Tuesday, September 24, 2013

backward steps... (pm.24.sep.13)>

Tuesday's stats:

Low temp: 57.4F (14.1C) -- around 3:30pm
High temp: 70.7F (21.5C)
Rainfall: 0.97" (2.5cm) -- updated at 7:30pm

It is partly cloudy at sunset this evening, with a large cluster of thundershowers hovering just to our northwest.  The thundershowers which developed on top of us early this afternoon have dissipated now, but we had a solid two and a half hours of rain between 2:00 and 4:30pm, which was accompanied by thunder, very gusty winds, a bit of small hail, and a blast of chilly air brought down to the surface from higher in the atmosphere.  Sunshine today was restricted to the morning before about 10:30am, and then again for an hour or so this evening, keeping our temperatures well below the forecast high.

One look at the latest weather data this evening has made me depressed.  After an official withdrawal of the monsoon season that occurred pretty much "on time" for the first time in several years, we're now dealing with a resurgence of tropical moisture which is threatening to ruin all of that.  Each and every run of the computer model data is showing a moist air mass which seems to be more and more stubborn about letting go and moving back to the south and east.  The scenario couldn't really be in more contrast to what had been projected just a few days ago.  Our drying and warming trend for the middle and latter parts of the week is looking less and less certain, thanks to a weather pattern that resembles something more normal for the beginning of September, rather than the end.

Of course I'll keep you updated with blog posts each morning and evening, but we're going to have to be braced for more of this thundershower action during the next several days, along with sunshine that will be constantly challenged by the development of clouds and some periods of fog.  Temperatures will be trimmed back as well, for obvious reasons...

Check the CURRENT FORECAST info on the tab at the top of the page.