Well that was a big, ugly bust. Showers got bogged down this AM, sun was whitewashed at best, and cool winds picked up at the beaches. What happened? Well, I relearned a lesson taught to me almost 20 years ago.
While working in Portland, Maine I filled in for the chief meteorologist. He was having a Memorial Day weekend party and needed time to prepare. He said, “Even though it may look warm this weekend, don’t push the numbers too high. The models always try to rush the heat in here. You have to wait for the ridge to pass first.” I assured him I was on it, although in the back of my mind I thought, Whatever, old man. Go make your finger sandwiches.
Well, the obvious happened. I took the bait and warmed it into the 80s. Instead, showers fell and the highs barely crested above 60. As chief handed me a deviled ham sandwich at the party, he grinned like a Cheshire Cat and whispered, “Told you so”.
And that’s why I hate deviled ham.
Lesson learned. So I thought. Fast forward to today when the maps/models pushed the numbers into the mid 80s. (I might have had it if not for those meddling clouds.) But alas, I had to relearn my lesson the hard way. Goes to show, sometimes we have to fall back on our experience and simple meteorology. Models can only take us so far. For that reason, I think all meteorologists have bright futures. (Until the singularity.)
Onward and upward.
Now if today’s clouds really bugged you, then you won’t like the next two days. A Back Door Cold Front is coming, and it will catapult the warm, somewhat muggy air out of here in a matter of hours tomorrow morning. With temperatures falling from near 70 early on to the 50s by late day, you’ll wonder if we need to start calling the 4th of July the real start to summer.
Wednesday isn’t much better. Chilly air coming in from the east combined with a sea of clouds will keep us in the 50s. It’s not until later in the week when we climb out of the below normal temperatures and make some headway into the 70s.