Saturday, March 18, 2017

a shifting pattern... (pm.18.mar.17)>

Saturday's stats:

Low temp: 44.6F (7.0C)
High temp: 58.7F (14.8C)
Precipitation: none

For only the second time in the last ten days, there was ZERO precipitation today.  And temperatures, although still well below normal for mid-March, were the warmest in the last ten days as well.  Considering the stretch of weather we've had recently, I guess we should be grateful for whatever little gains we can get.  Sunshine was plentiful today, with only a moderate build-up of cumulus over the mountains this afternoon, and some patchy high clouds drifting in from the west.

Yet another weak upper-level disturbance has been stirring up thundershowers across Pakistan this afternoon, and is scheduled to ripple across northern India tomorrow (Sun).  Already we're seeing these high clouds in advance of this minor system, and we could see some widely scattered shower and/or thundershower activity somewhere around the area on Sunday, though there should be some sunshine as well.

Warmer air aloft flowing in by Monday will be the first sign of a ridge of high pressure building into west-central and northwest India during the coming week.  Models are still showing an aggressive warming trend, with the mildest/warmest air of this spring season expected to surge northward.  Unfortunately, there is going to be quite a lot of mainly high cloudiness developing and flowing over the top of that high pressure ridge, so even though our air mass will be much warmer, the sunshine is going to be restricted.  Let's see how it pans out.  Any shower action should be confined to higher elevations to our north-northeast until sometime on Thursday, when we could catch some springtime thundershowers here...