Step in the right direction today. Sun dominated the afternoon and sent temperatures soaring into the upper 40s in many spots. Water was rushing off roofs, balconies and decks. It doesn’t take much to fry a snowpack when your sun angle is 43° at the solar noon – the equivalent of late September’s sun angle.
That infusion of incoming solar radiation (insolation) is huge for the total heat budget in the Northern Hemisphere. As we march out of winter and into spring, the cold air needs that much more heat to warm up as it glides over snow and frozen ground. As we know, this is a gradual process and one that could be fraught with wintry setbacks.
But in the meantime, we’re all about spring. Before the clouds catch up to us, we’ll peak in the upper 40s again tomorrow. The clouds are thickening ahead of a weak weather system tomorrow night. Rest assured, there’s no need to worry about snow, ice or cold. This is all about rainshowers as our temperatures remain in the upper 30s.
Which sets us up to soar on Wednesday. With a steady northwest wind to keep away a chilling sea breeze, and full sunshine to help things along, we could be near 60 in some spots! Enjoy it, because colder air is pouring in late in the week.
Next threat at a storm is this weekend. Trending toward rain at this point, but we’ll keep an eye out for you.
Pete