that should reopen later this year.
🌇
AQI: should be good. Pollen-levels: moderate-high. Nighttime temps: nice 70s-60s°F near ~8:30pm dusk.
Monday, June 6th, 2022
☀️🚲🌷 SUNNY JUNE MONDAY SONNET
Monday sings its own ode to days like this
that asks first if blooming hydrangeas
would be open to it if temps kiss
the cheek of historical averages:
with mid-80s°F highs
and relatively low humidity,
Monday tempers plentiful supplies
of sunshine in a bright litany
of to-dos. To list a few: to-wake,
to-bike, to-work, to-care, to-act, to-rise
together, to-gather, to-enjoy, to-organize
to-breathe, to-drink water, all to make
better tomorrows empowered today:
grow despite it all, the Corpse Flower way.
Tuesday, June 7th, 2022
☁️🌧️☂️ HUMID TUESDAY SONNET
Ready for rainfall Tuesday to keep on
through the rest of the week. A cold front mass
hovers over DC raining weeklong,
the National Weather Service forecasts,
possibly up to three inches falling,
nearer-eve Tuesday, then again Wednesday,
Thursday, and Friday rain chances sprawl-in
crossing your way— create your causeway,
with an umbrella on-hand, give grey skies
waterproof resolve. Bring it all along
through low-80s°F highs
in soft humid air with wet-dirt scent strong
just as rain falls and each drop parts:
hold onto the world, the light in the dark.
Wednesday, June 8th, 2022
⛅💡☂️ BUSY WEDNESDAY SONNET
Wednesday morning parts skies to show some sun.
Your early bike commute looks promising
but you’ll want raingear to carry-along
for chances of Afternoon tottering
clouds tripping rainfall, gusts, and thunderstorms.
And until then, breezes will ease-in-kind,
humidity slightly rising, taking form in
almost 90°F highs.
Standing atop this human-carbon peak,
there’s much to defend, produce, and act.
With action to spur cleantech growth this week
from the government to speed, scale, and stack
solutions that actually solve for this –
we’ll take it, demand more, and be the blitz.
Thursday, June 9th, 2022
🌫️🚴⛅CLEARING THURSDAY SONNET
Thursday stays near-average temps, slightly
cooler than yesterday, with possible
rainfall and thunderstorms early. Might need
some cover, but not all-day: probable
clearing will happen into afternoon
comfortable, breezy, maybe some sun too.
I know it can be hard to plan with this mad June,
but there’s a lot we still can organize through.
Advocating and allying together,
rallying and partying as well,
make your plans close-checking the weather
as rain chances dissipate, break, and swell
into a humid, swamp-marching release -
for futures, for lives, for pride, for DC.
Friday, June 10th, 2022
Friday leaves Weekend as queer as DC:
a shining sunstart comes skythrough for you
with some clouds and mild humidity.
Queer as in, the expansive multitudes –
Like how, DYK: DC’s the highest
folks in the US compared to any state?
Possibility in community,
it’s giving the intersections of each
fight, how the dolls change plans this weekend to,
in rain, March for our Lives, to grow reach,
to take part, to carry, to dance with the heavy —
more heat means more hate, “what queer weather!”
so fight the hate and heat together
with queer joy, queer kinship, and queer love
“what a queer world,” Weekend sun winks above.
Monday, June 13th, 2022
⛅🚲🌦️🌝
Expect high humidity this week, giving Swampland temperatures a leg-up to reach (slightly higher-than average) highs of 90°F throughout DC; even warmer where concrete pervades, & where tree-shade vacates. Such mugginess is the punctuation you expect through DC summers— the twin creep of heat & humidity, drafting our heat index syntax.
Moderate ground-level ozone floats & Medium-levels of pollen are reported (which could spike mid-week, with sun & heat). At least Moon will be Super, as in— full & closer than ever before; above possible rumbling cloudiness, where Monday evening may bring scattered showers & storms.
Monday, June 14th, 2022
🌧️☂️🚲⛅🗳️
Scattered showers are expected Tuesday morning across the DMV. Rainfalls amid this stagnant warmth brought on by a fossil-fueled heatwave blanketing everyone east of the Rockies in above-average heat indices. On a scale from a Cool Crispness to Soaking Swampland— Tuesday’s the later, giving sticky wet dripping skies that soften in sunbursts rolling clouds on their side.
Afternoon-evening could break rain to a few clouds and low breeze. I’m hoping it’s calm enough to bike over to vote in DC primary elections. Reminder: you can still register to vote in-person, find your nearest voting station, or get your mail ballot to a dropbox.
Tuesday, June 15th, 2022
It’s walk-outside-&-a-caterpillar-of-sweat-crawls-on-your-top-lip-temperatures, above average warmth Wednesday. With fringes of the latest fossil-fueled heatwave fraying, moreso simmering Central US. Expect DC’s sky to tussle with sun Wednesday. With flippant clouds morphing moisture into slight shower chances– could be a nice reprieve.
But this heat isn’t just heavy to feel, but also worsens the air you breathe. Look at the spike in the air quality index this week, with PM2.5 THREE TIMES the WHO guidelines. In the American Lung Association's (ALA) State of the Air Report, DC got an F on ground-level ozone. Add your support here to demand the EPA set stronger pollution standards.
Wednesday, June 16th, 2022
Stay ahead of precipitation chances bookending Thursday: scattered morning showers are possible as well as late night chances of thunderstorms. On a Mugginess scale from Airyland to Swampland, we’re in bog territory. Skies will brew icky layers of wet heat that coat each black-eyed susan with beads of slow-dripping sweat. Light layers and lots of water will help. Temperature highs could again reach above-average at 90°F, but on your skin could feel 10-20°F hotter. Not only due to quagmirelike conditions but also especially in heavily-concreted/asphalted areas, where warmth’s absorbed due to urban heat island effects.
Thursday, June 17th, 2022
☀️💨
Friday signals what renewable energy to bring: clear sunny skies, hot mid-90s°F highs, & powerful breezes throughout. Be aware forecasts show Friday temperatures rising up to 95°F, the heat index threshold for DC’s emergency heat plans. You’ll get some steaminess too, but humidity is set to get more moderate than you’ve yucked through earlier this week. Stay cool:
- Voting early in DC Primaries
- Marching, metro-ing, & biking
- Celebrating Juneteenth Around DC
Both Saturday & Sunday are giving a gorgeous break-away from this week’s humid Summer simmer. Instead— sunny, 80°F highs, & clear.
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022
I hope you absorbed every kiloWatt hour of solar power you could to honor the shift — the Solstice bonfire in my heart is still smoldering. Welcome Summer (officially).
And with that, it’s like the light airy early part of this week and last weekend vanished into a dry snort and left a soggy sun, snotty clouds, and a sky feeling feverish. Highs seep towards 90°F and heat-index hotter, block-depending, so go with those lighter layers. Humidity and heat creep upwards and ramp especially into afternoon Wednesday. Beware early chances of showers, and later thunderstorms and heavy rains could catch in dense gobs of air.
Thursday, June 23rd, 2022
Thursday giveth and taketh. Giving cooler temperatures with mid-70s highs, and taking away most of that comfort with pressing high humidity. Early morning showers are possible, in case your umbrella is still sitting out from yesterday. Evening should be cloudy with mid-60s lows.
Friday, June 24th, 2022
☀️
Expect a solar-powered Friday & Weekend ahead, with little breeze, giving smiling short-sleeve weather. Friday temps are empowered to low-80s°F highs, where nighttime lows stick in high-60s°F. “Stick” is thee verb here, as humidity stays relatively high throughout.
🚲
In sum, perfect Washington weekend warrior weather to enjoy. With Saturday & Sunday each taking another slight step-up hotter to low-90s°F highs, drink water & stay cool. Whether celebrating the Solstice at late-night Smithsonian Saturday, or riding the newly finished bike lanes connecting Fort Totten & Brookland (which may be a necessity considering all the metro slow-downs)— find your joy in resistance keeping on for climate justice.
🌎
Monday, June 27th, 2022
☂️🌧️🌬️
Imagine you're a sunbeam
commuting over Monday morning’s likely showers
skyriding into gray clouds while aiming for the flowers
emerging from an obscured sun, you carry power and support
organizing a more interconnected world against a broken court.
Emerge in your sunbeam still, against storm chances into Monday mid-afternoon,
traveling on atmosphere-ways clogged with unabated emissions, you'll feel pretty heated too.
But stay like the sun, extend light still, to try.
Into an evening less humid and more dry
across DC — towards the week ahead
emerge solar-powered and wind-spread.
Tuesday, June 28th, 2022
🌞🏃♀️🌷🚲
Tuesday's a breath of fresh (Air Quality Index between okay-to-moderate) air. Temperatures will cool to comfortable 70s-80°F highs; while the spigot of Summer sweat switches-off—for much less humidity and a low dew-point. It’s giving soothing sublime cool-Summer skies, a climate-removed from the heated-swamp DC typically swims through, with rose-gold flecks of horizon gliding through protected bike lanes.
Great day to recharge, organize, and honor pain for the world, while communing with neighbors and nature. Feel free to turn on the old pun, “When There's A Huge Solar Spill, It's Just Called A Nice Day” — for more nice solar days to come.
Wednesday June 29th, 2022
Wednesday shines gorgeous again: calm, sunny, clear – enjoy, as both heat and humidity inch into Thursday. Any comfortable forecast is welcome --- to contrast the gloomy grief and heated rage in our bones.
Reminds me of another stark DC day under plentiful sun — more than eight years ago. Then, I gave EPA testimony with organizers advocating for carbon regs… which were never implemented. Instead, we now wake and dread an illegitimate court decimating them and evermore of peoples’ rights. So, what of abundant sunlight? What now keeps me going?
It was never really the sun, never just the feds, nor some regs— it's you. Folks who’ve BEEN at it, movements organizing for justice in active hope. It’s always been you.
Thursday June 30th, 2022
Thursday’s hotter, more humid, nastier, and well- more typical. Average DC for this time of year. Sunshine stays plentiful, with rays of light piercing bits of upper atmosphere morning moisture. With each marred moist molecule wafting down to the ground, DC’s mucky humidity builds-up. Expect your highest dew-point and swampiness by late afternoon/evening - maybe plan to shower after you bike home. Temperatures then will tell you low-90s°F, but combined with this humidity, heat swelters.
- From FEMA: How to stay safe when extreme heat threatens
- From Grist: As a heat wave grips the US, lessons from the hottest city in America