7:10A-THU: HOTTEST DAY OF THE 2021 WARM SEASON ARRIVES TODAY… AIR QUALITY ALERTS POSTED FOR CENTRAL/EAST HAMPSHIRE-HAMPDEN COUNTIES INTO SOUTHERN WORCESTER CTY… EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNINGS FOR THE VALLEY EAST THROUGH CMASS AND N.CT, WITH HEAT ADVISORIES IN THE BERKSHIRES, LITCHFIELDS, TACONICS, SVT AND SWNH… EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCHES POSTED FOR TOMORROW… STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING… PERSEID METEOR SHOWER PEAKS TONIGHT… HEAT WAVE BREAKS SATURDAY… COMPLETE RELIEF ARRIVES SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY… MY 10TH ANNIVERSARY TEE-SHIRT/HOODIE SALE RUNS THROUGH 8/22… STAY HYDRATED TODAY…
Good morning everybody, I hope some of you got to see Perseids last night, apparently there were some amazing sightings! I am going to jump into the quick story below, then a word from my local biz sponsor, Tandem Bagel Company, and then the Discussion, so as The Cars used to croon, Let’s Go (I like the cool nights, babeh).
QUICK STORY
–Factually, empirically we deal with the hottest day of 2021 today
–Heat indices may rise to between 102-108º (combo of air temp and dewpoints/humidity)
–Stay hydrated, out of direct sun if possible, get into cooling if possible, locate cooling centers in your neighborhood
–Know the signs of heat illnesses (see chart attached)
–Air Quality Alerts up for Hampshire/Hampden Counties east of their western hilltowns (central/south valley) into southern CMass
–Highs low to mid 90s today and tomorrow
–Humidity is higher today, with dewpoints in the mid 70s or so
–Mostly sunny, but strong to severe thunderstorms possible after 5pm
–Chance the most severe stays south, but damaging straight line wind gusts possible this evening
–Low to mid 70s for lows tonight, awful sleeping weather
–More scattered showers and storms tomorrow afternoon
–Cold front Friday night into Saturday with more showers/storms
–Sunday through Tuesday complete relief, drier, cooler, sweet relief on the way!
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DISCUSSION
The heat pump maximizes today between a strong ridge to our south in the western Atlantic and clockwise flow around it, and a trough in southern Canada with counterclockwise flow around it, we sandwiched between and hence powerful southwesterly flow gets vacuumed through the region, along tropical heat and humidity from the Deep South, lucky for us!
This has prompted Excessive Heat Warnings across much of the low country in the WMass and surrounding counties region, and Heat Advisories in the highlands of the Berkshires, Litchfields, southern Greens and Monadnock.
Everybody gets some heat today! Enjoy! Not!
Highs low to mid 90s each day, dewpoints in the mid 70s today but upper 60s to low 70s tomorrow means Heat Index peaks between 106-109º today, and about 100-104º tomorrow.
The other concern for this late afternoon and evening is an expanded chance for severe thunderstorms with damaging straight line wind gusts.
What is called a Mesoscale Convective System (the word system can also be interchanged with “Complex”) is pushing east into the Buffalo metro area this morning, and survived the night, still producing powerful thunderstorms out that way capable of damaging wind or even a microburst.
This system will encounter highly unstable air over NY state as it tracks east, although wind shear won’t be super strong. Still, a squall line of strong to severe tstorms is expected, and if it holds together, it could last WMass, northwest CT and SVT late this afternoon into the evening, with damaging wind gusts possible.
There is some potential it will have its strongest flank to the south break off and punish southwest CT into southern Litchfield, with more isolated to scattered showers and storms here, but we’ll have to watch to see how it unfolds today, and I will keep you updated so stay tuned.
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Tonight is awful for sleeping with high humidity and lows in the low to mid 70s.
We do this all over again Friday, and Excessive Heat Watches are posted, to either be converted to Warnings or Heat Advisories, and I think we’ll see less Heat Warnings tomorrow, but it will be borderline, so prepare for another super hot day.
We will also have scattered showers and storms in the afternoon, and then we have to watch the cold front to see exact timing and whether or not will be on the wetter or drier side as it passes through.
There is a chance it’s through by early to mid Saturday afternoon with drying commencing in to the evening.
Highs Saturday will be in the 80s, so the heat wave is likely over tomorrow/Friday.
Saturday night through Tuesday looks divine with cooler, drier conditions, clearer skies, sunshine, low humidity, highs 70s to low 80s Sunday through Tuesday, lows upper 50s to low 60s.
The relief is coming my friends, but I gotta stay focused on the high impact weather through tomorrow night into Saturday, so stay tuned for updates as we deal with serious heat, humidity and potential severe weather later today, and tomorrow.
And if you would like to help me celebrate 10 years of running this page and resource, you can do some early holiday shopping or gear up for any season by clicking my Bonfire link below for a special design 10-year annivesary shirt sale, thank you.