Saturday, May 6, 2017

pushing 2017's warmest... (pm.06.may.17)>

Saturday's stats:

Low temp: 64.6F (18.1C)
High temp: 83.6F (28.7C)
Rainfall: none

Today's high temp was back within close striking distance of the warmest two days of 2017, which occurred back on the 20th and 21st of April (right around 86ºF/30ºC).  We did have some clouds around today -- both high cirrus and mountain cumulus -- but the sunshine ended up being the major player, while warmer air surged northward from the baking plains to our south.  As evening settles in, we have scattered clouds and temps just barely below 80ºF/27ºC.

All layers of our early May atmosphere are warming up, as a big bubble of summertime high pressure pushes northward across the Indian subcontinent.  However, as we've been discussing, there are projected to be several ripples and wiggles in the weak flow aloft in combination with some unusually moist air creeping in from the southeast as we move into the middle of next week.  So -- even though we will be dealing with some of the warmest temps of the year, there will still be the risk of a sudden round of showers/thunder, which could pop up out of nowhere one of these afternoons, or possibly during the overnight hours.  Be advised.

The pattern for the coming ten days to two weeks features little in the way of cooler central Asian air for us.  But if and when we do manage to get a round of showers and thunderstorms, we'll be able to enjoy some temporary air-conditioning in the midst of this encroaching summer heat...