Tag: Dew point

Sultry Summer Nights

WunderMap® Interactive Weather Map and Radar Weather Underground

You’ve heard of people who can sight read music? I can sight read weather observations.

Currently in New Haven it’s 73&#176 with a dew point of 70&#176. Relative humidity calculates out to 90%. I instinctively understand how that feels.

Bridgeport is 73/70, New London 70/68, Chester, Meriden and Brainard are all 72/70. Sticky.

The map above shows dew point and relative humidity at 11:00 PM EDT. I remember nights like tonight. Like living in a warm wet towel.

It’s not raining everywhere in Connecticut, but again, I remember nights like this. Even where there’s no rain falling it’s moist.

Visibility is down. Not fog as much as clouds and mist.

I liked sultry summer nights. Another thing to miss.

The Santa Ana’s Have Arrived

Other areas get winds like this, the Chinook east of the Rockies for instance, but SoCal has the largest concentration of affected residents.

The dew point stayed in the teens all day with the relative humidity hovering near 5%. Someone posted a photo on Facebook reminding everyone nosebleed season is here!

socal-temp-contour

Hot day. Hot night. We officially hit 97&#176 at John Wayne. The Santa Ana’s were blowing. They are dry winds–katabatic winds. Katabatic winds warm as they sink from higher elevations.

Other areas get winds like this, the Chinook east of the Rockies for instance, but SoCal has the largest concentration of affected residents.

The dew point stayed in the teens all day with the relative humidity hovering near 5%. Someone posted a photo on Facebook reminding everyone nosebleed season is here!

We didn’t run the a/c. I was very tempted. Maybe tomorrow.

This room, my office, catches afternoon sun. It holds heat longest. The overhead fan is silently spinning. Fans make a big difference, especially here where evaporation needs little prodding.

As moisture on your skin evaporates you feel cooler. In humid climates where evaporation takes place more slowly the same temperature leaves you feeling warmer!

Today’s heat index was actually 5-6&#176 cooler than the air temperature. On the East Coast that’s unheard of.

Santa Ana’s also raise the fire danger.

There are a few more days of this weather coming. Trust me, I’m not complaining.

Is It Ever Not Perfect Out?

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I’m not going to lie. It’s January 14th. It’s sunny. It’s 87&#176!

Are you kidding me? We’ve already blown through the forecast high.

I have one of my office windows open. There’s a cool breeze. No need for a/c.

It doesn’t seem logical. 87&#176 and a cool breeze simultaneously.

This is where the dew point comes in, it’s 4&#176. The relative humidity is 4%. Exceptionally dry.

The dry breeze evaporates moisture on your skin, which cools you and makes this temperature very comfortable.

Yes, this weather is unusual. 81&#176 was today’s record at John Wayne Airport. It’s been smashed.

There are serious implications from our dry weather. Most of California is already water challenged. And, of course, fire danger is high at a time of year fire season should be done.

BuzzFeed’s home page currently has an entry titled: “19 Questions New Yorkers Ask When Visiting Los Angeles” Number 18: Is it ever not perfect out?

So far, no.

I Always Worry

I don’t have the stats, but I instinctively feel they’re older long time residents of neighborhoods that have changed around them. Their windows are closed and locked–maybe sealed shut.

I was interviewed by a reporter from the New Haven Register this afternoon. We were talking about Tuesday’s anticipated temperatures. The forecast has been reasonably consistent since last week with high temperatures and dew points.

For most people this will just be a briefly uncomfortable day. Flip the switch. Turn on the a/c. Worry not. Most of us are insulated from the ravages of weather extremes. Modern science has been kind to us.

Then there are the people who live in isolation often in homes/apartments sealed tight as can be. I don’t have the stats, but I instinctively feel they’re older long time residents of neighborhoods that have changed around them. Their windows are closed and locked–maybe nailed shut.

Warranted or not crime is a bigger fear than heat.

They will be very hot tomorrow. It will be dangerously hot. Some of these people are isolated from the rest of society. There’s no one to check and make sure they’re OK. There’s no one who cares.

Tonight I will sound like a nervous Nellie, but my admonitions probably won’t be for you. I’m talking to these people living out-of-sight.

I always worry.

Weather Too Good For June

Behind us the door to the deck is wide open and fresh air is blowing in. Birds are chirping. We hear their songs clearly because the air conditioning is off. This is very un-Junelike.

It’s Wednesday afternoon and Helaine and I are sitting in the family room with the Phillies on TV. Behind us the door to the deck is wide open and fresh air is blowing in. Birds are chirping. We hear their songs clearly because the air conditioning is off. This is very un-Junelike.

It’s currently 74&#176 with a dew point of 42&#176! If you’re meteorologically challenged that just means it’s cool and dry.

The observations come from my nearest reporting airport–Meriden. Weather Underground has a feature where I can look back on this date with one click of my mouse. It’s easy to quantify how unusual this is.

The Average High Temperature is 84 F with a historical range of 80 F to 91 F
The Average High Dew Point is 67 F with a historical range of 57 F to 73 F
The Average Low Dew Point is 57 F with a historical range of 47 F to 68 F

In weather nothing good lasts forever. This dry air will be gone by the weekend.

In the meantime today is sorta perfect… well except for the going to work part.