Everyone wants to talk weather part 2

[stargazer]

Our weather sounds similar to yours, jo. Last week was glorious, with temps around 70F/26C and nighttime lows around 50F/10C. But summer's not over yet! Today we're expecting mid-90s with heat index values around 100F/38C. The old AC is humming in this humidity!

The shortening days are also noticeable here. The pace is really picking up as we approach the equinox.

[fantasia]

We are less than an inch of precipitation away from the rainiest August of all time here, and just like that, the rain is gone. But even though the toasty temps have returned, it's STILL not as hot as our normal mid-August temps. Our highs are in the low 90Fs. We're normally in the low 100Fs right now. Not complaining though! But I have started watering again.

[waggawerewolf27]

I cannot imagine the heat you have in an Aussie summer, wagga. But I suppose our talk of snowstorms and -35C temperatures probably are a bit odd to you.

Yes, your talk of snowstorms etc does contrast dramatically with our weather conditions here at the same time of year. It isn't too bad in Sydney, itself, where midsummer heatwaves are sometimes eased by lovely cool changes brought with evening Southerly Busters. In Perth they call the same phenomenon the Fremantle Doctor.

-35C, or -25F temperatures sound more like you live in Antarctica, Patagonia, perhaps, or even Southern Chile. Even Melbourne, Canberra or Hobart are normally nowhere near as bad as that. We do get a bit of snow at Thredbo and Perisher Valley in the Australian Alps sometimes in the summer as well as winter. Also, occasionally, at the top of the Blue Mountains, at Katoomba or Blackheath, some 50 km from here. NZ gets much more snow, I believe, which is why it was such a good location for Middle Earth. But I don't know how bad it gets, since, like Tasmania, NZ is largely maritime.

I've heard two explanations for the expression 'dog days of summer.' The first is just that August tends to be hot and humid in mid-northern latitudes, and so dogs pant a lot and lazily lie around.

The other, which I find a lot more interesting, is that the Dog Star Sirius (brightest in the night sky) is more or less in the same direction as the sun in July and August (technically, heliacal rising), and the ancient Greeks and Romans said its blazing heat was added to the sun's to make the weather hotter.

I'm not sure why it's 'high summer.' Perhaps it's because the sun is highest then?

Thank you muchly for the explanations. I hope one of them also gets posted in the 3 Questions thread in Games and Blogs forum here. A lot of Northern Hemisphere terminology does get lost here, Down Under, doesn't it? Though I think we see Sirius from here, as well. We certainly see Orion, Taurus and all the other Horoscope constellations as well as the Southern Cross.

Have those icy conditions arrived yet, wagga? Take good care!

So far, we did have a couple of what I call 'deep fried ice-cream' days, but that is all. Mildly warm late mornings with sometimes an icily cold edge by early afternoon, you would say. The sort where it starts out icy but picture perfectly clear, the temperature rises to 18C, even 20C in sheltered sunny spots by lunch time, only for a cold wind to blow up about that time of day. Go out of the sun for a moment and the wind-chill factor alone is strong enough to make us dive into our cardigans, pullovers etc, if we have been rash enough to take them off. By evening it is cold enough to warrant turning heaters on. Hardly what you'd call 'icy', I'm afraid. Thank you for your good wishes, all the same.

[stargazer]

-35C, or -25F temperatures sound more like you live in Antarctica, Patagonia, perhaps, or even Southern Chile.

Now, where's that 'LIKE' button?

(Though it's not much fun when every breath you take seems to stab your lungs with millions of tiny needles. Otherwise, it's quite invigorating.)

I hope one of them also gets posted in the 3 Questions thread in Games and Blogs forum here.

I considered doing so but figured I'd see if there were other explanations I'm not aware of.

Though I think we see Sirius from here, as well.

Indeed you do...here it's a main light of winter, so it's a summer star down there, near Orion, shining brightly around December and January. Incidentally, in early July Southern Hemisphere observers can see it both in the evening and in the morning skies.

But I digress. After such nice weather last week, today we're back to 'air you can wear' - thick, heavy, and loaded with moisture. It makes the sky rather hazy by day and night both - though TV commentators have mentioned part of that effect is due to smoke from wildfires to the west, in places such as Idaho.

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

It is the same way here, Dale. It's been in the mid 80's with blistering sun and sweltering humidity. Last week we had afternoon highs that never made it out of the 60's, and that was incredible. . . here's hoping that we can make a return to those ASAP.

[Puddleglum]

Sharing the heat with everyone I see. Humidity was nasty yesterday with the haze very visible on the horizon. But it seemed to let up a bit late in the afternoon. I was hoping that it would be all over after this week, but now the weatherfolks are calling for more early next week.
Can't we just fire these people, and get someone different?
At least there is one plus side. I can see the dandylions easier in all the brown grass.

[stargazer]

Let me check the calendar...yup, it really is the last part of August. But our crazy weather hasn't figured that out.

Today was a paltry 90F/32C with a dewpoint in the low 70sF. Tomorrow we may have a new record high for the date, 98F/37C. Keep in mind that our average highs now have fallen to around 77F/25C - but it won't even get that cool tonight! The next few days could well be the warmest stretch of the entire year...all at a time when the rapidly-shortening days, along with Labor Day and the reopening of the schools usually make us turn our attention to the oncoming autumn and winter.

[GlimGlum]

Let me check the calendar...yup, it really is the last part of August. But our crazy weather hasn't figured that out.

Crazy weather there, Mr. gazer? Could use some here.

We have been consistently hot for 13 straight days. The average high has been 98.1F/36.7C and the average low 71F/21.7C. But all of the temperatures have been between 99.5F/37.5C and 95.7F/35.4C! Just a 4 degree range for almost 2 weeks.

Today may break that streak as our local weather site reports that "Monsoonal moisture is continuing to arrive in the region from the southeast." I hope so.

[johobbit]

After such nice weather last week, today we're back to 'air you can wear' - thick, heavy, and loaded with moisture.

Yep, here too. Ugh. Tomorrow may be the worst day this week, with the temperature at 29C/84.2F, but the heat index reaching a sticky, thick-aired 37C/98.6F. Even though tomorrow may be the most humid, there is no sign of the temperatures dropping to more seasonable within the next week. Even nighttimes are hovering around 19C/66.2F, and very humid. Another Ugh.

Sharing the heat with everyone I see.

Thanks a lot.

Can't we just fire these people, and get someone different?

Yep, that would be a surefire way of changing this crazy weather around.

Let me check the calendar...yup, it really is the last part of August. But our crazy weather hasn't figured that out.

No kidding, something's really off kilter.

Whilst this will not be our warmest long stretch this summer (our week+ in July was when the heat index reached 45C/113F), this is most unusual for late August in southern Ontario.

Well, at least your weather has been consistent, Glimmie. And I hope you get some of that precipitation!

*hands out homemade popsicles to all who are dripping with humidity*

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

*hands out homemade popsicles to all who are dripping with humidity*

*gladly accepts one*

We haven't been as insanely hot as you folks up in the Northern parts of the midwest, but things have been pretty "soupy" here. The air is very "Muggly" (which is an invented word combining Muggy and Ugly ) and sweat just stays on you like an extra coating of clothing.

Ugh.

Plus, despite the fact that it's been super humid, we haven't had any rolling thunderstorms, or those really severe pop-up thunder cells. After record flooding in June and July, we're back to the too-dry state of things.

The weather here is just blistering heat, unending sunlight, and air as thick as an elephant's hide.

[stargazer]

Another record high today. *sigh* 97F/36C with the heat index reaching 105F/41C. A few days a year of this heat is enough; I can't imagine living with it for months and months like some of our members do.

Even our lows are staying hot - it only got down to 77F/25C this morning, so I dashed out for some errands and groceries before returning home to camp in front of the A/C.

The TV meteorologists have commented that at least one model has these 90s extending at least to September 10. That'd be some kind of record, I imagine, for so late in the season (after all, our possible snow season begins September 14). Spring came late, so I guess everything's just behind.

[Puddleglum]

Thank you my dear hobbit, I think I will try one. *takes popsicle, and takes a looooooooooooonnnnng lick) MMMMMMMMM Quite satisfying. My compliments
Indeed the dreaded heat refuses to abate. Even one of those good drenching storms that DiGoRyKiRke mentioned would be nice. It would at least offer some temporary repreave.
I think even the insects are begining to feel it. I got back from the Scout meeting at the park this evening with hardly a bite. Not complaining mind you.
Well, off to the marshes. There drying up a bit, but I still might find a spot that's deep enough to sink into, and cool off.
Hmm. Six left. Can't let them melt, and go to waste. * takes another popsicle, and heads off*

[johobbit]

Muggly - good word for these soupy days.

We had some glorious thunderstorms yesterday with heavy downpours (rain was needed, so this was good), but, alas, they did nothing to drop the humidity.

A few days a year of this heat is enough; I can't imagine living with it for months and months like some of our members do.

My sentiments as well.

Whilst our temperatures are not quite as high as yours, my MN friends, still it's nearing 100F each day here, and only dropping to 70 at night. Oh, for the crisp days of 40-50F temps, and down to near freezing at night. Yet, as with the MNers, our forecast with this hot, sticky weather extends well into next week.

Bra-a-a-a-a-a-ce yourself!

Thankfully, every few days we should be having some good rainfall ... having the cloudcover is a teensy bit better than that bright orb burning down everywhere.

[stargazer]

It's hard to believe parts of our area were flooded just 2 months ago. A dry spell combined with this record heat means much of the state has returned to "abnormally dry" or worse, according to the Drought Monitor (but nothing as serious as areas to the south and west of here).

The unusual heat - with highs up to 20F/11C over normal - continues. The low temperature Sunday morning was 80F/27C - the latest in the summer such a reading has been recorded here.

A brief respite is predicted for Monday, with highs around normal, before we go back into the 90s for the first week or so of September.

[waggawerewolf27]

On Sunday it will be officially spring (September 1st). But the trees down this way, especially the European ones, don't know whether it is spring or autumn. We've had the mildest winter on record, this year, according to BOM (Bureau of Meteorology), following record-breaking heat last summer. It is dry as well, down here, and already there have been a series of bushfires on the Central Coast and elsewhere. We don't need heaters any more, not even in evenings.

An El Nino or what?

[stargazer]

A warmer than average winter here wouldn't be too bad.

Meanwhile, The Old Farmers Almanac is predicting a colder than usual winter for the US and Canada, using terms like 'piercing cold.' Meteorologists, however, tend to question their methodology and accuracy of their predictions.

I wanted to share an amusing Freudian slip on today's noon weathercast. The local TV stations broadcast their news shows live from the State Fair, which has seen a lot of humidity and record heat this year. However, right now it's cloudy and comparatively cool (only 78F/26C, which is the about the average high right now), so the crowd cheered when the weatherman came on to do his segment. He replied, "Remember this when it snows later this summer - I mean winter." He added that the way this year has been, it could still snow this summer.