Wednesday, September 18, 2013

sunshine and warmth... (am.18.sep.13)>

'Perfection' is a subjective term, as far as weather is concerned, but it seems like it might apply this morning.  The sky is 100% clear at sunrise with a temperature of 64.5F (18C) and 46% humidity.  There was no rainfall overnight, and not a drop since late Sunday evening.

This morning's satellite photos show absolutely clear skies from Iran to Mt. Everest -- which is an indication of the very dry autumn-like air mass that has settled in across a very wide area.  Tropical moisture associated with lingering monsoon conditions has been decisively pushed well to the south and east, setting the stage for some official monsoon withdrawal declarations for large swaths of northwest India during the coming several days.

The big question is:  Are we really finished with Monsoon 2013?  It certainly looks that way, according to all the available computer model data which profiles various layers of the atmosphere according to moisture content, wind, temperature and stability factors.  However, moisture in the very lowest levels is showing signs that it could creep back northwestward along the front slopes of the mountains very late this week, which could cause humidity to rise and some patchy fog to develop.  Not a sure thing, but something to keep our eye on.  Something else to watch is potential shower/thunder development over the Dhauladhars during the afternoon hours, which can't be entirely ruled out.

Otherwise, there should be plenty of sun in our immediate future, along with temperatures that will be warming up into a range that we've rarely seen since the onset of monsoon conditions in June.  Check the CURRENT FORECAST details and other monsoon info/stats on tabs at the top of the page.