Forecast: More Heat at Summer's Summit
Today is the meteorological midpoint of the summer season (defined as June through August) and once again there is more hot weather on the horizon. After a relatively cool morning today (especially in the 'burbs), we will be tracking a slow increase in temperatures for the coming days. We should see the lower humidity and upper 80s of today ratchet back up to the lower and middle 90s and higher humidities for the second half of this week. Thunderstorms are not far behind with more expected from Friday into the weekend.
Comfortable morning with some slight afternoon heat increases. Mid to upper 80s. Mostly sunny skies are expected here today. After a low humidity morning, temperatures should ramp up faster today with highs edging back toward the mid to upper 80s. North to northeast winds will work to keep the humidity levels low through the day so the warmer high temperatures will still be fairly comfortable.
Mostly clear skies and temperatures dipping back down into the upper 60s in the city and lower 60s in the outer suburbs should be anticipated tonight. A nice summer night overall.
Keep reading for the forecast through the weekend. See UnitedCast for the outlook for tonight's game.
TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY)
Not that humid, but heat rebuilds. Highs in the lower 90s. Winds will be variable and the sun should be shining most of the time, but afternoon temperatures will nonetheless be moving back into the uncomfortable category. Look for highs in the lower 90s in most areas (perhaps slightly cooler north and west of city).
Relatively dry humidities should still allow temperatures to dip back down to the upper 60s in the suburbs and probably holding up near 70 in the city for Wednesday night.
Thursday and Friday are setting up as the hottest days of this week with lower to middle 90s for highs and lower to middle 70s for lows. The humidity will be back up again so our heat indexes will be higher too. Clouds should still be in the minority on Thursday, but we could see a pick up on Friday afternoon with a 30% chance of a stray thunderstorm too. Confidence: High Thursday and Medium Friday
The weekend may take a bit of an edge off the heat, but there will be no break from the humidity. Look for highs in the lower 90s Saturday and the upper 80s on Sunday along with a daily 50% chance of thunderstorm activity, mainly in the afternoon and evenings. Once again, the models are grappling with the timing of a cold front Sunday which could finally vanquish the high humidity by late in the day. Confidence: Low
By Matt Rogers |
July 15, 2008; 5:00 AM ET
Forecasts
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Posted by: madison | July 15, 2008 11:09 AM
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Fine, but a bit hot. It will be getting worse later this week.
WGN: Tom Skilling is expecting CHICAGO'S first multi-day 90-degree heat wave of the summer this week. Jet stream retreat to the Canadian border presages ridge buildup for us in the lower 48.
Posted by: El Bombo | July 15, 2008 11:57 AM
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Preliminary winter forecast from Eastern US board poster. Doesn't sound too bad...
Preliminary idea for the CONUS for the winter-->
November has an overall RNA pattern but there will be two periods of cold in the East ... one in the NOV 5-10 period and another possible later in the month. One of my major analogs, 1953-54, actually produces one of the earliest major snowstorms for Philadelphia ever recorded on 11/6-11/7 of 8 inches of snow!!! But overall a warm month for the CONUS/especially east. Certainly an active month w/ classic rocky-northeast tracks. Fall severe weather season should be a nasty one given the upper level winds predicted coupled w/ the N PAC pattern. This will take us into the rocky November outlined here.
December looks to have a switch from RNA to PNA (due to frictional torque dampening of the mountain torques in NOV, weighing of analogs, elongating of wavelengths of autumn positions and potential anticyclonic wave breaking from NW PAC linking up w/ SCAND ridging producing negative NAO). At this time, there does not appear to be a signal for a SECS this month.
January looks to start off a little warm in the east before a reload of the cold pattern of DEC occurs and brings another cold period JAN 5-15. This period looks to have a good chance for a SECS. Enjoy this b/c we begin a blazing period that starts from this point through most of February.
February looks to be, at this time, a significantly warm month... but this can change if the PDO/solar/ENSO head in a better direction. Could be some extreme warmth in the N-C states of +6 to +10. Potential for 70s MID FEB in the Mid Atlantic.
March looks to have a cool NW states to SE states setup and warm in the other two corners (NE and SW). The early arrival of the final warming coupled w/ the deep PV locked in Canada from the pattern of late winter could bring an unseasonably cold period in early/mid march (MAR 1-5 or 5-10?) for the Central states. Record cold possible.
Posted by: steve takoma park md | July 15, 2008 12:32 PM
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What is considered high humidity here? This morning (unfortunately, my only exposure with the weather here most days since I work til nighttime). It was in the low 70s and the dewpoint at 65 or 63. It felt great! It certainly hasn't been oppressive, but then again, I'm new to the area. I confess I am from up north and like the warm weather. I am in NW.
Posted by: Johnny | July 15, 2008 2:37 PM
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I would say summer dewpoints in DC in the low 60s or lower would be considered low humidity; mid to upper 60s typical; and dewpoints above 70 high.
Posted by: Jason, Capital Weather Gang | July 15, 2008 6:16 PM
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it was beautiful out this morning!