Summer, so far…

Well, the weird, unusual weather of the past 12 months continues…as the Summer too has had it’s highs and lows and unusual weather patterns. The first month of Summer was way above normal temperature-wise and way below normal precipitation-wise. The second month was slightly below temp-wise and above precip-wise. As we move well into the third and last month of calendar Summer, temps have again been averaging slightly above and precip slightly below, but at least so far, are much closer to average for the time of year. It is worth noting though, that at this point in the calendar year, we would average about 29″ if liquid precipitation (rainfall, plus melted snowfall from Jan 1 forward)…and we stand about 10 inches below that, at about 19″.

My forecast, going forward for the next month is for slightly above temps and slightly below precip, but nothing extraordinary. The following maps/link are the NWS (National Weather Service) official forecast for the next 30 days, pretty close to my own forecast.

It will be interesting to see the influence of an impending El Nino on our weather as that really begins to develop over the next 3 months.

But here are the charts and the link:

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/30day/

Temps for the next 30 days (“EC” means equal chance of being above or below norm, ie, no statistical variation from norm expected.)

Precip for the next 30 days (“EC” means equal chance of being above or below norm, ie, no statistical variation from norm expected.)

 

Hurricane Isaac landfall

Isaac will make landfall late Tuesday night, and will bring flooding rains and storm surge to the low lying coast of Louisiana and Mississippi through Wednesday night.

Trouble for our Winter ahead? (And the rest of the country?)

You’ve heard of the weather pattern known as La Nina? It had a dramatic effect on our Winter (and the Country overall), as you can well remember….unseasonably warm and almost snow-free. Well, conditions are back to neutral right now, but experts expect it to continue through neutral, to El Nino, by September, and through the next 1-1.5 years.

Here’s a link, to understand what El and La are, how they happen, their effects, and the forecast…and here’s a hint for us in CNY…it could get very snowy.

http://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/124877.aspx

Here’s a 3D look at what it looks like, in the Pacific

Hurricane Irene…one year later

Check out this link, which details the meteorology and the damage caused by the hurricane:

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/aly/Past/2011/Irene_Aug2011/Irene_Review.html

Hurricane Season 2012 update

Hurricane Prediction update

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/20120809_atlantic_hurricane_season_update.html

Drought continues…

The Nation’s dry spell

Huge meteor shower is here…through early next week

The Perseids, an annual mid-August shower are here. They peak Sat nite thru Mon nite, can be over 50 per hour (1 per minute), and are a classic. Best viewing is to get away from city lights for a few evening hours, late evening (after 10pm), and with a clear sky. That last part is an issue, because Saturday night is very questionable. I think Sunday night and Mon night are good though, in that regard. Best way to view them is to bring a sleeping bag, a cooler, and a date. Lay for 20 minutes to allow your eyes to acclimate to darnkess. Scan one portion of the skies over and over…the less head movement the better. And enjoy the show!

Here’s a tid bit on the shower:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/lather-up-your-weekend-with-the-perseid-meteor-shower/2012/08/09/d830302a-e259-11e1-98e7-89d659f9c106_blog.html

Weekend weather and events…

Hazy, hot and humid Saturday, over 90F by afternoon. Thundershowers likely Sunday afternoon, highs mid-upper 80s. Much less humid and somewhat cooler weather for Monday & Tuesday of next week.

ALSO, the “Brothers Ride Forever” ride is Saturday morning, beginning at Hanna Park, with on-the-spot signups starting at 9AM, so please come on your bike, and join in and support those who protect us. You can get more info on my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/wutrtv/posts/362323890503240#!/jmatthews.wutr

In addition, “A Taste of Lebanon” goes on this weekend at the Deerfield Fire House, so stop by for some authentic food and music 🙂

Meteor shower tonite

Unfortunately, there are clouds and showers about! So, I’ll tell you about it, but I doubt even a savvy spotter will see anything 😦

It’s called the Delta Aquarids, averages about 10 per hour (one every 6 minutes), and eminates out of the southern sky. It’s far from a big one, but is a pre-cursor to a big one in 11 days, the Perseids. I will be talking alot about those, in coming days, so stay tuned!