Showers this week; continued seasonable warmth
Right to the weather:
A few clouds overnight with a low of 42.
Monday looks partly cloudy, then mostly cloudy at night. High 74, low 48.
Tuesday will be cloudy and breezy with a shower or two possible (but predominantly dry). High 73, low 57.
In honor of Cinco de Mayo...Wednesday will cloudy and a bit chillier with showers a bit likelier, but not a washout by any means. High 66, low 54.
On Thursday we'll see some clearing, but a lingering shower or two. Milder with a high of 72 and a low of 53.
Friday will be the nicest (and warmest) day of the week: periods of clouds and sun; high 81, low 58.
Next weekend will be a departure from the last two, which were respendent with clear, blue skies. We'll see some showers, particularly on Saturday--but again, neither day will be a washout. Cloudy and breezy (and quite windy on Sunday). Highs in the lower 70s; lows in the mid 50s.
Next week looks clear and cooler, with highs on Monday and Tuesday in the low to mid 60s. Rainy and warmer by the second half of the week.
... all of a sudden: spring.
Warming trend!!
You thought it was tough getting the children to concentrate on their schoolwork before? And you thought the students were clad in some uncomfortably revealing, spilling-out-every-which-way, I-didn't-need-to-see-that outfits before? Just wait until it's 80 degrees and sunny outside.
For extra delight, add the incessant question, "Can we go outside to do English today?" (answer: no; the only acceptable reason to go outdoors is to travel from one indoors to another).
James Garner as Jim Rockford. My own Pissy Face owes a debt to this man's expressive mug.Digression: today is James Garner's 85th birthday! Thanks for your great roles in "The Rockford Files," "Maverick," The Americanization of Emily, My Fellow Americans, and many others. Many of you know that Jim Rockford is my favorite television detective ever--and "The Rockford Files" is a stronger show over all than "Knight Rider." I know, I know: blasphemy. But I gots to be honest.
So here is what to expect:
Monday 4/8 will be warmer with variable cloudiness. Look out for a few isolated showers in the afternoon or evening. High 72, low 53.
Tuesday 4/9 will be overcast to start (with a shower or two early), then clearing and markedly warmer in the afternoon. High 78 - much higher than the average high this time of year (49-50), but not likely to reach the record high for this date (85, set in 1991).
Wednesday 4/10 looks mostly sunny and warm. High 77, low 57.
My celebrated Pissy Face also owes a large debt to David Herman, who portrayed Michael Bolton in Office Space. In this screen capture, he is reacting to the vapid perkiness of a co-worker who is endlessly amused by his name.Thursday 4/11 brings some changes. Expect partly sunny, breezy and warm (high 75) conditions in the morning and early afternoon; then a cold front moves through, bringing some showers and even a thunderstorm in the late afternoon. Rain, heavy at times, overspreads the area Thursday evening into Friday morning. Overnight low 51.
Friday 4/12 will be overcast, breezy and cooler with rain, especially early. High 56, low 39.
Saturday 4/13 looks a lot like Saturday 4/6: sunny and gorgeous with a high of 62 and a low of 40.
Sunday 4/14 brings more of the same: sunny and a bit warmer with a high of 67 and a low of 41.
Next week: sunny and warmer again, with mid-70s by midweek, then more seasonable with highs in the upper 50s by the end of the week.
Next weekend: right now, Saturday 4/20 looks like a carbon copy of 4/13 and 4/6. Sunday the 21st, however, looks chilly and rainy and gross with highs only in the low 50s.
Meteorological Haiku.
On a go-forward basis, all of my forecasts will be issued in the Americanized version of the ancient Japanese poetic form, haiku.
Colding overnight
Then chillier tomorrow
And then mild again
.....
Twenties next few nights
Wet sixties by next Monday
Vicissitudes-ah.
.....
First day of April
Traditional pranking day
Rife tomfoolery
.....
Screw this. Too hard. April Fool's. Here's the forecast:
Temperatures dipping into the upper 20s overnight. Still windy.
Tuesday will be colder and still windy with variable cloudiness. High 44, low 26. (But these values will feel like the mid 30s and low 20s because of the goddamned wind.)
Wednesday will be pretty much the same as Tuesday. High 42, low 24.
Thursday looks milder, as we should expect for this time of year. Less windy, too. Sunny to start, then clouding up later. High 56, low 41.
Rainy Friday. Overcast and pluvious. High 52, low 44.
The weekend looks milder and sunnier. Generally sunny. Highs in the upper 50s, lows in the upper 30s to low 40s.
Next week will see pleasant and much warmer conditions. Highs in the mid-80s. April Fool's!! Highs in the mid to upper 60s.
Next weekend looks rainy and miserable. And windy. That would be the 13th and 14th. Sorry.
Thereafter: 70s, and not as wet as you might expect.
One last haiku:
Cole Hamels' moustache
Evanescent lip-warmer
Sadly, shorn too soon
.....
March goes out like a ... lion.
Umida solstitia atque hiemes orate serenas, agricolae.
That's Latin, and it translates roughly to "Farmers, may your summers be wet and your winters clear."
It was written by Virgil, a Roman epic poet in the first century BCE best-known for his Aeneid.
It's also the name of the upcoming winter storm--the one that's already dumping an early-spring accumulation on the midwest--according to the Weather Channel. (I just can't pass up an opportunity to ridicule TWC.)
There is a lot working against this storm--namely, that it will have to overcome the late-March sun angle and the buildup of milder surface temperatures. And the bulk of the event will occur during the day Monday, so if it does snow, it may have a hard time accumulating.
Working in our favor (for accumulating snow) is the fact that temperatures have been well below normal for the past couple of weeks, and the projected high for Monday is 35.
Some forecast models have us (in Reading and the Lehigh Valley) getting 4 to 8 inches of accumulating snow.
Alright, enough stalling. I've got to make a call. Here it is:
We may see some flurries on Sunday night, but snow won't begin in earnest until 3 or 4am Monday. Snow intensifies toward late morning, mixing with sleet and rain. (I do think that the bulk of this event will be snow; in that way, it will be reminiscent of last Monday's action.) Snow tapers by 8pm Monday.
In Philadelphia, its immediate suburbs, and south Jersey, we'll see a more rain and mixing, so I'm just going to call it a slushy coating to an inch for them.
Back to us: Berks and the Lehigh Valley will see 2 to 3 inches of accumulation, mainly on grassy and unpaved surfaces. At various times throughout the day we could see slippery travel, as we did last Monday--particularly during the morning commute and when the snow is at its most intense (late morning and early to mid afternoon), when even major roads can become coated for a time.
Percentages:
Chance of delay Monday, 40%
Chance of cancellation Monday, 30%
Chance of early dismissal Monday, 20%
Chance of delay Tuesday, 50%
Chance of cancellation Tuesday, 10%
Chance of I can't believe you're still reading this: 100%
Stay tuned for updates; I will send out further notifications when and if my forecast changes...
I've been tracking the storm and wanted to give you an update: my thinking has not changed in terms of the precipitation type, timing, and percentages I laid out in my most recent forecast.
The current radar:
Wintry weather lingers...
Friends,
That was an impressive couple of inches we had the other night. It wasn't much, but it certainly made an impact.
Expect another dusting or two before all is said and done.
Tonight: Breezy with flurries or brief snow showers possible this evening. No sticking, no accumulation, and no travel problems. High 40, low 26.
Friday: Clouds mixed with sunshine; windy. High 42 (will feel like low 30s); low 28 (will feel like upper teens).
Saturday: Breezy with plenty of sunshine, but still chilly. High 44, low 30.
Sunday: Sunny early; clouding up late. Some wet snow is likely late Sunday night into Monday morning. Expect an inch or two of accumulation and maybe even some more travel problems. High 47, low 31.
Chance of delay Monday: 25%
Chance of cancellation Monday: 10%
David Hasselhoff in Germany this week to join the protest against the removal of the last remants of the Berlin Wall. In 1989, Der Coiffure single-Hoffedly brought down that reviled communist symbol by performing "Looking for Freedom" in front of it.Monday: Overcast with rain and drizzle in the afternoon. High 48, low 34.
Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday: Breezy and a bit milder with brilliant sunshine. Highs near 50, lows in the mid 30s.
Friday3/29: Cloudy and rainy. Highs in the mid to upper 40s.
Next weekend: Rainy and cool. Highs in the low 40s.
The first week of April looks to be a transitional week. It begins with highs in the mid 40s (and lows in the low 30s), and ends with highs in the upper 60s (and lows in the mid 40s). Wet, too. April showers and all that.
Wintry weather: Monday 3/18 and Tuesday 3/19
Top o' the ... evenin' to ya...
Light snow and flurries possible Monday morning, falling steadier toward late morning. We may see some mixing with sleet in the late afternoon and evening, but I see this as mainly snow - kind of like Saturday's action. Expect 2-3 inches of accumulation, but mainly on grassy surfaces. As we saw on Saturday, though, any amount of snowfall can cause slippery conditions. (Hell, people around here forget how to drive when it rains.)
Former Sixer Charles Barkley, one of my favorite players of all time. Barkley, a notorious Chapstick addict, revealed this week that in his playing days, in order to keep his lips fully moisturized and prevent them from chapping, he filled his belly button with Vaseline so he could apply it regularly during games. I'm not really sure how I feel about this--my first reaction is, gross--but I just wanted to share.Temperatures holding steady in the mid 30s. Precipitation changes to rain (and even freezing rain in higher elevations) overnight before ending Tuesday, mid-morning.
Driving hazards are possible anytime during this event, but the most serious threat seems to be Monday evening.
(Side note: The Weather Channel is calling this Winter Storm Ukko. Seriously? Just stop.)
Percentages:
Chance of delay Monday, 10%
Chance of cancellation Monday, 20%
Chance of early dismissal Monday, 25%
Chance of delay Tuesday, 30%
Chance of cancellation Tuesday, 10%
Chance of Wednesday, 100%
Temperatures below normal for the rest of the week and into the weekend.
Stay tuned for updates!
Temperatures below normal. No blizzard. Also, The Hoff with another bird.
Breezy and warmer this afternoon with highs in the upper 40s. We’ll see increasing winds (and clouds) toward evening. Could see a rain or show shower here and there, but nothing significant or accumulating.
Overcast and chilly Saturday with some showers and drizzle; some wet snow could mix in at times, but nothing to be concerned about. High 42, low 30.
Sunday will see highs in the low 40s; partly cloudy and breezy with increasing clouds and the chance for snow or rain developing toward midnight.
Rain and snow on Monday – mainly rain, as temperatures will hold steady in the upper 30s to low 40s.
(Note: it takes very little snow to make the roads slick, even when surface temperatures are mild and it’s just slush on the roadway. Use caution if it is—or has been—snowing, so keep an eye out from late Friday night through Monday afternoon.)
The Hoff screams "Get me outta here, K.I.T.T.!" at his pet white parrot. God, I wish the parrot's name was K.I.T.T. Or Mitch (his Baywatch character). Or Snapper (his character on The Young and the Restless)! Or Heinrich, or something appropriately German. Do you know what he actually named the bird? Simon Cowell. Tuesday looks cloudy, windy, and cool: highs in the low 40s, lows in the upper 20s.
Wednesday looks sunny, but colder and continued windy. Highs in the upper 30s will feel like the lower 30s. Lows in the upper 20s will feel like the lower 20s.
Thursday and Friday will be milder (expect a 3.5% rise in temperatures) with times of clouds and sun. Highs both days in the upper 40s; lows in the low to mid 30s.
Next weekend will be milder still (highs reaching into the 50s) with a bit of rain possible on Saturday the 23rd.
The following week looks rainy and cool. Highs only in the low to mid 40s.
We end March in the 50s and begin April in the 60s.
Warmer, colder. Blizzard next week.
Loyal weather-friends,
Well it sure felt like spring this weekend and today, as temperatures rose into the low 60s. But don’t put away those coats and hats just yet: big changes are in the forecast. For reals. I don’t think we’re going to see temperatures in the 60s again until April.
Rain develops later tonight (10-11) and intensifies overnight. Temperatures hold steady in the lower 50s right through late morning. Rain will be heavy at times, particularly late Tuesday morning and Tuesday afternoon, before tapering by late afternoon. Breezy, too.
As a cold front moves through, temperatures will plummet from an afternoon high in the mid 50s to a low early Wednesday morning in the mid 30s.
Overcast, chilly, and windy on Wednesday with a high in the upper 40s; overnight lows will dip into the upper 20s.
Thursday will be partly sunny, even windier, and even colder: highs in the low to mid 40s; lows in the low to mid 20s.
Friday looks sunnier with diminishing wind. High in the mid 40s, low in the low 30s.
The weekend looks partly sunny (Saturday) and partly cloudy (Sunday) with the chance of a few snow showers Saturday night. Highs will be in the mid 40s, lows in the low 30s.
Next week begins with a rainy Monday, followed by a snowy Tuesday. Seriously, several models are indicating a blizzard for our area on the 19th. Some of the material is compelling, but jeez… didn’t we just go careening down this road like giddy little schoolgirls, only to have our snow-day hopes dashed by a cruelly indifferent Mother Nature?
[Sidetrack: When I fretted aloud about the forecast (and the fact that my entire faux-meteorological reputation was at stake) before the non-event last week, one of my colleagues said sympathetically, “I get it. This is your Super Bowl.” Well, my friends, if this was my Super Bowl, then I was Janet Jackson in the 2004 halftime show, haplessly scrambling to cover the exposed right boob of my forecasting ineptitude, which had been laid bare by a ruthless Justin Timberlake (aka Mother Nature). Perhaps the metaphor is a bit strained, perhaps it is inapt. But I think I’ve made my point.]
Where was I? Oh, this blizzard on Tuesday the 19th. I’m not making any public statements on this one yet.
Next week will end with chilly rain, too. Highs in the low to mid 40s, rainy on the 22nd and 23rd.
Warmer thereafter – ending the month in the 50s, starting April in the 60s. Expect rain and clouds, though.
Stay tuned for updates!