A Touch of Fall in Early Summer
Today’s low dew point of 38.6 degrees is the lowest summer reading since June of 2006, when the dew point dropped to 38.4. With a temperature of 82 degrees, the relative humidity at 5:30 PM was an almost desert-like 21%, which is unusual in Georgia during the months of June, July and August.
An upper level low pressure system centered over Quebec is bringing cooler air to the northeast–for example, it’s only 59 in Pittsburgh as I write this, and 63 in Cleveland. In Morgantown, West Virginia it’s 60. The colder Canadian air comes south to the west of the low. While North Georgia isn’t cooling down to that extent (although low 80s are a welcome change from the 90s we saw recently), as the air warms up as it travels further south, it becomes drier, dropping humidities, and therefore the dew point.
The dry air also brings 30 degree temperature swings. This morning’s low was 57, while this afternoon’s high was 86–almost a 30 degree difference. The long summer daylight warms the air, but the lack of water vapor means as the sun goes down, more heat is radiated into the atmosphere. Today’s low dew points mean it’s likely to be even cooler tomorrow morning.
Of course, this can’t last. We’ll have two more nights of open window weather with lows in the 50s, but by Friday, the low moves out, and we’ll be more influenced by gulf moisture from the south. Showers and thunderstorms potentially return by Saturday, and things remain unsettled into the early part of next week.
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