basking in warmth... (pm.27.may.12)>

Other than the dust and haze hanging in the air, we have sunny skies and it's pleasantly warm across the area this evening.  My high temp in the upper part of town reached 85.5F (29.7C) around 2:00pm, which is very close to normal for the last few days of May.

We're looking at a very quiet weather pattern during the next several days.  The flow aloft will be weak, from the west-northwest, and temperatures from the surface into the upper atmosphere will be on the rise.  All the data is pointing to a generally stable situation, with very little dynamic energy, cold air aloft, or moisture available to trigger any significant shower/thunderstorm activity -- right through Friday.  Unfortunately, the lack of rain will allow this haze, dust and other pollution from the plains of north India to hang around through the week as well.

Temperatures should stay at their warmest levels of the season and year, and there are indications we may even climb a bit above 90F/32C at some point this week.  Of course that means it will be boiling HOT just down the hill, with highs close to 100F/37C in Dharamsala, and over 104F/40C in Kangra.  We're getting into the thick of the thick of the summer season, folks!

SUNDAY NIGHT:

clear to partly cloudy.  balmy temps.

low: 22C (71F)

MONDAY:

hazy sunshine and a few clouds.  warmer.

high: 31C (88F)

MONDAY NIGHT:

generally clear.  a warm night.

low: 22C (72F)

TUESDAY:

very warm with hazy sun.

high: 32C (89F)

WEDNESDAY:

hazy... but still plenty of sun.  warmest of the year?

morning low: 23C (73F)

daytime high: 32C (90F)

THURSDAY:

hazy sunshine... no change in temps...

morning low: 23C (74F)

daytime high: 32C (90F)

FRIDAY:

hazy sun and a few clouds.  warmth continues...

morning low: 23C (74F)

daytime high: 32C (89F)

hazy and lazy... (am.27.may.12)>

It's quite hazy early this morning, but the sun is shining, and temperatures are already on the rise.  My overnight low temp here on Tushita Road below the mountaineering center has been 69.8F (21.0C), and there has been no rainfall.

High pressure aloft is already building back into north India, as yesterday's weak upper-level disturbance lifts northeastward and fizzles out.  There may be some lingering colder air in the upper-atmosphere today which could set off an isolated shower or thundershower over the mountains, but most of us should be unaffected.  Instead, it looks like we're in for an extended stretch of quiet weather which will feature hazy sunshine and nothing more than a few clouds from time to time.  The flow of air up at the jetstream level is going to be practically dead -- fairly typical for this stage of the summer season as we see June on the horizon.

Temperatures will remain near the peak of the entire year as we head through the week.  At my reporting location, the highest temp has been 89.4F (31.9C), which occurred this past Friday.  We stand a good chance of going beyond that during the next several days.  If you plan to be heading down to Kangra, expect temps in the range of 104-107F (40-42C)... about the warmest it gets in our part of the world!

SUNDAY:

warming up again with hazy sun and a few clouds.  an isolated PM thundershower?

high: 29C (85F)

SUNDAY NIGHT:

mostly clear skies.  rather warm temps.

low: 22C (71F)

MONDAY:

a mix of sun, haze and a few clouds.  very warm.

high: 31C (88F)

TUESDAY:

hazy sunshine and very warm.

morning low: 22C (72F)

daytime high: 32C (89F)

WEDNESDAY:

still very warm with hazy sun.

morning low: 23C (73F)

daytime high: 32C (90F)

THURSDAY:

a mix of hazy sun and some clouds.  still around the warmest of the year.

morning low: 23C (74F)

daytime high: 32C (90F)

character of summer... (pm.26.may.12)>

We have a combination of clouds and hazy sunshine on this Saturday evening.  It has been a few degrees cooler today, but still squarely in the summertime category, with a high temp of 81.3F (27.4C) at my location in the upper part of town.  Although we had occasional thunder and some brief light showers between about 5:00am and noon, I barely measured 0.01"/less than 1mm of rain.  Maybe there were a few spots around the area that picked up something a little more substantial.

According to satellite images, our latest upper-level disturbance is centered over the northwest corner of Kashmir this evening, and weakening as it drifts to the east-northeast.  The reason for our instability of the past 18 hours or so is cold air aloft in association with this system -- and this slightly unstable situation will persist into Sunday, keeping the mention of a passing shower or thunderstorm in the forecast.  I'm still not expecting any significant amounts of rain, but keep in mind the continuing risk of something popping up.

It looks like a general ridge of high pressure will dominate our weather pattern once again starting on Monday.  We should see a fairly stable air mass in place, allowing plenty of hazy sunshine, along with temperatures bouncing back within very close striking distance of 90F/32C by the middle of the week.  Unless something really unexpected happens, we should be able to chalk up May 2012 as drier and warmer than average...

SATURDAY NIGHT:

partly cloudy.  risk of a thundershower developing.

low: 21C (69F)

SUNDAY:

both sunshine and occasional clouds.  a passing thundershower possible.

high: 29C (84F)

SUNDAY NIGHT:

an isolated evening thundershower?  otherwise becoming mostly clear.

low: 21C (70F)

MONDAY:

sunny to partly cloudy and warmer.  some PM mountain thunder?

high: 31C (87F)

TUESDAY:

very warm, with hazy sunshine and a few clouds.

morning low: 22C (72F)

daytime high: 32C (89F)

WEDNESDAY:

very warm with hazy sun.

morning low: 23C (73F)

daytime high: 32C (90F)

THURSDAY:

a mix of hazy and a few clouds.  summery warmth continues.

morning low: 23C (74F)

daytime high: 32C (90F)

a changeable sky... (am.26.may.12)>

It is mostly cloudy on this Saturday morning, with some light showers and a thundershower or two in the vicinity.  I first woke up hearing thunder and gusty winds just before 5:00am, but thus far, the rain gauge is showing barely 0.01" (much less than 1mm).  Temperatures were warm all night, but finally dropped to a low of 69.6F (20.9C), thanks to the thundershower.

A disturbance in the upper-atmosphere is to blame (or thank) for the cloudiness and thundershower activity.  This system will pivot across northern India, its center remaining well to our north, between now and Sunday mid-day, keeping us with the potential for a round or two of showers or thunderstorms.  I'll be surprised if we can get any significant rainfall out of this... although one computer model is hinting at a total of around 0.50" (1.3cm) by the time all is said and done.  There will still be periods of sunshine along with seasonably warm temps... just be on the lookout for thundershower development and be ready to take shelter if necessary.

The upper atmosphere will be shifting back into full-on summertime mode starting late Sunday and Monday.  Very warm air will return to the middle and upper-levels, getting rid of most of the instability necessary to trigger any thunderstorm action.  Expect very warm temps and plenty of sun for the majority of next week...

SATURDAY:

a mix of clouds and sun.  not as warm, with a couple of showers and thunderstorms in the area.

high: 29C (85F)

SATURDAY NIGHT:

partly cloudy.  chance of another round of showers and thunderstorms.

low: 19C (67F)

SUNDAY:

both sunshine and some clouds, with a chance of a passing thundershower.  near normal late-May temps.

high: 29C (84F)

MONDAY:

sunny to partly cloudy and warmer.  some isolated PM thunder?

morning low: 21C (70F)

daytime high: 31C (87F)

TUESDAY:

sunny to partly cloudy.  warming trend continues.

morning low: 22C (72F)

daytime high: 32C (89F)

WEDNESDAY:

hazy sunshine and a few clouds.  very warm.

morning low: 23C (73F)

daytime high: 32C (90F)