Friday, July 30, 2010

30 July, 2010

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Today's Top Weather Stories
On Weather & Climate Through the Eyes of Mark Vogan

BREAKING NEWS: MOSCOW BREAKS OLD "NEW" ALL-TIME HEAT RECORD SET JUST DAYS AGO, OLD RECORD? 99 DEGREES, NOW BEATEN AND STANDS AT 102 DEGREES

GLOBAL LIVE FEED:
CNN: MOSCOW, RUSSIA: 1,257 houses have burned, while some 2,000 people are left without a home.
LA Times: LOS ANGELES, CA: Crown wildfire climbs to 8,000 acres in Leona Valley [Updated]
SOUTHERN US HEAT: WAYCROSS, GEORGIA: Currently 102 degrees, feeling like 114 degrees.


A NEW WEATHER BENCHMARK!
Monstrous Hail Now the New National Record
AccuWeather News

Dozens of fires are still blazing around Moscow
Image courtesy of the BBC
Fires rage on as Moscow suffers 'hottest day ever'
BBC Weather

NEW: Russian wildfires kill 25; Putin calls for officials' resignations
CNN

NEW: More than 400 people dead in Pakistan flooding
CNN

A hazy shade of summer
A potent mix of heat, haze, alcohol and corruption
The Econamist

Extremely Hot July Wraps Up
AccuWeather News

Atlanta, Georgia Currently at 95 degrees, in midst of 12th straight day above 90, 46th day at or above 90 for 2010, Only a mere 25 such days for all of last year!

 
your america today forecast
by mark vogan
 
southeast & florida
A very strong Bermuda high dominates the Southeast and thunderstorms today will be limited to the Gulf Coast in an isolated fashion as well as across Florida, while the interior Southeast will have a blistering hot day on tap with only some puffy fair weather clouds floating overhead. Dew points will be tolerable over the north of Alabama and Georgia with low to perhaps mid-70s, this will make it feel between 100-105 degrees for cities such as Montgomery, Atlanta, Charlotte, whilst areas farther west and south will see not only higher dew points but also higher air temperatures with central and interior southern areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida into the Carolina coastal plain, dew points may stay in the drippy mid 70s with coastal cities seeing upper 70s to around 80 in a few spots. Air temperatures across these central and southern locales may be set to push the 100-degree mark, therefore meaning a dangerous heat index of 108 to 110+ will make for the nessesary precautions and basically a need for staying indoors. Some locations of these states may see over 115 degree + heat indexes... very very dangerous indeed. Florida and sections of the Gulf Coast as far west as New Orleans, may see a "stray or isolated storm" but it's more likely to remain very hot, humid and sunny. Lows tonight will only fall to the upper 70s in most places. We're looking for a high of 96 in Atlanta, GA, low 77 (HI of 100-105), Montgomery, AL 98, Low 77 (HI of 105+), New Orleans, LA 94, Lo 80 (HI of 110+), Tallahassee, FL 99, Low 80 (HI of 110+), Columbus, GA 100, Low 79 (HI of 110+) Ocala, FL 100, Low 80 (HI of 108+), Orlando, FL 98, Low 79 (HI of 106+), Miami, FL 93, Low 82 (HI of 107).  REMEMBER THROUGHOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA AND EVEN THE COASTAL AREAS, THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO POP UP IN AREAS AS THE SEA BREEZES CONVERGENCE THIS AFTERNOON!
northeast & mid-atlantic
Relief is here and for several days before things begin to turn once again. Today will be sunny, with dew points in the 40s across New England, including Boston and 50s for all other areas. That means a high of 85 in DC, Baltimore and New York will feel nice and comfortable, 70s to around 80 in New England, simply divine! Lows tonight will cool off to the 60s for pretty much all the major cities, perhaps low to mid-50s for the cooler more rural areas outside the urban heat island, that drier air helping release the heat after sunset and making it much much easier for sleeping at night, open those windows and allow that cool breeze whisk in tonight!
southern plains
THE HEAT IS ON as high pressure begins to build as the upper low is out of the game, I expect highs will build to over 100 degrees for most areas from Houston to Wichita with 105s showing up across central Texas and Oklahoma. Today will be very hot and humid (more so for the southern region). Houston should warm to 95 today, feeling closer to 105+ and tonight the low will only drop to near 80. Dallas, your looking for 99 for the high today, feeling more like 105 and tonight you'll cool to a low near 78, OK City your heading for a high around 99 also with a realfeel close to that number and a low down to 78. It will be slightly cooler in the north-south from Lubbock to Amarillo corridor where thunderstorms may pop-up in an isolated fashioned in between, more of a storm chance further west as you head out towards El Paso. Highs through western Texas will be limited to only the upper 80s! Mid-90s for the south-central interior including San Antonio. 
northern plains
The Northern tier will have a west-east split. The Dakotas will enjoy hot sun and 90s whilst further east into Minnesota and Iowa on south and east, there is a chance of thunderstorm developing and highs limited to the 70s, low 80s. Forecasting a high of 92, Low 56 in Minot, ND, a high of 77, Low 65 for Minneapolis, 77, Low 60 but dry for Chicago, 79 high, low 59 for Detroit. Areas to the south will see warmer, juicer air with a high of 88-91 from Kansas City to St Louis, Lows falling to around 74.
northwest
It's a typical summer start along the coast of Washington and Oregon with 50s and fog to start from the coast to I-95 urban corridor. By mid morning, clearing should commence and complete the cycle by noon or 1pm all the way to the coast where even the beaches will see sunshine, cooling breezes and highs in the 60s, Across the Olympics and the sun will be shinning with highs will warm to 75 in Seattle, whilst Portland will warm to a typical 4-6 degrees higher than it's northern neightbour with an 80 degree high likely there. The Cascade mountains will enjoy mostly sunshine but a few very isolated storms may pop, highs will be in the 50s and 60s. East of the Cascades it will be warm with highs genrally in the 80s to low 90s! For the Great Basin and Rockies, expect showers and some strong thunderstorms developing in the heating of the day over the ridges, some which may spread into surrounding valleys and basins. Highs will be hot with 90s across most low lying areas including both Denver and Salt Lake which may see a 30% storm chance this afternoon. Low 90s across many areas of Montana including a 93 in Billings. Boise may top around 100 with a chance of a storm. Lows tonight will be 50s along the coast and urab I-5 corridor, 30s and 40s in the mtns and 50s and 60s in the interior.  
southwest
Today will be a day which commences mostly clear, even close to the coast with a weak marine layer influence and temps starting in the 50s to around 60 from the beach to downtown San Diego, LA and up to San Francisco. It will warm to around 70 at the beaches, 75 for Downtown San Diego, 78 for LA, 72 for San Francisco. Coastal Valleys and canyons will likely top around 85-90 whilst the deserts will heat further to beyond 100. Palm Springs may top near 107, Barstow 106, Baker, 108, Las Vegas 107, Phoenix lower with 104 as moisture levels in the low to mid-levels is higher and therefore thunderstorm development is fairly high. We may see some thunderstorm activity as far west of the San Bernardino, San Gabriel Mountains this afternoon as well as interior mountains but it's more likely to remain sunny and seasonably hot over the valleys and basins. The only area expected to possibly see thunderstorms drop in off the mtns would be around the Four Corners, Phoenix and all the way up the Rocky Mountain chain! Lows tonight as always will fall to the upper 50s at the beaches, around 60 for the big city downtowns and coastal valleys and canyons and 70s in the desert.
 
Today's Weather across America
From AccuWeather


New York to Virginia Weekend Spoiler
By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

More Flooding Downpours Threaten the Four Corners
By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

Cotton Prices Climb as Heat Accelerates Crop Development
By Kirstie Hettinga, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

Weather Talk
By Mark Vogan

The Northeast and Middle Atlantic States Blast-Furnace and Sauna of July 2010

WAS NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE THE HEAT CAPITOL OF THE NORTHEAST? MORE 90S THAN DC, BALTIMORE, PHILLY AND NEW YORK, ONLY 1-DEGREE OFF WASHINGTON'S HOTTEST TEMPERATURE...

It's amazing to think that only last July, New York couldn't buy a 90-degree day for love or money, this July, it's almost the complete opposite with seemingly day after day of fiercely hot air and deeply tropical humidity which sucks all your body's vital moisture straight to the surface of the skin as soon as you step outside to what feels like hades as the heat blasts off Manhattan sidewalks and radiates off everything from surrounding buildings to vehicles traversing the overcrowded streets to even traffic signals, AC's running day and night, have meant a struggle and strain on an aging power grid and some neighbourhoods across particularly the New York, Jersey and Long Island area where power have flickered on and off in a loosing battle with the heat. As for the humidity, well it simply makes a sweltering hot July, unbearable for many or most and an air mass that is equivalent to the equatorial rainforests of Brazil. Ever been to Singapore? Along Saudi Arabia's coastal areas? Well if you've visited New York, Washington, Philadelphia and at times Boston, you'll have experienced the American equivalent to these truely tropical places this summer.

During a period within the first 10 days of July, we saw an extraordinarily warm and humid air mass build over the Carolinas and Virginia, through a 24, 36 to 48 hour period, we saw highs rise into the 100s, for New York down to Philly, this was the first occurance since August 9, 2001. We saw 4-straight days top 100 at Newark, NJ, tying the all-time record for longest 100 degree streaks. Washington saw 102 degrees whilst Baltimore, MD saw a high of 105 degrees, the hottest in 27 years! Philly warmed twice, like Central Park, New York to over 100 degrees with a peak high at both sites of 103 degrees... Night upon night struggled to cool below 90 degrees by midnight, the humidity simply harnessing the days heat within a skillet-like environment of these large I-95 population center's. Even Boston saw a high of 100 degrees at Logan International Airport and lows fall to only 77 degrees.

By the close of July came another heatwave, with many days in between warming into the low to mid-90s with upper 60s to generally mid-70 degree dew points that pushed real feels into the low 100s.

Heat Wave two of July, 2010 saw yet more remarkable heat including the highst heat indexes of summer with 111 degrees being reached within Washington DC, Over 112 degrees in Baltimore, 106-110 degrees in Philly and near 110 degrees in New York. Lows once again failed in spots to get below 80 degrees for the morning low with Philadelphia finally recording it's hottest low ever with 83 degrees, likewise for Atlantic City. Richmond and Norfolk, VA saw two straight afternoon warm to an incredible 105 degrees. For Norfolk this also matched their all-time record on two days in a row...

Why has it been so unrelentlessly hot and so very uncomfortably, stinkingly humid from Washington DC to New York, even up to southern New England including Boston?

1) A very dry spring lead to near drought conditions for many areas across the region.

2) The intensity during winter and now collapse of the El Nino?

3) The warmth of the Atlantic offshore of the Eastern Seaboard?

4) The warm phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and abnormal warmth of SST's surrounding the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, forcing higher humidity levels.

Perhaps the power of the El Nino (strongest since 97-98) helped jack-up sub-tropical high pressure systems this summer as Europe has been abnormally warm as well as the Eastern US and across parts of Asia.

How many 90 and 100 degree days across the Northeast in July 2010?

Washington DC saw 21 days above 90 degrees, 3 days above 100 degrees. The hottest day was 102 degrees. The site saw 3 nights that remained above 80 degrees with the warmest such night seeing a low of 81 degrees.

Baltimore, Maryland saw 21 days above 90 degrees, an near unprecidented 6 days at or above 100 degrees with the hottest day topping 105 degrees (WARMEST IN 27 YEARS), 4 nights remained above 80 for the low with the warmest being 85 degrees.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania saw 19 days above 90 degrees and 2 days consecutively above 100 degrees. The hottest day saw a high of 103 degrees. The city also endured 2 nights which remained above 80 with the warmest low being 83 degrees, breaking the old all-time warmest low which was 82 set back during the last time Philly topped 100 which was August, 2001.

Atlantic City, New Jersey which has it's official station several miles inland from the Atlantic and warms usually 5-10 degrees higher than the boardwalk. The site at the airport registered 14 days above 90 degrees and 1 day over 100 with the highest reading being 102 degrees. The warmest low saw the warmest ever on record with a minimum temperature of 83 degrees, like Philly, breaking the all-time warmest low which was 82 set back in August 2001.

Newark, New Jersey, typically one of the hottest sites within the New York area endured a gruelling 21 days over 90 degrees and an all-time record tying streak of 4 consecutive days reaching 100 degrees or higher, the warmest being 103 degrees. Newark also saw 3 nights which failed to drop below 80 degrees with the warmest low being 82 degrees with upper 90s still being registered as late as 9pm and 94 degrees as late as 10.30pm. Amazingly, during the hottest day of July 2010 here, this site saw a temperature as high as 95 degrees as early as 9am and incredibly 100 degrees by 10am, it looked as though it was on target to record it's hottest ever temperature that day. The old high is 105 set back in August, 2001 and some sources were reading Newark at 105 at one point, this was later deemed inaccurate and the official high for the day was apparently 103 degrees.

Central Park in Midtown Manhattan, New York City is often a cool site compared with Newark, New Jersey to the southwest and LaGuardia to the east in Queens but it's been a hot one here with 16 days reaching at least 90 degrees an an impressive 2 straight days reaching 100 degrees with the hottest topping 103 degrees, just 3 degrees off the all-time record. Amazingly 3 nights within Central Park remained above 80 degree with the warmest low being 81 degrees.

NEW ENGLAND SAW LITTLE RELIEF EITHER AS 100s SPREAD UP INTO NEW HAMPSHIRE

Up into Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachussetts there was astonishing heat also to be found with Hartford, Connecticut registering a high of 102 degrees and a low of 75 degrees, Providence, Rhode Island also recorded a blistering 102 degrees with minimal relief at night where the warmest low stopped at 75 degrees. In Massachussetts, Boston touched 100 degrees by early afternoon, only to cool substantially throughout the afternoon as a prominant east wind kicked in off the Atlantic bringing late afternoon readings at Logan Airport down into the 80s, little relief was had at night with a low merely falling to a still sticky 77 degrees, remaining in the 80s throughout the overnight hours. To the west, it was even hotter with Westfield, Mass (west of Springfield) recording an impressive 103 degree high and a low of 74 degrees.

ISLANDS OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST ALSO GOT UNUSUALLY HOT

You'd think islands out in waters in the very pleasant 60s would stay nice and refreshingly cool, NO!

Those who would do anything to escape the torrid summer heat perhaps headed to the offshore cooling spots such as the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard off Massachussetts... On the hottest day, even on Martha's Vineyard there was little relief with a high of 95 degrees, and a low which barely cooled to only 75 degrees. Nantucket Island wasn't much better with a high reaching 91 degrees, low of 70 degrees. Block Island off Rhode Island wasn't much cooler than on the Phode Island mainland as the high there peaked at a hot 95 degrees and a low which barely fell overnight, falling to an uncomfortable 73 degrees.

So, if you can't escape the blowtorch of the Middle Atlantic states up in southern New England or even on the offshore islands, surely northern New England will be cooler? Unfortunately no, not even New Hampshire was cool. In fact it was a mere 1-degree cooler in Nashua in southern New Hampshire as it was in the Nations Capitol. The high topped a stunning 101 degrees and 100 on two straight days! The city also endured a night were the low only bottomed out at 74 degrees. What amazed me about the heat of Nashua was that it astonishingly saw MORE 90-degree days than in DC, Baltimore, Philly and New York... 22 days this July, Nashua topped at least 90 degrees on 22 days and id be sure that must be by far the warmest ever July in this city!

Concord, NH saw a maximum high of 99 degrees with a warm low of 72 degrees.

The well known "coldspots of New England" also endured hot temps with Berlin, NH topping a high of 94 degrees and a night which only fell to 66 degrees.

Even atop of Mt Washington, over 6,000ft above sea level it warmed to 69 degrees, only 3 degrees shy of the warmest ever reading at the top.

In Maine highs also warmed into the unusual mid to upper 90-degree territory with Fryeburg reaching 96 degrees and only falling to 71 degrees. Presque Isle is not known for summer heat, especially when you think this site recorded several consecutive days in January 2009 below -45F. It warmed to 91 degrees here and a low fell to a very warm 70 degrees.

ALL FIGURES COURTESY OF ACCUWEATHER PRO.

What's Reaching Today's Blogs?

Chillin' and Grillin'
Joe Lundburg, AccuWeather

We Return to the Plains for More Severe Storms
Henry Margusity, AccuWeather

Today's US Extremes
Courtesy of AccuWeather

High: 119 degrees at Death Valley, CA
Low: 34 degrees at Boca Res, CA

Today's UK Extremes
Courtesy of the Met Office

High: 75 degrees at Gravesend (Kent)
Low: 39 degrees at Braemar (Aberdeenshire)

Today's Extremes here at my house

High: 61 degrees
Low: 55 degrees

TODAY'S COND
Started off cloudy, but soon turned very heavily overcast with cloud sealing lowering and a fine drizzle developing by around lunchtime which continued much of the rest of the day.

Thanks for reading.
-Mark

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