Pleasant Weekend!
* Today was just a spectacular day weatherwise. Our high temperature was 71 in Meridian with a very light breeze. Dewpoints are very low so it feels quite gorgeous. Have you ever wondered why the sky is so blue in fall and winter? It actually has to do with drier weather. As light radiates into our atmosphere, the majority of the visible light (radiation in the visible spectrum) is allowed through the atmosphere. Some radiation that has the wavelength of blue is scattered, giving the sky a blue tone. However, when more moisture is present, more light is diffused. If you've ever taken a physics class you know that when you mix all different wavelengths in the visible spectrum, you get white. And sure enough, on those hot, humid July afternoons our sky appears more of a milky white rather than the crisp blue color we saw today! Pretty neat stuff!
* An upper level low looks to make its way across the deep south on Tuesday. This would create the required lift we need to generate some showers and thunderstorms and get us the much needed rain we've been asking for. The problem lies into the point just above....we have very low moisture content in the atmosphere. Our computer model guidance is still flipping between opening up the Gulf of Mexico or keeping us with a dry flow...so that will be the main factor in precipitation chances for Tues and Weds. Lets keep our fingers crossed!!
Cool and Dry Continues..
* The comfortable and dry weather will continue to be a staple in coming days. Temperatures will gradually begin to warm as we close out the work week and get into the weekend, with highs in the lower to middle 70's and plenty of sunshine.
* Rain chances are pretty small - our best chance comes late Monday night into Tuesday. An upper level low will rotate through the lower Mississippi Valley, but moisture seems to be rather limited. And, the consistency of this feature on our computer model guidance leaves much to be desired. The bottom line is that we may see a few showers, but the chance of widespread and nourishing rain anytime in the next 7 days seems low.
* Tropics...still active. Seems like we've been writing that for the last 14 years. Of course that is an exaggeration, but things are still active right now. Tropical Storm Beta is strengthening in the extreme western Caribbean Sea. This will probably become a hurricane before making landfall in central America. This system will have no affect on us.
Wilma Hits the Gas Pedal
* Wilma has now moved across the Florida peninsula and is rapidly skirting through the waters off the Carolina coast. As of this writing, Wilma was moving northeast at around 38 mph! Fast, fast movement.
* A deep upper trough over the northeast will eventually absorb Wilma and make for some really nasty weather from New England into the Canadian Maritimes. If you have travel plans to NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, or anywhere along that corridor, you can expect some travel delays.
* The big story around here is the potential for frost Wednesday morning. Clear skies and light winds will allow temperatures to fall into the lower and middle 30's. There is a chance that many communities could even see freezing for an hour or two before sunrise Wednesday. The best chance of this will come along and north of I-20. But, the risk of frost extends across all of our area. If you have tender vegetation, be sure to bring it indoors before heading to bed Tuesday night.
