Monday, July 23, 2012
Temperatures will hit the mid-90s by Tuesday. We could get hit by storms three times this week
Rainfall deficits so far this year throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania run between five and nine inches, which generally means that the region has seen about two-thirds to four-fifths of what is considered "normal" rainfall. While we neither need nor want a repeat of last August and September around here, lawns and gardens wouldn't mind more rainfall. Last week's two (three for some locations) bouts of rain -- one on Sunday, scattered on Wednesday, and the other on Friday -- definitely helped. More is on the way this week. Thunderstorm chances are in the forecast for late Monday and again on Tuesday as a frontal boundary out to our west crosses the region over those two days. Thunderstorms will be scattered so not everyone will see …
Monday, July 16, 2012
A short but noticeable heat wave starts the work week before thunderstorms bring relief and cooler temperatures for the week's latter half
First, the heat. Monday through Wednesday will feature temperatures in the 90s, lows in the 70s, with humidity slowly ratcheting higher each afternoon. The most oppressive days of the coming week appear to be Tuesday and Wednesday, with heat index values (what it feels like when heat and humidity are factored together) flirting with or nudging past the 100 degree mark at the peak of heat each afternoon. We could have a couple of flies in the ointment in the form of isolated or scattered thunderstorms on Monday and Tuesday afternoon, but the region appears to be more dry than not through Tuesday. The transition between heat and relief is on Wednesday, with the potential for a strong round of thunderstorms to cross the region. These …
Friday, July 13, 2012
Storms have the potential to dampen weekend plans, but we need the rainfall
We've had a wide array of weather extremes the past two weekends — extreme heat with 100 degree weather last Saturday and severe weather the past two weekends in parts of the region. The trend of uneven, not completely nice, weekends of weather continues this weekend as a disturbance moves through the Great Lakes and Northeast. This disturbance will push humidity northward into our region, bringing the chance for thunderstorms late in the day Saturday and most of the day on Sunday. It will not be a total washout all weekend, but thunderstorms will be around — some of them featuring heavy rainfall, as moisture levels in the atmosphere will become somewhat tropical as the airmass becomes progressively humid this weekend. Isolated flooding…
Monday, July 9, 2012
No signs of 100 degree weather in our region for the foreseeable future as a more normal weather pattern takes hold
Our multi-day heat wave mercifully ended with the passage of a cool front through the region to start this week. The front brought that gusty round of thunder on Saturday night that had more wind and lightning to it than raindrops in some locations. We could use the rain as the past three weeks have been a bit dry. One thing we can use—and will get—is a break from the heat that gripped the region recently. No 100 degree temperatures, no mentions of excessive heat warnings, nor any mention of dew points that rival those found in the tropics over the next week. The front that brought our heat wave's demise won't travel too far south of the region, stalling out over the Delmarva and Tidewater area of Virginia, an area that will pick up …
Friday, July 6, 2012
Philadelphia has had a total of 8 consecutive days with high temperatures above 90 degrees. This will continue into the weekend where the 100 degree mark will be reached.
July came in like a lion, as every single day this month has reached 90 degrees or more, and it will only get worse. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, NJ issued an Excessive Heat Warning that is currently in effect until tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Heat index values are expected to peak around 110 degrees tomorrow. Some good news is that by early next week, a big cool down is in store. Today will be a hot one with mostly sunny skies and a high temperature around 95 degrees. The danger is that there won't be any winds along with a heat index around 105 degrees. Tonight will be very mild and mostly clear. Temperatures will drop into the mid-70s, but will be around 80 degrees by midnight. Light winds are expected. Tomorrow will be the…
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Last years independence day was beautiful with mostly sunny skies and a high temperature around 90 degrees, but will this year be the same?
We have been in the second heat wave of the year and it will continue throughout the week and into the weekend. The problem with heat is that possibility of severe weather development. Thunderstorms are extremely hard to predict, especially location and timing. When there is an approaching holiday, like Independence Day, weather forecasting becomes crucial. Today: The atmosphere in our area will become relatively unstable as a large mid-latitude system moves eastward in Canada, bringing us a warm front during the evening hours. Associated with this warm front is rain showers and possible embedded thunderstorms for the evening and overnight hours. Independence Day: Now the question is: Will rain cause headaches for the outside barbeques …
Friday, June 29, 2012
The first heat wave was brutal, but brief. So, for this weekend, expect high temperatures to soar into the upper 90s once again
Has anyone realized that it has been really nice over the past several days? These are the moments we forget to take advantage of. If you're a person for the heat, this weekend into next week will be a dream come true, but for the others this will be horrific. The first heat wave of the year started on the first day of summer and lasted for three days. The second heat wave, which started yesterday, will continue as far as Tuesday. Today will be the hottest of them all with high temperatures peaking between 96 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The higher values are expected in areas closer to Philadelphia. There will be partly cloudy skies and a nice breeze from the west northwest at 10 to 15 mph. By nightfall, temperatures will be in the low-80s …
Friday, June 15, 2012
For the next several days, rain will not be in the equation as partly cloudy skies and Southern California-like weather moves in
It's about time for sunshine and warm temperatures to arrive in our area. June has actually been below-average when it comes to warmth, but that will change this weekend. For the next several days, the only event going on in the sky is sun with some passing clouds. Father's Day weekend will be one of those seemingly rare events in weather because: 1. It is a weekend, which typically can't escape at least one day with miserable weather. 2. It is like a holiday, so any outside activity will be a success and very comfortable. 3. Low humidity and high temperatures around 80 degrees will make it feel like San Diego, CA. If you are planning on taking a trip to the Jersey Shore, expect mostly sunny skies, but cooler temperatures due to a …
Friday, June 8, 2012
After a well-below average June, temperatures will finally feel like summer for the weekend
It seemed like summer went on vacation for a while, causing newly-opened pools to become abandoned, but changes are on the way for the next several days. The reason behind the elongated cold and gloomy weather was because of a high-pressure system sitting around Greenland. In meteorology slang, these type of systems are called "blocking highs" since they block the planetary wave patterns from easily moving around the globe. A trough or concaved shape of pressure typically causes cooler temperatures to move into the region inside the trough. In conclusion, the "blocking high" was causing this trough to sit over our region for a long period of time giving us spring-like weather. The good news is that change is the light at the end of the …
Monday, June 4, 2012
Saturday and Sunday looking downright awesome as high pressure takes over our weather
Personally, I like late spring and early summer quite a bit ― it's not my favorite weather when compared to October, but this time of the year brings you some of the longest days of the year. Also, if the pattern is right you can get some really nice weather that rivals early fall in terms of low humidity and milder temperatures that we'll miss when summer heat arrives in a few weeks. This week, despite shower chances, will at least provide the combination of lower humidity and temperatures that are more typical for early May than early June. The cause is last Friday's storm system that brought rain and wind to the region. The storm system's energy in the upper portions of the atmosphere ended up parking itself over the Great Lakes …
