upward we go... (am.06.apr.13)>

A sunny and pleasant Saturday morning is already under way.  Those thin, high clouds that were moving in last evening have disappeared, and I've recorded an overnight low temp of 53.6F (12.0C).  Humidity remains very low -- at 35%.

Classic April weather conditions are expected to prevail across our area this weekend into early next week, as a ridge of high pressure aggressively builds in.  The main event will be a rather dramatic warming trend which will begin today, and last through at least Monday, bringing us the highest temps of this new spring/summer season thus far.  The atmosphere will be generally stable, but there will be a batch of upper-level energy and increasing moisture moving through tomorrow (Sun) which could increase the mountain thunder potential temporarily.  As always, be prepared for sudden changes if you plan to be trekking or climbing.  Even on a beautiful day, things can turn very quickly.

Meanwhile, a strong storm system centered over the Middle East will be moving steadily in our direction, and should arrive in southern Pakistan by Tuesday.  All the computer models say that it will fizzle out rapidly by the time it finally makes into India, but it still looks like we could see a better chance of some scattered showers and thundershowers from late Tuesday through Wednesday.  It's too early to tell for certain, but it appears that temperatures may not be greatly affected, so the warmer air arriving this weekend just may be here to stay...

Check your CURRENT FORECAST on the tab above.

warmer weekend... (pm.05.apr.13)>

Friday's stats:

Early morning low temp: 51.3F (10.7C)
Afternoon high temp: 68.4F (20.2C)
Rainfall: none

It is clear, quiet and comfortably cool this evening, after a day of almost full sunshine.  Even the normal mountain instability was nearly squashed this afternoon, with only a few clusters of cumulus clouds managing to develop for a few hours up there.  Temperatures remain a few degrees below normal for this time of year, but if you spent much time in the direct sun, it was hard to tell.

The atmosphere is ever-changing, and that's what keeps things interesting.  We are now on the brink of a significant warm-up, as a ridge of high pressure from the surface into the upper-atmosphere develops across northwestern India.  With that warming will eventually come a chance of our mountain thunder machine springing into action again -- but right now it appears that the upper-level flow should steer any activity east-northeastward and away from us.  Enjoy the sunshine and increasing warmth this weekend, but just be prepared for a sudden afternoon Himalayan thundershower if you plan to be heading uphill.

The warmest air of the season will be drawn northward ahead of a really intense-looking storm system which will roll from the Persian Gulf into southern Pakistan by late Tuesday.  However, this system is still expected to die a fairly rapid death as it moves into India, providing us with only scattered shower or thundershower activity mainly from late Tuesday into Wednesday.  Stay tuned for further developments during the coming few days.

The latest CURRENT FORECAST is available on the tab above.

no worries... (am.05.apr.13)>

At this moment, bright sunshine is peeking over the mountains to start our Friday.  I've recorded a rather chilly overnight low temp of 51.3F (10.7C), and humidity has been very low as well -- currently just 35%.

A crisp and dry air mass is in place, as brisk northwesterly jet stream winds flow overhead.  A rather strong ridge of high pressure will be building across the northwest third of India over the weekend into early next week, which should provide us with generally stable conditions and a rather dramatic warm-up.  The warmest temperatures should occur on Sunday and Monday, when we'll likely be rising a couple of degrees (at least) above normal for the first half of April.  Be aware of the risk of afternoon cloud/thunder development over the mountains, but apart from that, we should see a lot of sunshine.

An unseasonably intense storm system organizing in the vicinity of the Persian Gulf will make its way eastward early next week.  But -- it looks like it is going to lose nearly all of its upper-level support before it reaches us.  We'll have to be on the lookout for an increase in shower potential by late Tuesday and Wednesday, however.

The CURRENT FORECAST is located on the tab above.

weather bliss... (pm.04.apr.13)>

Thursday's stats:

Early morning low temp: 52.5F (11.4C)
Afternoon high temp: 69.4F (20.8C)
Rainfall: none

What a fantastic day it has been... it is drawing to a close with some towering cumulus clouds over the Dhauladhars (and maybe some thundershowers up there), otherwise skies are mostly clear and temperatures pleasant.  Although my high temp on Tushita Road didn't quite make it to 70F, it was a bit milder than expected for the second day in a row.

The next few days will feature the kind of weather pattern we dream about during other less user-friendly times of the year around here.  A ridge of high pressure will be building across northwest India throughout all layers of the atmosphere during the coming 24-48 hours -- keeping us generally sunny and dry (other than the usual afternoon shower potential over the mountains), and allowing temperatures to nudge a bit above average for this stage of April.

An unusually strong storm system for this time of year will approach from the west by Tuesday of next week, but data right now indicates that it will weaken rapidly and begin to fall apart as it arrives here in our neighborhood.  There's plenty of time to watch how all that evolves.

Details can be found on the CURRENT FORECAST tab at the top of the page.