Thursday, February 19, 2015

still in the thick of it... (pm.19.feb.15)>

Thursday's stats:

Low temp: 42.4F (5.8C)
High temp: 48.3F (9.1C)
Precipitation: 0.71" (1.8cm) -- updated @ 10:00pm

The first day of the Tibetan New Year is ending much like it began -- wet.  Light rain is in progress, with occasionally gusty winds as well.  Our rainfall total hasn't been at all excessive today, but we've had more wet hours than dry ones, with numerous periods of light to moderate rain showers, along with some thunder at times.  Clouds have been thick and ever-present, while temperatures have been the chilliest in more than two weeks.

We find ourselves right on a battle line between air masses today, and underneath a fast-moving jet stream that is carrying a parade of upper-level disturbances across the western Himalayan region.  Add to that a tongue of moisture being pushed up against the mountains, and you have a recipe for plenty of precipitation to be deposited across widespread areas of north India.  It looks like it may take another 18-24 hours for the atmosphere to settle down enough for this rain/thunder development to completely stop. That means we can't expect a whole lot of improvement until maybe afternoon on Friday -- but even then I think there could still be some scattered showers attempting to pop up.

By Saturday, though, we'll come under the influence of a building ridge of high pressure aloft, which should bring us a few days of drier and much warmer weather.  I'm stunned at the kind of temperatures the computer models are dangling in front of us by Sunday and Monday, but we'll see whether or not we have cloudiness here along the front slopes of the mountains to spoil it.  Further out -- a strong storm system is waiting in the wings, to affect us between late Tuesday and late Thursday of next week.

Forecast specs are available on THE 7-DAY OUTLOOK tab above.