Tuesday, March 28, 2017

season's warmest... (pm.28.mar.17)>

Tuesday's stats:

Low temp: 63.3F (17.4C)
High temp: 77.3F (25.2C)
Rainfall: none

It's partly cloudy and hazy this evening at sunset, at the end of a day in which we've notched yet another 'warmest of the season and the year'.  My high temp was about 1ÂșC cooler than I expected it to be, mainly due to a bit more cloudiness than anticipated, and also the fact that the moisture content of our air mass has increased during the last 12-18 hours or so.  Still, we're running way above normal for the end of March -- more in the normal/average zone for the end of April.

The high pressure ridge which has been responsible for our dry and unseasonably warm weather the past several days is forecast to gradually weaken between tomorrow and the weekend, but initially, we may not notice much of a change.  Temps should stay where they are, through Friday, and might even climb another degree or two, with this mix of sunshine and clouds.  However, starting tomorrow, we'll have to be aware of at least a slight chance (20-30%) of some isolated thundershower development during the afternoon/evening hours, especially in the higher elevations to our north and northeast.  That shower risk could even climb up into the 50/50 category on Saturday.

Much cooler air in the upper atmosphere will settle gradually across Himalayan north India next week, with models now pinning Tuesday and Wednesday as particularly rainy and cool days for us.  Let's watch how this incoming system sets itself up -- and be prepared for a return to wet weather and cooler temps for a spell...