A Stormy Start to the Weekend

The National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) web site says that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is still expecting an above normal Atlantic Hurricane Season. As of 8am this morning, the NHC was tracking an area of low pressure that is currently centered over Puerto Rico. This low is expected to bring drenching rains and strong winds to the area which will also include portions of the Virgin Islands, and Hispaniola today and tonight. The Turks, Caicos, and the southeastern Bahamas can expect the same on Saturday. As a result, the NHC warns that these areas should know that there is the potential for flash floods and mudslides. Later today, a Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate the tropical disturbance. It’s a concern that the system’s exact amount of development will depend upon what path it takes. The less time that it spends over the open water without the benefit of gathering as much moisture as possible, the more hampered the system’s development will be. If it does happen to form into the next tropical storm, its name would be “Fay.”

Meanwhile, in the lower 48, an upper level ridge of high pressure is dominating the West Coast’s weather at the present time. Excessive Heat Warnings are posted for areas of the Pacific Northwest as well as the South Western US. A little bit closer to home, the National Weather Service has also warned that severe thunderstorms are possible for parts of the South Central US as well as the I-95 Corridor from New York City to D.C.

For Philly, this means that today’s and tonight’s showers and thunderstorms, could become severe. Today’s high will be 79 and the overnight low will be 65. There may be some areas of fog by morning as well.

After any remaining shower or thunderstorm clears out early Saturday, the rest of the weekend looks to be dry with an afternoon high of 81 after a morning low of 65. Sunday will start out at 66 eventually reaching a high of 83. I think we’ll see the sun on both Saturday and Sunday as the drier air pushes its way into the region, but because of an upper level low, the clouds will make their presence felt as they will try to limit just how much sunshine that we’ll actually see.

Shabbat shalom! Have a great weekend!