THE HOTTENING BEGINS… 3 TO 5 DAY HEAT WAVE BEGINS ACROSS THE REGION TODAY ESPECIALLY FOR LOCATIONS BELOW 1000 OR 1500 FEET IN ELEVATION, AS ELEVATED AREAS LIKELY HANG IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AT LEAST… OTHERWISE, 90S ON THE WAY WITH SUNSHINE AFTER DENSE FOG BURNS OFF THIS MORNING… SPOT SHOWER LATE TODAY POSSIBLE… ISOLATED SHOWERS/STORMS POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY… WEDNESDAY TRANSITION DAY WITH COLD FRONT, SHOWERS AND STORMS, THEN WE COOL DOWN BY THURSDAY THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND WITH DRIER CANADIAN AIR FOR SOME RELIEF… 7:20am SAT…
Good morning everybody, we’ve got some alternate cold and heat therapy on the way, who needs cold and hot showers when you can just bake for a few days and cool for a few after that?
That’s what is on the way, but at first, we get a big blast of heat that has been building over the western U.S. and Plains, now directed into our region thanks to a powerful upper level ridge in the east, and surface high pressure (a/k/a “Bermuda High”) east of the Carolinas.
Said high pumps the southwesterly flow of heat and humidity in to the region, while a disturbance well north of us that will bring severe weather to northern New England today will help produce a pressure gradient between it and the high south of us to create westerly winds gusting to 30mph today, so it’ll be a breezy and hot.
After the morning fog burns off, sunshine will prevail, and highs will soar into the upper 80s to low 90s with dewpoints in the 60s. A lone shower or two could pop this afternoon, but unlikely.
The heat wave begins for some today. Lows will sit down into the low to mid 60s.
For tomorrow, the ridge moves north and spreads its compressive firmament into New England, causing temps to rise even more, so we expect highs to soar into the mid 80s to mid 90s with continued humidity and abundant sunshine. Again, lows drop into the low to mid 60s.
For Monday, peak heat is achieved! Expect highs in the upper 80s to upper 90s, and I would imagine a Heat Advisory may be issued for southern Pioneer Valley locations if dewpoints can reach the mid 60s and combine with some upper 90s readings down near what I term the southwestern New England heat sink of Springfield/Hartford, otherwise known as the SNEHSOSH.
I know, I’m adept at creating acronyms that are quickly remembered and which roll off the tongue with ease.
For both Monday and Tuesday, some isolated afternoon showers and thunderstorms will be possible. Lows Monday night dip into the mid to upper 60s, so cooling efforts will likely need to be doubled.
Tuesday is hot again, but not as much as Monday, with highs in the mid 80s to low 90s with partly sunny skies and again some afternoon showers possible, with lows in the mid to upper 60s.
A NOTE ON HUMIDITY THROUGH MID WEEK
It should be noted that our humidity is not going to become truly oppressive, in that the dewpoint temps should not exceed the mid to upper 60s. After all, the source region of this humid air is the western U.S., not the Deep South, or southeast U.S. coastal areas, which is from where we generally get the super humid dewpoints in the low to mid 70s.
Still, it’s going to be very humid, and folks that are prone to heat-related illness MUST take it easy during this upcoming period, as well as outdoor workers and laborers.
Wednesday is the transition day, but some of us may still reach the low 90s, though most will be in the 80s for highs as clouds increase, and showers and thunderstorms move into the region thanks to a cold front that will cool us down from the north.
By late week, we are going to cool through the 80s for highs Thursday, down into the 70s for highs by Friday and into the weekend with much drier air, and dewpoint temps possibly in the 40s and low 50s!!
So, relief is on the way, folks, but not before we go through this 5-day stretch of very warm to downright hot and humid conditions.
No severe weather is on the horizon at the moment, so that’s good. Speaking of which, southeastern Hartford County and southwestern Tolland County in northern CT saw up to 5″ of rain yesterday from storms that kept firing along a stationary boundary for HOURS.
If you were under that, my condolences.
Have a great day!