Friday, September 16, 2016

Late Summer Heat Will Continue Next Week Across the East

Tom Moore
Published: September 16,2016

It's been a long, hot summer across the eastern U.S. and significant relief is not arriving anytime soon.
For many cities across the eastern U.S., this was one of the hottest meteorological summers (June-July-August) on record. This trend has continued through the first half of September and it doesn't appear that there will be any changes through next week.
According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, there is a high probability for above average temperatures across the eastern U.S. in the next 6-10 days ahead (Sept. 21-25).
(MORE: Summer 2016 Was One of the Hottest on Record in the Lower 48 States, Says NOAA)
Here are some examples of eastern cities indicating their average temperature this September (through Sept. 14) and number of degrees above average.
Some locations are running 4 degrees or more above average for September and there is nothing to indicate that these values will be dropping anytime soon.
   CityAverage Temperature (F)Degrees (F) Above Average
Hartford               71.4                  4.6
New York               75.8                  4.9
Washington, D.C.               80.0                  6.1
Raleigh               77.7                  3.1
Atlanta               79.8                  3.7
The forecast through next week is for unseasonable warmth to continue across the East. Many cities will see high temperatures from 5 to 10 degrees above average at times.

Next Week's Forecast For Eastern Cities
(MORE: La NiƱa Likely to Be a No Show This Fall and Winter)

Setup For Prolonged Heat

A persistent high pressure ridge (bulge in the jet stream) has kept temperatures well above average across the eastern U.S.






































For the past few months, there has been a persistent high pressure ridge (bulge in the jet stream) across much of the eastern U.S.
During these periods the air sinks and warms, allowing temperatures to climb.
Humidity levels have also been quite high and the increased moisture traps the heat of the day.
As a result, much of the heat isn't allowed to escape into the atmosphere and that allows overnight temperatures to remain elevated.
This general pattern is likely to persist for awhile.
There are some computer models that indicate cooler conditions are possible across the East toward the end of the month.
MORE: Warm Weather Fun

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