Days like today keep me sane during the depths of winter. This is the kind of weather that no one complains about. This is the kind of weather that brings EVERYONE outside to make Maine cities and towns buzz. (Along these lines: Dear Mainers, You simply can't pull straight into a parallel parking spot no matter how many Austin-Powers-tiny turns you are willing to make...it's just a physical impossibility)
Canadian high pressure continues to be the dominant player in our weather pattern today, and that will lead to a continuation of the pleasant weather that ended our work week.
Today: Mostly sunny, dry, pleasant. Temperatures push into the low 80s in many spots but winds will turn onshore along the coastline by the afternoon cooling down areas within 20 miles of the ocean. Dew points stay low so the air is very comfortable.
Tonight: Partly cloudy and quiet. Temperatures will be a bit cool but not as bad as the past few nights due to a slow increase in humidity. Mid 50s for most.
Sunday: A mixture of sun and clouds. Winds around that Canadian high pressure system turn southwest so some warmer, more humid air is advected into Maine. Temperatures will end up in the low 80s in most spots, but the dew points will push into the 60s by the afternoon. Most of the state will stay dry but there will be a few pop up showers and thunderstorms over the mountains and foothills late in the day. These thunderstorms won't make it "downhill" to the interior or coastline.
Monday: A feature we call a "pre-frontal trough" will push into the state by noon. This will trigger more widespread shower and thunderstorm activity. Some of these thunderstorms could produce some very heavy rain due to their slow moving nature (there isn't much of a steering flow aloft so the storms will basically meander around). Even more humid than Sunday this time around with temperatures around 80-85 F.
Tuesday: What comes after a "pre-frontal trough"? Well a front of course! This cold front should be pretty strong so we will be on the lookout for some severe weather through the afternoon. It's hard to determine the exact characteristics of thunderstorms this far in advance but the ingredients are certainly there to support some strong storm development. Almost everyone will get at least one storm by Tuesday night.
Wednesday-Friday: We hit the reset button again. The air dries out, skies clear and the end of the work week looks beautiful.
Just so we're clear, I'm not exactly the best parallel parker in history. I'd say I'm a 6.5/10 due to all the practice I had living in the Boston area but I can't cram my SUV into a mini Cooper spot or anything. I DO have one very important parallel parking trait however; I know when I'm defeated. If I try twice at the same spot and can't fit in I'm not afraid to hang my head and drive away.
Facebook: Facebook keeps suggesting "I Might Know" my dad. Yes, Facebook I do know the man who raised me but I'd rather he not comment on pictures of me with a PBR Tallboy. Anyhow, feel free to add me...just don't tell Ron.