Friday, May 17, 2013

sizzling weekend... (pm.17.may.13)>

Friday's stats:

Early morning low temp: 65.3F (18.5C)
Afternoon high temp: 85.8F (29.9C) -- warmest of 2013
Rainfall: none

Other than a few lingering cumulus clouds hovering along the mountains, skies are mostly clear just before sunset this evening.  My high temp on Tushita Road below the mountaineering center was the warmest of the season and the year, as sunshine and low humidity were the dominant features of the day.

After a week in which we've been battling enough occasional instability to keep us on edge with regard to sudden shower or thundershower development, it seems that we have indeed turned the corner today.  It appears that the advancing ridge of high pressure has finally warmed temperatures in the upper atmosphere enough to settle things down and prevent convection from taking place.  This huge bubble of high pressure will build in even more aggressively during the coming 48 hours, ushering in some truly hot summer weather which looks like it's going to hang around for the next week... at least.

Today's computer model projections are calling for 44C (111F) in Kangra by Sunday -- and I'll have to say that I don't remember higher temps being forecast for Kangra during the past few years.  We're talking about heat wave conditions setting up all across northern India, which could end up being the hottest we experience this entire season.  Keep on top of updates during the next couple of days as we watch just how high our temps might go!

For IPL fans... it should be dry and hot (95F/35C) tomorrow afternoon at 4pm as Punjab Kings XI take on the Mumbai Indians at HPCA stadium in Dharamsala.

Get the CURRENT FORECAST for McLeod Ganj on the tab at the top of the page.