Weather

Cooler Temps Move In, Clouds Linger

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We finally made it to the weekend…and the end of the heat wave.

A front slid through yesterday afternoon, dropping the temperature into the 70s along the coast and gradually lowering the humidity. We’re seeing that front stall near NYC today with most of the clouds opting to stick near the front this weekend. That’s not to say that we’re in the blue skies through Sunday. We’ll have a few clouds around AND the smoke from the fires in the West will hang over much of the forecast.

It's both notable and sad that we’ve become accustomed to the smoke in our skies. All summer long – at varying degrees - the visibility has been affected by a constant, brown haze hanging overhead. Like many things related to climate change, we are initially astounded then slowly accepting of the new norm. This type of complacency is something we shouldn’t ever allow if we want to make progress toward reducing greenhouse gases and thwarting climate change. A recent MIT study found that on average, it takes five years for changes in temperatures alone to become unremarkable. That means the 69 degree high temperature on Christmas Eve in 2015 is old hat. So this year, let’s see if we can’t hit 75 to really impress someone.

Now, back to the weekend.

Highs both days top out in the 70s, with a heavy slant toward the upper 70s on Sunday. Humidity is locked out today, but there are signs that with a wind shift to the southeast Sunday, the humidity will mount a comeback. Certainly is in place Monday before another front brings it to the heel Tuesday.

All eyes are on the Gulf of Mexico as Hurricane Ida barrels toward Southern Louisiana. Landfall could be west of New Orleans, but at this point, it’s moot. Heavy damage is a certainty as the storm taps into 86-88 degree water (only need 80 for a tropical system). The only limiting factor on the storm’s strength is time. Landfall is expected on Sunday afternoon. Remnants from the storm could make it up here as early as Wednesday night/Thursday. That forecast is still on shaky ground, so we’ll sort out the details in the coming days.

Be safe and enjoy the final weekend of summer (meteorologically speaking, that is).

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