Wednesday, November 18, 2015

issues of late november... (pm.18.nov.15)>

Wednesday's stats:

Low temp: 52.3F (11.3C)
High temp: 59.9F (15.5C)
Rainfall: none

It's a bit hazy this evening, with a few very thin patches of cirrus clouds streaking the sky.  Concerns about an inversion setting up today didn't turn into much of an issue... though we did see a slight increase in haze throughout the day.  Otherwise, there's been plenty of sunshine, mixed with those patches of high, thin cirrus clouds.  Temperatures today were actually very similar to yesterday's -- with a stark contrast between how it feels in the sun versus the shade.

That sun/shade contrast is very noticeable this time of year when we are dealing with such a dry air mass.  If you're standing in the direct sun during the middle of the day, it feels almost HOT, but take a step into the shade and you get a very quick realization of what the air temperature really is.  And our temps the last couple of days are running very close to normal for the middle of November here at our location and elevation.

A ridge of high pressure aloft continues to build into central and northern India, bringing in a bubble of unseasonably warm air in the upper-half of our atmosphere.  However, cooler air closer to the surface trapped underneath the warm air above is the classic recipe for inversion conditions across north India.  We still have to watch for that trapped haze/smog problem, though it will be more pronounced down on the plains.

The end of November is normally one of the most quiet times of the year around here, and that looks to be the case for us -- with no significant storm systems on the horizon.  Models had been wrestling with some kind of system moving in early next week, but the latest data strongly suggests that our air mass will remain too moisture-starved for any significant precipitation to develop.  It still looks like our temps will trend back above normal as the weekend arrives.

More info is available on tabs above, including THE 7-DAY OUTLOOK.