Time for a Turn to the Hot, Sticky Season
With the exception of last weekend, the last two weeks have brought us low humidity and warmer temperatures than normal. That’s going to change this weekend, as the weather pattern changes to a Bermuda High, and moisture from the Gulf. While June, July and August are, meteorologically speaking considered the summer months, it’s July and August when the humidity becomes its most oppressing.
Looking over 2005-07, as measured by my humble weather station here in Gwinnett, the average June temperature has been 75.1 degrees, while the average June dew point has been 63.25. There’s been roughly a 12 point difference between the temperature and the dew point. This year, June’s average temperature has been 77.3, with a dew point of 63.1, a 14 point difference. We’ve been warmer and drier than we have in recent years.
Compare this to July, where the average temperature has been 77.3 degrees, with an average dew point of 68.4, about a 9 point difference, and August, where my Atlanta area weather station recorded an average temperature of 78.9 and an average dew point of 70; again about a nine point difference. The closer the temperature is to the dew point, the greater the humidity.
By September, things get more comfortable, with an average temperature of 72 degrees and an average dew point of 62.7. There’s still about a 9 point difference between the two, but the cooler average temps make conditions much more tolerable.
The good news about the pattern change is that the chances of rain go way up beginning tomorrow night and lasting through the weekend. In fact, one model is even predicting a tropical storm in the Gulf, although this isn’t supported by other models, nor the National Hurricane Center. In addition to increased chances of afternoon thundershowers due to the unstable moist air, there’s even the possibility of an unusual late June cold front pushing through over the weekend, increasing the chances of rain.
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June 30th, 2008 at 8:36 am
I live near Peachtree Ridge H.S. and in the last 4 wks have picked up about 6″ rain. My rain gage is not set up to any standard, but is a standard taylor inst. piece. I guess we are lucky this year.