Summer Officially Arrives Friday.

It will be official at 12:04 Friday morning….that is it will be officially summer as that is the time of the summer solstice. Of course, the weather and the calendar do not always agree and we have already had some very summer-like weather. Also, from a climatic perspective, summer is considered to be the calendar months of Jun-Aug. Be that as it may, after what has been one of the coolest springs on record so far the month of June is running right at normal in regards to temperature.

Not for much longer though as we will be above normal each day of this forecast cycle and that will likely continue to be the case right on through the end of the month. At least we are not foreseeing any triple digit temperatures anytime soon. The rains so far this month have kept the vegetation green and the soils moist and that combination will keep a lid on the high temperatures each day. However, our nights will be quite warm due to the moisture and brisk southerly breezes which will combine to keep us in the 70s through the overnight hours. By the way, the moisture will keep the relative humidity from dropping much below the 50% level during the heat of the day and that combination of heat and humidity will push the heat index into triple digit territory each day. So, although the actual air temperature will top out in the low-mid 90s each afternoon the heat and humidity will make it feel like it will be around 100 or so each day.

As mentioned, we will have brisk southerly breezes and those winds will be blowing more than 20 mph during the afternoon hours, dropping off somewhat after dark. Those breezes will provide some decent ventilation and also keep our air quality from becoming an issue. They will also keep us warm and humid for the foreseeable future. There are some indications of a weak frontal boundary possibly making it this far southward late next week, but that is too far out to get very excited about any prospects for a break in the heat or chances of rain.

Speaking of chances for rain, those prospects look to be in the slim to none category for quite some time. A ridge aloft is building back over the state in the short term and then setting up over the central Rockies as we get into next week. That pretty well puts a lid on most of our rain chances although an isolated shower or storm may occur in the more terrain favored locations on any given day. The chances of any one location receiving measurable rainfall are pretty slim though so have not put anything on the forecast graphics.

Despite the heat and minimal chances of rain for the coming week, at least we are not looking at a repeat of last year when we ended the month with a string of triple digit temperatures.

So, stay tuned and check back for updates.

Dick Faurot