agreeable... (am.3.may.11)>

it's mostly clear before sunrise... but there are just a few high clouds, along with an increasing amount of light haze.  the temp this morning is a very comfortable 64F (17.8C).

even during a quiet weather pattern this time of year, there are always little circulations and pools of cold air aloft that can turn a beautiful morning into a thundery afternoon.  as i've mentioned before, these things are not easy to identify and track by satellite or computer model data, so it is always a challenge!  anyway, yesterday random thundershowers popped up mainly to our east, but we were left with only a period of cloudiness during the mid- late afternoon.  today, i think we will probably be in the same boat, with only random, isolated thundershowers up in the mountains.  there are indications that those chances will diminish even further on wednesday and thursday.  barring a thundershower (like the one we had on sunday afternoon), temperatures will be on the rise throughout the week... pushing 30C (85-86F) even here in mcleod ganj.

there looks to be a fairly dynamic upper-level disturbance on the horizon for the weekend, which will increase the potential for scattered showers and thunderstorms, and also put a temporary end to the summerlike temps...

TUESDAY: sunny to partly cloudy skies.  an isolated PM thundershower is possible.  warmer...
high: 28C (82F)

TUESDAY NIGHT: partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming clear overnight.
low: 19C (67F)

WEDNESDAY: warm with hazy sunshine.
high: 28C (83F)

THURSDAY: sun, haze and a few clouds.  warmest day of the year?
high: 29C (85F)

FRIDAY: partly sunny, hazy and very warm.  afternoon thunderstorm potential increases...
high: 29C (85F)

SATURDAY: a mix of clouds and sun, with a good chance of some scattered showers and thunderstorms around.
high: 27C (81F)

onward and upward... (pm.2.may.11)>

skies are partly cloudy before sunset this evening.. at the end of a really really nice day.  we had unlimited sunshine until the early afternoon, then a small cluster of thundershowers tried desperately to get going over the mountains but didn't make it very far.  it's a different story in the southern part of the state between shimla and the kinnaur district, where some thundershowers are still in progress.  today's high temp was a comfortable 79.1F (26.2C).

the weather pattern looks pretty quiet for the next few days, with a steady warm-up expected.  high pressure and warmer temps aloft are re-building... but of course the afternoon instability factor will keep just a slight chance of thundershowers in the forecast.  there are indications that a stronger disturbance will move in from the west by friday, and that could increase shower and thunderstorm chance above 50% for the first part of the weeend.  something to keep an eye on.

as the heat builds again, the hazy and dusty skies will return as well.  we'll likely see the warmest temps of the season between now and friday, with 40C (104F) still on target down towards kangra.

MONDAY NIGHT: becoming clear.  pleasantly mild.
low: 18C (64F)

TUESDAY: sunny in the morning... hazy and partly cloudy in the afternoon with just a slight chance of a thundershower.
high: 28C (82F)

WEDNESDAY: partly to mostly sunny and hazy.  very warm.
high: 28C (83F)

THURSDAY: even warmer... with hazy sunshine and a few clouds.
high: 29C (85F)

FRIDAY: partly cloudy with an increasing chance of a thunderstorm by afternoon.
high: 29C (85F)

SATURDAY: a good possibility of a couple of showers or thunderstorms around... otherwise partly cloudy and not quite as warm.
high: 27C (81F)

superb monday... (am.2.may.11)>

yesterday's thundershowers have temporarily chased the haze away... we have bright clear skies before sunrise this morning.  those thundershowers also delivered some fresh cool air from higher up in the atmosphere... i have just 59.5F (13.6C) to start the day.  some additional rainfall totals from yesterday:

-naddi village... 0.20" (5mm)
-upper bhagsu... 0.10" (2.5mm)
-near main temple... 0.10" (2.5mm)

although a hot summer airmass is encamped just to our south, we are going to enjoy the benefits of some milder air today.  but it won't take long for the warmth to creep back up to our elevation, so temperatures will be on the rise again throughout the coming week.  with a series of weak disturbance and pools of cold air aloft, some instability over the mountains still can't be ruled out... so despite the majority of sunshine, keep in mind the nearly perpetual risk (at least slight) of afternoon thundershowers popping up.

all in all, we're in for typical pleasantly warm early may weather... as our friends further down the hill roast.

MONDAY: lots of sunshine this morning.  a few clouds this afternoon, with a slight chance of a thundershower.
high: 26C (78F)

MONDAY NIGHT: becoming clear.  not as cool as last night.
low: 18C (65F)

TUESDAY: sunny in the morning, partly cloudy in the afternoon with an isolated thundershower possible.  warmer...
high: 28C (82F)

WEDNESDAY: sunny to partly cloudy and very warm.
high: 28C (83F)

THURSDAY: partly to mostly sunny... temps rising.
high: 29C (85F)

FRIDAY: partly cloudy, hazy and very warm, with a chance of a PM thunderstorm.
high: 29C (85F)

a MAY mix... (pm.1.may.11)>

our anticipated afternoon thundershowers finally made an appearance today... we had a good amount of thunder, along with off and on mainly light showers between about 2:30 and 5:30pm.  temperatures cooled off in response, after an early afternoon high which was again right around 80F (27C) on the upper side of town.  it seemed like more to me, but i have just 0.10" (2.5mm) in the rain gauge.

our thundery development this afternoon was the result of the battle between very hot air to our south over the plains, combined with a pool of much colder air in the upper atmosphere drifting through.  this isn't unusual at all this time of year with this type of weather pattern... that's why it's really nerve-wracking to consider taking that risk of an afternoon thundershower completely out of the forecast.

otherwise, we'll continue to see lots of hazy sunshine, punctuated by occasional mountain clouds as we move into the new week.  there is absolutely no sign of any appreciable cooling (apart from during a thundershower)... so expect temperatures to remain on the warm side, possibly even warmer than we've yet seen this year during a couple of days between now and friday.  computer models are forecasting 40C (104F) for kangra by thursday.  oh boy.

SUNDAY NIGHT: a lingering light shower early?  then becoming mostly clear overnight.
low: 19C (66F)

MONDAY: sunny to partly cloudy skies.  small chance of a thundershower during the PM.
high: 27C (81F)

TUESDAY: warm with hazy sunshine... risk of a thundershower in the afternoon.
high: 28C (82F)

WEDNESDAY: hazy sun and a few clouds.  very warm.
high: 29C (84F)

THURSDAY: partly to mostly sunny and summer-like.
high: 29C (85F)

FRIDAY: partly sunny and very warm, with an increasing chance of a thunderstorm by afternoon.
high: 29C (85F)