Typically, this time of year we’re talking about “Triple ‘H’ Weather:” Hot, hazy and humid. We’ve certainly had the heat, but it hasn’t been hazy OR humid. Thus, it was the perfect first weekend of summer. I saw lots of pictures on social media of everyone out enjoying the sunshine and warmth; paddle boarding, biking, running… etc. It was also a great weekend for hitting the beach! The sea breeze is still acting as Mother Nature’s “free AC.” So, you know what they say: “If you can’t stand the heat, head to the beach.” That is what they say, isn’t it?! Well, it’s what I just said.
Maybe this was feeling a little too-good-to-be true. Some of you asking, “Will it last?” Well, we do get another GREAT day of warm weather and great beach conditions – but then Hot & Hazy are headed to the party. In fact, humidity will be on the increase tomorrow as well as the heat. Highs will be in the mid to upper 80s – even reaching 90° in some spots. Meantime, dewpoints are also on the rise. I think Rob Eicher put it best earlier today, “Air temperature tells us how hot it is, while dewpoints tell us how humid it is.” The farther apart the two values are, the drier the air is. The closer together the two values are, the closer the air is to being saturated (rain, dew). When humidity is on the increase, we tend to describe it as feeling a little “sticky” out – and this “stickiness” also applies to the daily range of temperatures. The lower the humidity, the cooler the mornings followed by warm afternoons (say, lows near 50° and highs near 90° like today). The higher the humidity, the smaller that spread is (say, lows near 65° and highs near 85°). Have I lost you yet? What I’m trying to say is, tonight will not be as cool as the last couple of nights due to the increasing humidity. Lows tonight will bottom out near 60°. What can I say? I’m long-winded… or I like to type a lot.
Now, the humidity will really become noticeable on Tuesday and Wednesday. We need 3 ingredients for thunderstorms to form: Heat/instability (got it), moisture (check), and lift (like the front that’s moving through). We also need the rain. The shower and thunderstorm activity expected on Tuesday, overnight into Wednesday, looks to be scattered in nature (as opposed to widespread). While this won’t be a drought-buster, every little bit helps… and HEY! It’s NOT on a weekend! :c) Score.
What we really want to know about though, is NEXT weekend. The 4th of July is one week from tomorrow, and that’s one holiday that definitely revolves around good weather! Am I right?! Scattered showers and storms are expected for Saturday, and possibly into Sunday… but forecast models, as of now, are indicating the return of sunshine and temps in the 80s for Independence Day. Disclaimer: Forecasts can always change… but as always, stay tuned. – Breezy
