An anecdote

To give you an idea of the weather scenario we are in right now, I was just on a conference call with people from many parts of the country. One of the attendees from Texas was lamenting the triple digit heat that continues to boil Texans.

Here in Minnesota, I had to wear a light jacket this morning. Fall is coming, people. Eventually.

Update: Brr!

Low pressure will try to deflect the next round of tropical weather

Lee, presently in the North Atlantic, already looking for a trip to the Eastern Seaboard, is a big, scary storm. He’s going to be a Cat 4 before all is said and done, and a Cat 5 is not out of the question. Fortunately, this is the forecast map for Saturday.

That coastal feature should be just enough to shunt Lee away from the coast. Remember that if you are lamenting the weekend rain out East this weekend.

August Forecaster of the Month

It’s been a long year for Accuweather. Coming into August, they still hadn’t had a solo win on a single forecast all year. August is through, and Accuweather still hasn’t won a forecast for themselves. They tied for the win on three this month, however, and that consistency earned them the Forecaster of the Month title.

OutletForecast Wins (year)
Victoria-Weather5.83
The Weather Channel4.83
Clime2.83
National Weather Service2.5
WeatherNation2.5
Weatherbug2.5
Accuweather2

A switch flips

On the 22nd, we put together a forecast for Trenton, where weather was looking fine. It continued as such for most of Wednesday the 23rd as well, but in the afternoon, things went from clear to cloudy in the span of a couple of hours, and then Trenton sat in the sludge for the rest of the forecast period. there was a little bit of rain that came with the overcast, which put Clime off of the victory, and instead handed it to the unlikely duo of Accuweather and Weatherbug.
Actuals: Tuesday August 23rd, High 78, Low 59
Wednesday – August 24th, .15 inches of rain, High 72, Low 66

Grade: B-C

A change in season, thanks to some thunderstorms

We’ve spent some time looking at the temperature trends for September, including some outlooks for the temperature over the next few weeks. Also illustrative, though, is the severe weather outlook. Much cooler weather is coming behind the severe weather.

Additionally, with crops still in the ground, if things get cooler and clearer pretty quick, all that moisture will lead to some foggy mornings, further helping keep temperatures in check. It’s right around the corner.

A scorching September ahead

By now, I’m guessing many of you have assessed the forecast ahead of Labor Day as you make your holiday weekend plans. I hope it includes a pool, cold drinks or plenty of air conditioning. Not only is it expected to be warm, but expect record breaking heat through the center of the country. Here in the Twin Cities, triple digits aren’t out of the question.

While it will be a blast furnace from Wisconsin to the Dakotas and south through the Plains, it will be much more comfortable on the coasts, except, I should note, around the DC/Baltimore area, where it’s going to be abnormally warm as well.

After the weekend, the heat will ease a little bit, but it’s still going to be danged hot, especially for the areas surrounding west Texas. Note that the heat is also going to arrive in New England and the Mid-Atlantic.

The rest of the month, after the 7th-11th looks to mostly temper. but still fairly warm. One bit of good news is that it looks wetter than normal in the Plains, which will stymie any growing drought concerns in the Plains.