AIR QUALITY AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE TODAY’S MAIN ATMOSPHERIC IMPACTS… ONE MORE PLUME OF SLIGHTLY MORE INTENSE SMOKE MOVES THROUGH DURING THE AFTERNOON, MAINLY ALONG/NORTH OF THE RT. 2 CORRIDOR IN MA, VT, AND NH BEFORE A LINE OF SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE POTENTIAL PUSH THROUGH 6-9PM… OVERNIGHT SHOWERS INTO WEDNESDAY AM GIVES WAY TO CLEARING WED. AFTERNOON, DRIER, COOLER, MUCH MORE CLEAR AIR… SHOWERS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT… CLEARING BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON WITH A NICE WEEKEND AHEAD… 7am TUES…

Good morning everybody, we have one more day of wildfire smoke to contend with, but it should not be as intense as yesterday, which was an awful combination of smoke aloft that was mixed down to the surface coupled with increased ozone concentrations at the surface, a double pulmonary whammy, and likely the cause (the ozone, that is) of those acrid rubber and plastic type smells people reported.

While Air Quality Alerts are not posted for northern CT yet, consider them posted by yours truly as AQIs are over 150 down in Hartford and Tolland County, down into southern CT, so take it easy out there and limited outdoor time.

I’m going to get to the weather report below, but I wanted to provide the section immediately below this ‘graph for your bookmarking activities, so you have the info you need regarding future smoke spread incidents.

AIRNOW.GOV – www.airnow.gov
Bookmark this site, and explore the data and information you find in there to help you better manage future wildfire smoke/particulate matter air quality situations. It also discusses Ozone surface concentrations, which were up yesterday and may have led to some of those other acrid rubber/plastic smells.

WEATHER REPORT
–Hazy at times with mostly sunny skies with highs in the mid 80s to low 90s, and humid with dewpoints in the 60s
–A cold front approaches from the northwest this afternoon, and we will have strong wind shear associated with it
–Instability should be plentiful enough combined with ample moisture and strong low level lapse rates to produce some line segments or an actual squall line of showers, downpours, and strong to severe thunderstorms
–This line should push through our region between 5:30-8:30pm from SW.VT/northern Berkshires through southern CMass and northeast CT
–Isolated damaging straight line wind gusts are possible, along with torrential rain and frequent lightning, and at least some small hail
–Lows tonight drop into the upper 50s to low 60s with overnight scattered showers continuing as a little impulse develops and tracks along the frontal boundary
–Any morning clouds or a few showers on Wednesday give way to increasingly sunny skies, an exit of wildfire smoke, lowered humidity, and drying conditions, with highs in the low to mid 70s as Canada says hello
–Lows at night will bottom out in the 55-60º range under partly cloudy skies
–For Thursday, any morning sunshine gives way to increases in clouds as our cold front gets picked up by a low passing well north of us, returning tonight’s front as a warm front on Thursday night
–This will bring periods of showers and possible thunderstorms Thursday mid to late afternoon, overnight, and into early Friday morning
–Thursday highs are in the mid 70s and lows in the upper 50s to low 60s
–Friday clears out and turns into a lovely, dry, sunny day with highs in the 70s and lows in the low 50s
–The weekend is looking pretty nice right now, with mostly sunny skies, highs in the low to mid 70s, and a spot shower possible Sunday afternoon (with Monday looking a lot like Sunday)

Have a great day, and be alert to the sight of haze or smell of smoke, and if so, take it easy when out and about…