Heat Taking No Prisoners This Week, But Not Long Lasting
June 19, 2012; 10:03 AM
Tuesday, 11:30 a.m.
Temperatures soared into the 90s and 100s yesterday from the western Ohio Valley all the way to the Rockies, including a record 100 in Denver, and 109 in McCook, Neb. Look at the numbers:
The front coming through the northern Rockies and northern Plains overnight and this morning has been slow to move south and as a result it will remain quite hot across much of Colorado and the central Plains into the Ohio Valley with an abundance of sunshine. That means another day with highs in the mid-90s in Chicago, as well as Kansas City and St. Louis, just to name a few locations on the hit list.
This heat is taking no prisoners going east. It will be a tremendous shock to the system in the mid-Atlantic and southern and eastern New England, going from the 60s and low 70s of Monday to the middle and high 90s tomorrow with that very same sunshine and a west to northwest breeze. As hot as it gets tomorrow in the East, it will be even worse on Thursday. The European 2-meter temperature forecasts are brutal looking:
And as bad as that looks, the NAM is suggesting it is even hotter. It is now forecasting 100 both tomorrow AND Thursday in Boston; 98 and 102, respectively, in Providence; and 98 and 99 in Philadelphia. Combine that with sunshine, dew points at least in the mid-60s, and probably higher, and it will feel as if it is between 105 and 110 in the middle of the afternoon.
Thankfully, it is a short-lived surge of heat. There will be a two-step cool down process that will begin Thursday in the Midwest behind a cold front, then progress into the Northeast and mid-Atlantic later Friday and Friday night into Saturday. Certainly the blistering heat and humidity will be taken out, though the farther south and southwest one goes, the smaller that change will be initially. The real cool-down will wait until the beginning of next week, when a much deeper trough of low pressure digs into the East. Look at the projected 500 mb forecast for Monday afternoon:
I'm hoping it dries out over the weekend. One of the follow ups to a really nice Father's Day was a message from my son, who lives more than a couple of hours away. He was briefly in town late last week and the start of the weekend, partly to play a corporate golf outing nearby. In commenting on it, the idea was tossed out to get together and play a round together this weekend or early next week. Despite my busy schedule, and a need to be ready for two big cycling events coming up in very short order, sometimes it's far more important to do the right thing and spend time with those you love. If that means giving up a ride or two, it's well worth it. The way I figure it, the time I invest will pay dividends in the future.
I liken it also to riding in a pace line. It works best with those of pretty similar abilities, but that doesn't always work out. Sometimes you need to be willing to pedal back a little, if you will, and put your ego away in order to benefit the group as a whole and make for a rewarding experience even for the weakest in that pace line. For some, it is hard, if not impossible, to do. And the loss is theirs. For those that do, the investment and sacrifice is well worth it for the better experience and growth of the rest.
I'd be remiss if I didn't say a big thanks to my daughters who cooked an excellent brunch on Sunday - simple, bacon, eggs, and an english muffin, but without question one of my favorite breakfast meals! And a special shout out to my dad, 85, proud WWII veteran who served on the Enterprise -- another little nugget of his service time I found out when chatting with him. You just never know what will happen when you take time out for people! I was really, really blessed!
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of AccuWeather, Inc. or AccuWeather.com