Monsoon's Weather Update for Thursday, 27 March 2008
We’re entering a fairly moist spell here, but this is typical for the first several weeks of spring. Make sure to keep an umbrella handy—though I don’t foresee any soaking downpours or dangerously high winds in our immediate future.
[A reminder to my out-of-the-area readers: my weather forecasts cover the immediate area in which I, and my kith and kin, live and work: northern Lancaster County, central and southern Berks County. Sometimes I comment on the weather in the Philadelphia region, Allentown, Harrisburg, and other places nearby.]
Today we’ll see overcast skies and chilly conditions with periods of rain throughout the day. This evening will bring scattered showers. High 44, low 37.
Friday looks cooler with some steadier periods of rain, but I don’t expect a great deal of precipitation. Rain will taper to scattered showers and drizzle Friday evening. High 41, low 32.
The weekend is looking a bit milder and quite windy with partly cloudy to sunny skies. Highs will be in the upper 40s to low 50s; lows in the low to mid 30s.
Monday will be cloudy and potentially rainy with a high around 48 and a low around 35.
Tuesday and Wednesday, the first two days of April, will be breezy and much milder with partly cloudy skies. Look for highs in the upper 50s and perhaps even low 60s; lows will be in the upper 30s.
Thursday, April 3rd will see rain move in late in the day; it will continue into Friday and may be heavy at times. A strong cold front is moving through late Friday, so the possibility of isolated thunderstorms cannot be ruled out.
Next weekend will bring more below-normal temperatures after we have been tantalized with 60-degree-plus readings during the week. Highs will be in the 40s, lows in the upper 20s or low 30s.
The following week (beginning with Monday, April 7th) will bring dry, pleasant, spring-like weather, with highs reaching into the 50s at the beginning of the week and perhaps the upper 60s by the end of the week.
Monsoon
Monsoon Martin's No-Frills Weather Update for Monday afternoon, 17 March 2008
The no-frills weather update...
Monday night will be cold with increasing cloudiness ahead of some rain moving in Tuesday. Low 29.
Tuesday 3/18 will be overcast and chilly with scattered drizzle and showers throughout the day and into the evening. Don’t expect high rainfall totals with this one, but just a rather dreary day. High 43, low 36.
Wednesday 3/19 will be much milder with steadier rainfall and perhaps even a thunderstorm in the late afternoon or evening. High 61, low 47.
Thursday 3/20 will be partly cloudy, cooler and very windy behind the front that brought us rain; northwest winds will whip through at 20-30mph and gusts will approach 50mph, particularly in the morning and afternoon. High 45, low 28.
Friday 3/21 will feature patchy clouds and diminishing winds toward daybreak. High 47, low 31.
Saturday 3/22 will be partly cloudy with increasing clouds late; unseasonably cold temperatures will move in. High 41, low 26.
Sunday 3/23 will be mostly cloudy and rather breezy with moderating temperatures. High 46, low 33.
Next week looks mild and pleasant with fairly dry conditions. Highs will trend from the upper 40s into the upper 50s by week’s end; lows will be in the mid to upper 30s. Look for rain possible on Thursday 3/27 or Friday 3/28.
The following weekend will be sunny and clear with seasonable temperatures. Highs around 50; lows in the mid 30s.
Beyond and into April will be quite a bit milder with highs rising through the 50s and into the 60s.
Monsoon
Monsoon Martin's Weather Update for Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Daylight Saving Time can kiss my dragging arse. And so can the yammering hair helmet on the evening news who keeps telling me to check my frigging smoke alarms when I change my clocks. (OK—I checked ‘em, they’re A-OK, Muffy. Now sod off!) And so can George W. Bush (for this and many other reasons), who signed an idiotic bill in 2005 extending DST from March to November rather than April to October, which was bad enough. And, for that matter, so can Ben Franklin, whose precious ramblings formed the basis for DST in the first place.
And while we’re at it, Hillary Clinton can pucker up and plant a big one on my hindquarters, too, for proving that she will leave no dirty campaign tactic unslung. Barack Obama’s foreign policy adviser Samantha Power was fired for saying in an interview that Clinton is a “monster” who will “tell any lie” and “stop at nothing to win.” Well, I have no such high-profile ties to the Obama campaign, so I will say it now: Hillary Clinton is a monster who will tell any lie and stop at nothing to win. (A note about the picture below: I realize it is a horribly unflattering and almost daemonic picture of the candidate, but please understand that I have never made—nor would I ever make—any pretense of unbiased reporting here on the Monsoon weblog.)
Finally, Hillary Clinton operative and one-time Vice-Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro can go to hell (I don’t want her anywhere near my arse) for her unequivocally racist statement, “If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.” This statement has not been repudiated, nor has Ferraro been either denounced or rejected, by the Clinton campaign.
I hope that on April 22nd Pennsylvania Democrats reject her pandering, her divisive politics, and vote in large numbers for Barack Obama—who won both the Wyoming caucuses and the Mississippi primary with 61% of the vote and still has a lead of more than 100 delegates—as the next President of the United States.
But on to nicer, more palatable topics: spring is only a bit more than a week away, the two-week forecast is relatively dry, and the temperatures are (eventually) going to start edging up in accordance.
Today will be partly to mostly cloudy; becoming rather windy, but nothing like the high, damaging winds of last weekend. High 53, low 30.
Thursday will see some sunshine during the day, but clouds will dominate in the evening and overnight. High 48, low 36.
Friday will be overcast and quite mild with the chance of showers on and off throughout the day. High 56, low 38.
Saturday will be breezy and somewhat colder with rain and drizzle in the afternoon and evening. High 45, low 33.
Sunday is looking sunny to partly cloudy and pleasant with temperatures a bit below normal for late winter. High 42, low 28.
Monday 3/17 will be partly cloudy and nice. High 46, low 33.
Tuesday looks overcast with the slight chance of a sprinkle or two. High 52, low 36.
Wednesday will be partly cloudy and milder still. High 55, low 30.
Thursday and Friday look to be partly to mostly cloudy and colder with highs in the low 40s and lows in the mid 20s.
Next weekend will be more of the same, essentially: highs in the low to mid 40s, lows in the low to mid 20s.
Beyond: the cooler pattern breaks the following week, I think, when highs will be in the 50s and we will have left below-freezing temperatures behind us until December.
Monsoon
Monsoon's Afternoon Weather Update for Thursday, 6 March 2008
Thursday night: partly cloudy with a low around 30.
Friday: overcast with rain showers developing by noon and continuing into the night. High 46, low 35.
Saturday: rain will continue in the morning, tapering into the afternoon. Though the bulk of the heaviest rain associated with this system will fall to the south and east of the forecast area (central and southern Berks; northern Lancaster County), there could be up to an inch of rainfall all told. As such, flood watches and warnings are likely, especially given the already swollen waterways from the storm Tuesday and Wednesday. Skies begin to clear late and winds will kick up considerably, with gusts reaching perhaps above 40mph. (There’s a small chance of some flurries or brief passing snow showers in the late evening, but it doesn’t appear to be anything to worry about at this time.) High 48, low 31.
Sunday: partly cloudy with strong winds and noticeably colder. High 34, low 20.
Monday: clear with slightly more seasonable temperatures. High 39, low 26.
Tuesday: partly cloudy with temperatures around normal for this time of year. High 46, low 28.
Wednesday: partly cloudy and breezy. High 51, low 34.
Thursday: becoming mostly cloudy with a high near 50 and a low around 40.
Friday: rainy and cool with some snow mixed in late in the day. High 44, low 31.
Next weekend: quite windy and cold with plenty of sunshine both days. Highs in the upper 30s and lows in the mid to upper 20s.
The following week: seasonable conditions will prevail; highs will be in the 40s and lows in the 20s. I don’t see any real dramatic warm-ups that will have you tom-cattin’ around town in your shirt sleeves or the like.
Have a great, great weekend.
Monsoon
Monsoon Martin's Ba-rack, rockin' it! Forecast for Monday, 3 March 2008
“Well, I blew that one.” These were my words to no one in particular on Saturday morning when I awoke to discover that the expected snowfall had amounted to a few, non-accumulating flurries and squalls, and was currently tapering to drizzle. “A good, old-fashioned blown forecast.” I have no defense; I could explain what happened, but since it would sound like justification, I will refrain.
I would like to make a bold prediction (as if my prognosticating skills amount to jack squat about now) about the upcoming Democratic presidential primaries tomorrow. Many of you recall that recently in this space I endorsed Illinois senator Barack Obama for the nomination; see my post from 2/8/08 for details.
One additional key factor that supports my feeling that Barack’s a good guy and deserves our support is this: back in January, responding to a reporter’s question, Obama declared his favorite TV show to be “The Wire” (my fave) and his favorite character to be Omar (also my fave, though it may be a tie with Bubs): “He’s this gay gangster who only robs drug dealers, and then gives back. You know, he’s sort of a Robin Hood. And he’s the toughest, baddest guy on this show, but he’s gay, you know. And it’s really interesting. It’s a fascinating character.”
Another indication that Obamamania is unstoppably sweeping the nation is that lovably gruff orthopedic resident Bob Greenleaf, former old-school Lancaster County Republican, has been corrupted by city life (and his awesomely liberal wife Steph) and switched party affiliations! He is now a registered, Obama-supportin’ Democrat. (See actual photo of him completing the actual paperwork below.)
Anyway, the predictions for the March 4th primaries:
Texas: Obama 48%; Clinton 44%
Ohio: Clinton 49%; Obama 47%
Vermont: Obama 63%; Clinton 34%
Rhode Island: Clinton 51%; Obama 44%
Furthermore, I think Hillary Clinton, who needs not only victories but decisive ones to reinforce the viability of continuing her campaign, will nonetheless prolong the race—thus making the April 22nd Pennsylvania primary key and bringing about at least one PA debate and lots of appearances by both candidates.
Moving forward with the weather, we’re looking at unseasonable warmth (though today’s temperature will not quite approach the record high for this date of 70 in Reading). I don’t see any winter weather (snow, sleet, freezing rain) but I’m not ready to declare a definitive end to winter weather yet; given the below-normal temperatures that have predominated lately, I think we could have a winter event anytime through the first week of April.
The forecast…
Today will be partly cloudy and mild with light breezes; increasing clouds late. A bit of drizzle can’t be ruled out overnight. High 59, low 41.
Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with a shower or two and some scattered fog throughout the early part of the day, followed by steadier rain in the evening and overnight, when rain may be heavy at times and localized flooding is possible. A thunderstorm may even move through late at night, and winds will kick up behind the system. High 51, low 42.
Wednesday could see some early showers, but otherwise it’ll turn out partly cloudy, windy, and cooler. High 46, low 25.
On Thursday we’ll see increasing cloudiness with showers late in the evening and into the night. High 46, low 34.
Friday will be partly to mostly cloudy with breezy and seasonably cool conditions. High 44, low 29.
The weekend looks even cooler with brisk winds both days; highs will be in the upper 30s and lows in the mid to upper 20s.
Next week is looking far better than the winter weather “mess” I hinted at in my last forecast. We’ll see warmer temperatures over all, with highs in the upper 40s (perhaps even reaching into the 50s again) and lows only in the mid to upper 40s. Next chance for rain—and only rain—is Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th as a warm front moves through, sending temperatures to near 60.
Beyond will be seasonably cooler with highs in the mid to upper 40s and lows in the upper 20s (about normal for this time of the year).
We are the UL-ti-mate! (Ba-rack, rockin’ it!)
Monsoon
Monsoon Martin's Happy Leap Day! Forecast Update for 29 February 2008
Hey Friends,
The clipper system has come into clearer focus, and I need to adjust the timing and amounts, as well as driving hazards. Good news about next week, though: the Nor’easter I was discussing yesterday is a bust. Bad news about the following week: it looks like a winter weather mess.
A reminder about the Roadcon hazard classification system:
Roadcon 1 : smooth sailing with no weather-related impediments to travel
Roadcon 2 : wet roadways with the possibility of hydroplaning, but no icy spots; use some caution but not necessary to avoid travel
Roadcon 3 : light snow pack or visibility problems impair driving moderately; use a great deal of caution when driving, especially on untreated or back roads
Roadcon 4 : moderate to heavy snow and/or ice make driving hazardous; expect travel difficulties on untreated or back roads, and limit travel as much as possible
Roadcon 5 : heavy snow or icing and/or very low visibility make driving nearly impossible or extremely hazardous; stay inside!
The storm will unfold in this way…
3pm to 7pm today: flurries and light snow showers arrive. Accumulations will be minimal during this period, and driving should not be compromised. Roadcon 1-2
7pm to midnight: snow intensifies and the bulk of the accumulation will fall. It appears now that the snow will “lay” on untreated roads and sidewalks. There is a great deal more moisture associated with this system than a typical “clipper.” Driving becomes hazardous. Roadcon 3-4
Midnight to 5am tomorrow: snow continues to fall steadily with temperatures holding steady just below freezing (it does not appear that rain or sleet will mix in a whole lot, if at all). Driving remains “dicey.” Roadcon 3
5am to 10am: temperatures slowly rise above freezing and snow tapers. Clearing throughout the day thereafter with a high around 40. Roadcon 2-3
Accumulation: 2-4 inches in most of Berks County and northern Lancaster County, as well as Lebanon County; perhaps as much as 5 inches in northern Berks and the Poconos. Only and inch or two (with more rain mixed in) in Philadelphia, Chester County; points south and east get a mere coating before changing over.
Early dismissal: even if the snow begins a bit early, there is absolutely no chance of an early dismissal today. Any child who asks if there’s going to be an early dismissal, or who says “I heard we’re getting out early,” shall be fed to a pack of starving wolverines.
Drive safely…
Monsoon
Monsoon's Weather Update for Thursday, 28 February 2008
Today: Much colder with light to moderate breezes. High 30, low 15.
Leap Day: Becoming mostly cloudy with snow showers developing after 4pm as a clipper system moves through. Snow showers and some periods of steady snow continuing on and off throughout the evening, perhaps mixing with rain, and ending overnight. Accumulation will be an inch or two, perhaps three in a few some places, but I think it will be primarily on grassy surfaces. Roadways will remain mainly wet (Roadcon 2) and I think driving hazards for Friday night will be minimal—but be alert for Roadcon 3 potential, especially later at night and overnight. High 36, low 28.
Saturday 3/1: Partly cloudy and clearing throughout the day; breezy and cool. High 38, low 24.
Sunday: Partly cloudy and a bit milder. High 43, low 29.
Monday: Partly cloudy and still milder with clouds developing throughout the day; rain arrives in the evening. High 53, low 38.
Tuesday: Cloudy with rain off and on, then clearing late. High 52, low 31.
Wednesday: Very windy and much colder with partly cloudy skies, becoming mostly cloudy. I’m watching the models, some of which are indicating a possible Nor’easter for later Wednesday into Thursday—but remember that we’re 144 hours away, so precise forecasting for a system like that isn’t possible yet. Stay tuned for updates next week. High 36, low 23.
Thursday: Cloudy with the potential storm mentioned above. High 37, low 25.
Friday: Mainly cloudy and cool with high winds diminishing throughout the day. High 31, low 17.
Next weekend: Clear and cold with highs in the low to mid 30s and lows in the teens.
Beyond: Trending warmer with highs in the 40s and lows in the upper 20s and low 30s.
Monsoon
Monsoon Martin's Weather Update for Monday, 25 February 2008
Monday: Plenty of sunshine with milder temperatures; becoming cloudy toward evening. High 44, low 29.
Tuesday: Some snow and sleet is possible very early tomorrow morning—beginning around 4am and mixing with freezing rain by around 8 or 9am, then changing over to all rain throughout the day. Rain ends in the evening as a cold front moves through. Travel could be compromised a bit in the morning: Roadcon 2-3 possible. High 41, low 30.
Chance of two-hour delay Tuesday: 35%.
Chance of cancellation Tuesday: 10%.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy and very windy with a few flurries possible. High 33, low 16.
Thursday: Breezy and cold with partly cloudy skies. High 31, low 14.
Friday: Cloudy with precipitation possible throughout the day: AM flurries, then scattered rain showers throughout the day, then sleet and freezing rain possible in the evening. High 36, low 25.
Saturday, March 1st: Partly cloudy, quite windy, and still seasonably cold. High 37, low 22.
Sunday: Cloudy. High 43, low 31.
Next week: Milder with highs in the mid to upper 40s through Wednesday, then colder with snow possible (maybe a doozy?) Thursday, March 6th or Friday, March 7th.
Beyond: Still cold. Then warmer, eventually.
Monsoon