Tuesday, October 22, 2013

no dramatic changes... (pm.22.oct.13)>

Tuesday's stats:

Low temp: 55.9F (13.3C)
High temp: 66.4F (19.1C)
Rainfall: none

It is quite hazy after sunset this evening, with some patches of clouds lingering around as well.  We still had significant cloud development across the area this afternoon, but it was generally less thick and grey and gloomy than on Sunday and Monday.  Sunshine was fully in control until around 1pm, and even then there were glimpses of sun in the midst of the clouds throughout most of the afternoon.  A definite improvement.  Humidity today held mainly in the 50-65% range.

With a few variations on the theme, our weather pattern has been fairly consistent during the past week to ten days or so -- morning sun yielding to some clouds by the afternoon, temperatures near or slightly above normal for this time of year, and moderate levels of humidity.  There have also been random periods of light showers close to the mountains during the odd afternoon here and there, but rainfall amounts have actually been pretty meager since about the 11th of the month.  We're having a difficult time getting the PM cloudiness to clear out, but we've not been adding much to our October rainfall totals recently.

I see no really dramatic changes in the coming days, despite some shifts in the upper-level pattern.  A brisk west-southwesterly flow is starting to develop in the mid- and higher levels of the atmosphere, which will continue until the weekend when that flow will shift more to the northwest.  Those upper-air shifts may not tangibly alter the weather here at our elevation, but we'll have to keep an eye on the ever-changing subtleties of the dance between sun and clouds.  Also, don't be surprised by a random period of sprinkles or a light shower at some point during the afternoon hours.

There are hints of some significantly cooler air dropping in from the northwest late in the weekend into early next week... but with November knocking on the door, that is to be expected.

Check the CURRENT FORECAST tab above for details.