I am not a big fan of using this type of reasoning to say it’s been an unusually humid summer. The reason is that our collective memories tend to be skewed somewhat towards forgetting the extremes of the past. I am not sure very many of us would remember if the summer of 1977, 1984 or 1998 was humid or not. We have great data on temperature, rainfall and even wind, but humidity or dew point is another matter. It is obtainable, but it would take some computer work. This is something I am hoping to explore for the future.
In terms of heat this summer we have endured a higher number of 90F degree days than is expected. Boston has now seen a dozen 90F degree days this month. While I am fairly confident we won’t see another one in July, the number of “hot” days has been double what we would expect. Check out the preliminary monthly climate report for Boston. (below). I could have changed the heading to Raleigh, North Carolina and no one would have said it looked too cool.
On Saturday a cold front pushed through the region and ushered in somewhat drier air. This morning, where I am blogging, the dew point stands at 62F. When this number exceeds about 60F, you tend to start to feel the moisture in the air. As the number rises and gets closer to 70F, we become more and more uncomfortable. Dew points will be in the 60s for the next couple of days, so you will continue to notice that tropical feeling in the air.
There is even warmer and more humid air to our south. As this air mass moves northward a few showers can occur. There could be a shower today, but they would be light. Generally, today is a day featuring a blend of clouds and sunshine. Temperatures will reach the 70s.
Tomorrow, the boundary between the intense humidity and moderate humidity will be on our doorstep and then move north. The exact position of the boundary will determine where the heaviest showers fall. At this time it appears all areas will see at least some shower activity with a few heavier downpours possible.
Tuesday night the rain will taper off and skies should partially clear. This will set us up for a better day on Wednesday with more in the way of sunshine, slowly lowering humidity a chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon.
The tail end of the week looks very nice and for the first time since June a string of very dry days is on the way. Temperatures in the afternoon Thursday and Friday will reach the lower 80s, while overnight lows fall into the upper 50s well inland most areas will stay in the 60-65F degree range.
The weekend should start great with abundant sunshine and highs in the lower 80s with the coolest temperatures in the mountains of northern New England and along the shore.
Gardening this week Pests in the garden are a problem for any grower. There are now better and better organic controls for gardeners that allow good control without the harsh chemicals. Check out the video below and see how I am controlling some of the pests in my own garden this year.
I'll be updating the details of the weather on Twitter at @growingwisdom Please follow me there. Feel free to comment or ask questions too.
