Thursday, May 10, 2012

may milestones... (am.10.may.12)>

A veil of high cloudiness covers the area at sunrise on this Thursday morning, thanks to the remnants of dying thundershowers which were over northern Pakistan last night.  I've recorded an overnight low temp of 70.3F (21.3C) -- yet another milestone -- the first time this year the low has failed to drop below 70F at my location on Tushita Road.

We've had three days in a row with temperatures above 80F (27C), thanks to the massive, sprawling summertime air mass in place across most of the Indian subcontinent.  It has also been a generally stable air mass here along the outer ranges of the Himalaya, with only a handful of isolated PM thundershowers during the past few days.  It has been fantastic to get a taste of genuine summer weather, but it looks like we're on the brink of some changes.  The pattern in the upper atmosphere is already beginning to undergo a shift, which will allow a series of disturbances to move east-southeastward across northern India during the latter part of the week.  Colder temperatures aloft will over-ride the very warm air at the surface, and that will trigger more widespread, significant thunderstorm activity.  Of course it won't rain continuously... but it'll be good to get back in the mindset of being braced for action.

Temperatures should be on a gradual slide downward over the course of the coming 3-4 days, but considering the fact that we've been warmer than normal since Monday, it will still be quite pleasant for this time of year...

THURSDAY:
alternating periods of clouds and sunshine.  still warm... with a chance of a thundershower in the area.
high: 29C (84F)

THURSDAY NIGHT:
partly cloudy with a good chance of a shower or thunderstorm.
low: 20C (68F)

FRIDAY:
both sunshine and clouds.  good chance of a period or two of showers and thunderstorms.
high: 28C (83F)

SATURDAY:
partly cloudy and not as warm.  still a good chance of a couple of showers and thunderstorms around.
morning low: 19C (66F)
daytime high: 27C (80F)

SUNDAY:
partly cloudy and pleasant.  a thundershower possible.
morning low: 18C (64F)
daytime high: 26C (78F)

MONDAY:
sunshine and a few clouds.  risk of a thundershower, mainly during the PM.
morning low: 18C (64F)
daytime high: 26C (78F)