But awards are tough to win every week.

In the days ahead, the region will transition to a muggier, stormier — and potentially smokier — weather pattern.

Later Tuesday looks especially rough. I’m concerned about the potential for slow-moving storms and flooding, with areas of heavy rain probably lingering on Wednesday. A storm tracking southward from Canada is expected to stall near the region, with its progress impeded by a large area of high pressure forming near Greenland.

There’s also tons of smoke pouring from fires in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. This smoke is expected to reach the Hudson Valley later Sunday, with the potential for hazy skies. More smoke will probably arrive on Tuesday, although I’m not sure how much of it will be visible given the expectation for plenty of clouds. This smoke will be lofted high in the sky and I’m not currently expecting air quality to be affected.

After several unsettled days, conditions should improve by Friday. Saturday also looks decent for now. While our neck of the woods avoids scorching heat this week, the West and Plains will bake.

How does 125 degrees in Death Valley sound? Or 114 in Oklahoma?

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The week ahead

The weather this week won’t be the greatest, especially later Tuesday and Wednesday.

Monday: an OK start to the week, but there could be a passing PM shower or storm

Tuesday: the weather will really go downhill as a storm arrives; be mindful of the risk of storms and flooding through the night

Wednesday: slow-moving showers and storms could again form over the region, especially in the afternoon

Thursday: the weather should start to improve, though there’s still a chance for lingering showers

Friday: increasing sunshine, still some isolated shower potential

Saturday-Sunday: Saturday currently looks good and Sunday could be mostly decent too — but there’s a chance for a shower/storm

Looking ahead to the week of August 3 (wow, August already?!), and it doesn’t look quite as unsettled as this week does. It could also turn hotter, but I’m not seeing any exceptional heat for now.

Late Saturday, satellite imagery captured this remarkable view of smoke plumes from numerous fires burning across Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

Hundreds of thousands of acres have already burned and there’s no rain in the forecast.

Wildfire haze could continue to waft across the Hudson Valley’s skies into August.

I’m not sure exactly what this summer has turned into, but a sequence of record-breaking heat, severe storms, flooding rainfall, horrendous wildfire smoke, and yet more storms is enough to make anyone’s head spin.

From a meteorological perspective, the last week has been about as busy as one with a winter storm or hurricane.

In the Hudson Valley, skies are clearer and cleaner this Sunday, but there’s still some smoke around. That should fully clear on Sunday afternoon.

Monday is looking pretty clear and it will be raining up on the Canadian fires. That’s the good news.

On Tuesday, more rain, possible storms, higher humidity and perhaps a touch of smoke are in the forecast. A rather strong summer cold front will blow through on Wednesday, with some lingering showers possible.

After that, the weather is going to turn magnificent during what’s typically the hottest time of the year. Some well-deserved good weather — as long as the smoke stays away.

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The week ahead

Aside from the period from Tuesday into Wednesday, the week ahead looks pretty solid — as long as smoke concentrations stay low.

Monday: wonderful

Tuesday: turning more humid with a risk for storms that bring heavy rain and gusty winds, mainly later

Wednesday: some lingering showers are possible as a cold front passes and the air turns less humid

Thursday: magnificent

Friday: nice again

Saturday-Sunday: at this point, odds favor a decent weekend, but this forecast is not set in stone

Looking ahead to the week of July 27, I’m seeing more of the same: A lack of sustained high heat with frequent wind flows from Canada. There could be more frequent showers and thunderstorms, but that would also help keep smoke concentrations low.

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This is what the sun looked like from my backyard on Sunday, with one little blemish (sunspot) in the center.

Interestingly, some people in wildfire smoke-affected areas of the Eastern U.S. were able to capture this very sunspot without any special camera equipment.

That’s because the smoke filtered out some of the sun’s intense glare, leaving behind a muted orange disk that revealed the sunspot.

Here’s hoping for more sun and less smoke this week!

The good news? This will probably be the last really bad wildfire smoke day in the Northeast for a little while.

The bad news? It’s going to be a bad wildfire smoke and thunderstorm day, and rain could leave behind specks of soot and ash on cars, windows, and other outdoor surfaces.

Early Saturday, New York City was the third most polluted major city in the world — behind D.C. and Toronto — and that acrid air was on its way toward the Hudson Valley.

The highest smoke concentrations are expected between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. in the region, when air quality index values could again surge into the unhealthy and very unhealthy ranges.

This will be coupled with the potential for gusty afternoon and evening thunderstorms, again bringing a risk for damaging winds to the Hudson Valley.

Beyond that already serious risk, the rain was also likely to bring down some soot and ash with it, which could appear as smudgy black marks on outdoor surfaces.

Not fun.

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By Saturday night, the rain should have washed most of the smoke out of the sky with the wind blowing the rest of it away. While a little more smoke could waft through on Sunday, concentrations look low — good news for the World Cup final.

Rain is expected in the main wildfire areas in western Ontario from Monday into Tuesday, helping to tamp down the fires and reducing their smoke outputs.

That should also reduce the chances for another really big outbreak of smoke around here — for now.

If you’re interested in reading more about why Canadian wildfire smoke has more frequently affected the U.S., I explored that complicated topic and much more in Saturday’s Washington Post. Here’s a gift article.

Here’s to clearer skies!

Alas, New York City had the 10th worst air quality of any major city in the world early Thursday. Topping the list were Detroit, Toronto, Minneapolis and Chicago. Air quality levels there were grim — in hazardous territory.

In the Hudson Valley, air quality was “moderate” early Thursday after a peak in the unhealthy range on Wednesday afternoon.

Unfortunately, another dense smoke plume is forecast to arrive Thursday afternoon and evening, probably causing air quality levels to worsen once again, with an unhealthy peak predicted around 3 p.m. or so. This smoke is expected to linger Thursday night.

But there is some good news.

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On Friday, smoke is predicted to blow away, south of the region. While it engulfs the Mid-Atlantic, the Northeast and New England will probably get a break.

This break will be short-lived. Changing winds on Saturday will again blow the smoke north, with rain also helping to transfer some of it down toward the ground.

In other words, Saturday’s forecast is for rain with a side of smoke.

Farther north, some rain is expected across the Canadian wildfire areas on Friday and Monday, but it probably won’t be enough to put the fires out.

So I might be doing these smoke-casts for a while. If the smoke does indeed filter away from the Hudson Valley on Friday, I might not need to issue an update! 🤞

If you want to read more about what’s happening with the smoke, check out my story in Thursday’s Washington Post. Here’s a gift article.

And here’s a bonus chart for tracking smoke concentrations in different cities 🔎

You may have noticed hazy skies from the wildfire smoke on Tuesday. That was just the start.

About a dozen out-of-control wildfires in western Ontario, Canada and some in northern Minnesota are creating lots of wildfire smoke that will soon affect air quality in the Hudson Valley.

A smoke plume roughly parallel with Interstate 90 in New York early Wednesday morning was headed south.

It will probably reach the Hudson Valley by early Wednesday afternoon, potentially causing unhealthy air quality that will last into the night.

A second, more widespread and intense smoke plume is forecast to arrive in the region on Thursday afternoon.

That second plume could linger into Friday before changing winds on Saturday blow some of the smoke away and possible rain helps clear the air — at least temporarily.

In other words, get ready for several potentially unpleasant days. Prepare to limit your time outdoors, especially if you’re sensitive to the smoke.

In Michigan, where some of the worst smoke will be, the state environmental agency is advising residents to close their windows and run their air conditioners.

Stay safe and feel free to share your experiences and photos on Facebook!

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You can also check out my story about the smoke in Wednesday’s Washington Post. Here’s a gift article.

(PS, you may have to make an account to read it!)

Lots of sun, apparently!

Along with that sun, the week ahead looks seasonably hot but not too humid. So far, it has been less humid than last summer. I doubt you’re complaining.

A sprawling dome of high pressure will break records in the Rockies and Plains — exceeding a rare 110 degrees in Montana on Sunday — with some of that heat transiting through the Hudson Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday. The region could eke out a heatwave if temperatures manage to climb above 90 on Thursday.

There are some signs that conditions could turn more unsettled toward the weekend, but it’s not a sure thing.

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The week ahead

Monday: plenty of sun, but a stray afternoon shower can’t be ruled out

Tuesday: sunny and hot 🌡️

Wednesday: sunny, breezy, and even hotter 🌡️🌡️

Thursday: remaining toasty, but not as hot as Wednesday 🌡️

Friday: temperatures step down slightly?

Saturday-Sunday: for now, showers and storms look possible with some sun

Looking ahead to the week of July 20, conditions don’t look particularly hot at this point and it could turn more unsettled.

In northern New Zealand, we’ve also been treated to lots of sun and clear nights recently. Those clear skies led to a frosty 30-degree morning on Sunday! Frosts are rare around here, with there being at most a few per year.

It has also been prime star-gazing weather.

Somewhere out there, 276 billion miles away (about the same as a Sunday’s drive 😉), is the cat’s paw nebula.

Located in the constellation Scorpius, this glowing, gaseous feature is marked by its resemblance to a cat’s paw!

At around midnight local time, its position in the sky was about 90 degrees above the horizon (straight up), making it a prime candidate for photographing without light pollution.

Hopefully Mother Nature keeps her claws tucked away this week 😸

After an extraordinary period of heat, especially on Thursday and Friday, Mother Nature set off some fireworks of her own on July 4, leaving thousands without power, especially in Ulster and Dutchess Counties.

Starting with the heat, an official high of 103 degrees at Dutchess County Airport on Thursday tied for the second-hottest day on record and the hottest day in 25 years (since August 2001). It was only the sixth time the temperature reached at least 103 degrees there since weather data collection started in 1931. The temperature then reached 101 degrees on Friday, with back-to-back 100-degree days for the first time since July 2010.

At 12 a.m. on Friday, it was 94 degrees at LaGuardia Airport in New York City — the highest midnight temperature ever recorded in the city. But that remarkable heat wasn’t confined to the concrete jungle. It was 86 degrees at midnight in Montgomery — a record — and 81 in Monticello.

Elsewhere, it reached an exceptional 106 degrees in Atlantic City on Saturday. In D.C., it was 103 degrees while Baltimore sizzled at 104 degrees.

A cold front clashed with all that hot air, leading to severe thunderstorms that downed trees and power lines. That included a squall line of storms that passed through Ulster and Dutchess Counties, where 10 and 22 percent of customers were without power, respectively, early Sunday. Also, radar imagery showed a tornado-like signature passing near Pawling, New York just before 8 p.m. on Saturday.

As some area residents clean up and hopefully regain power on Sunday, what’s next?

Well, it’s not going to be 100 degrees this week, but there is a flood watch that starts at noon on Sunday and continues through Monday.

From Sunday afternoon through Monday, tropical moisture gliding northward will meet a front that’s stalled over the region. The interaction of these two features will lead to the formation of heavy and slow-moving blobs of rain. This will culminate in a flood risk, especially on Monday. While it’s uncertain exactly where the heaviest rain will fall, there’s a chance for flash flooding across the region.

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The week ahead

It’s looking a little turbulent this week. There aren’t many great weather days. Maybe next Sunday? But that’s a long way out to make promises.

Monday: periods of rain, some heavy, with a flood risk

Tuesday: rain continues

Wednesday: rain fades, but clouds remain for a long while, eventually clearing to sun later in the day

Thursday: probably the warmest day of the week with a shower or storm risk toward the end of the day

Friday: very muggy and warm with an atmosphere that looks primed for more showers and storms

Saturday-Sunday: at this point, Sunday has higher chances of being dry while a slight rain chance lingers for Saturday

Looking ahead to the week of July 13, signs are that extreme heat will sizzle the West.

In the Hudson Valley, the week will probably start dry, but typical afternoon shower and storm chances could return later in the week.

For now, I’m not seeing any strong signals for more 100-degree heat!

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Mammatus clouds visit Hudson Valley

These uncommon cloud formations were captured in Montgomery on Friday evening.

They often develop near thunderstorms and appear to hang from the base of a cloud. Their distinctive pouch-like shape forms when cooler, sinking air descends from the cloud, creating downward bulges.

People all across the Hudson Valley shared their cool cloud photos here.

Mother Nature is busy. Stay weather-aware out there! ✌️

Mother Nature has kindly waited until after graduation before turning up the thermostat.

And she’s about to turn it all the way up 🎚️

We’re talking triple digit heat in the Hudson Valley for the fifth time this century. It also reached or exceeded 100 at the weather station in Poughkeepsie during summer 2025, 2011, 2010 and 2001. It happens once every six years, on average.

In summer of 1933, during the dust bowl, it happened seven times! That year, it also reached 104 on August 1, which still stands as the region’s highest temperature on record.

I don’t think we’re going to officially reach 104 this week in the Hudson Valley, but maybe your car thermometer will! The heat looks downright ridiculous later this week, when both New York and D.C. could challenge their all-time temperature records of 106. Considering humidity, it will feel more like 115 degrees in those places.

With cooler than average conditions in the West this week, the Northeast will be the hottest corner of the country in a rare feat.

These record temperatures are being caused by a powerful high pressure system, also called a heat dome, which is like an atmospheric force field, deflecting storms and compressing the air underneath it, which causes further warming.

A similar pattern brought remarkable heat and humidity to Europe this past week, where it reached 112 degrees in France and parts of the United Kingdom experienced record-high humidity.

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The week ahead

This forecast speaks for itself. I hope your air conditioner is functioning!

Monday: the ‘coolest’ day of the week!

Tuesday: heat and humidity starts to creep up, chance for a passing shower or storm

Wednesday: blast off! 🚀

Thursday: record-breaking heat 🔥

Friday: two days of triple digit heat in a row? 🔥 ⚡

Saturday-Sunday: muggy and still hot, but daily shower and storm chances rise

Looking ahead to the week of July 6, it still looks toasty, but it probably won’t be quite as hot as this week as the core of the heat is predicted to shift west.

I took this photo of the sun on Sunday in New Zealand. I think it captures the essence of the expected conditions in the Hudson Valley this week!

See the black dots? Those are sunspots. The larger cluster of sunspots to the upper right of the sun are unfathomably large, spanning about 1.34 billion square miles across.

That’s equivalent to the surface area of nearly seven Earths 🤯

At least it won’t be quite as hot as the 10,000-degree surface of the sun in the Hudson Valley this week! ✌️

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Second only to: Will there be a snow day tomorrow?

So, will your school’s graduation be outside this year? Or will a renegade thunderstorm threat force it indoors?

Well, if your graduation happens to be on Wednesday, you’re in luck. Because there’s a 100 percent chance that the weather will cooperate for outdoor graduations.

A slam dunk forecast.

But as we head toward the weekend, the forecast becomes less of a slam dunk and more of a three-point shot. Let’s break it down.

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Thursday

Graduation in the morning? Great. It’s looking dry. But during the afternoon, scattered showers may start to pop up across the region. The steadiest stuff will probably hold off until nighttime, though.

I’d peg the outdoor graduation chances at 70 to 80 percent.

Friday

It’s looking like steady rain should depart early Friday morning, setting the region up for a mostly dry day. Given the humid, sticky air, I can’t rule out a passing shower at any time — but I think that would be the exception, not the rule.

It’s looking like an 80 to 90 percent chance for outdoor graduations.

Saturday

Saturday’s forecast is tricky.

A rain band could graze the region or pass by to the south.

If it grazes the region, that could unfortunately spell indoor graduations.

Outdoor graduations have about a 50/50 chance at this point.

Stay tuned!

Sunday

Sunday is looking pretty good at this point. The day should start dry with a good amount of sunshine.

There might be some isolated showers during the afternoon, but probably not enough to derail outdoor graduations.

I’d give outdoor graduations an 80 to 90 percent chance.

There’s a lot going on. I’m bracing myself for dozens of forecast requests this week.

Sunday marks the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, when the sun shines directly above the Tropic of Cancer at noon, concluding its long trek north since the winter solstice. It’s also the day of the year with the most daylight hours, amounting to about 15 hours and 11 minutes in the Hudson Valley.

Enjoy every second! Because it won’t be as nice on Monday.

Here’s what daylight hours look like across the planet.

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The week ahead

There’s will be some good and some bad weather this week. It’s too bad all the graduations and parties couldn’t just happen on Wednesday, which confidently looks really good.

The highest chances for precipitation are on Monday and Friday, with moderate chances on Tuesday morning and relatively low chances on Thursday evening.

I’m cautiously optimistic about the weather for next weekend, but keeping an eye on it in case of changes.

Keep an eye on Facebook for graduation weather updates.

Monday: rainy weather arrives by late morning with a rumble of thunder possible

Tuesday: some rain and drizzle possible during the morning, then clouds give way to sun in the afternoon

Wednesday: the best weather of the week! 🌟

Thursday: another nice day, warm — mostly — a late-day shower or storm can’t be ruled out

Friday: a front will likely bring more humidity as well as showers and thunderstorms

Saturday-Sunday: the weekend weather is currently looking OK, but it’s not set in stone

Looking ahead to the week of June 29, there are signs that it could heat up as high pressure builds.

Celestial happenings

In New Zealand, clear skies this past week allowed for splendid views of the Venus-Jupiter-moon conjunction. They formed a celestial triangle during twilight.

Zooming in on Jupiter, which is currently 570 million miles away from Earth, reveals four of its at least 115 moons.

They appear as tiny specks of light amid the dark abyss.

The average temperature on Jupiter is minus 166 degrees. There must be a lot of two hour delays for frigid temperatures there.

Back on planet Earth, it’s happy summer! ✌️

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After some high heat on Sunday, no 90-degree temperatures are expected in the Hudson Valley during the week ahead.

A cold front, towing some gusty thunderstorms, will cross the region on Sunday evening, setting the stage for some glorious conditions on Monday and Tuesday — prepare to open the windows wide!

Another cold front on Thursday will usher yet more comfortable conditions by Friday, with unusually low humidity into next weekend.

It’s about as close as it can get to ‘polar vortex weather’ in June! But there will be no snow days, nor heat days — mostly just nice days.

Notice the blue colors in the animation below, which indicate below-average temperatures favoring the eastern United States over the next two weeks.

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The week ahead

A few days this week might have you saying “I wish every day could be like this.”

The astronomical summer season arrives on Sunday, June 21.

Monday: weather rating is a 9 out of 10! A bit breezy 🌬️

Tuesday: like Monday, but just a few degrees warmer and less wind

Wednesday: more clouds roll in, chances for PM showers and storms increase

Thursday: a cold front will sweep across the region, probably bringing several showers and the potential for gusty thunderstorms as well as muggy conditions

Friday: refreshing conditions and sunshine returns

Saturday-Sunday: the early outlook is for a pretty nice weekend

Looking ahead to the week of June 22, the first full week of astronomical summer, there are more signs that persistent high heat will avoid the Hudson Valley.

That’s consistent with my Hudson Valley summer outlook. Summers that feature El Niño conditions typically start with relatively cooler temperatures during June, then come with hotter July weather.

Speaking of vortices, check out this one that I captured in the dark New Zealand skies this past week. It’s called the southern pinwheel galaxy, located about 15 million light years from Earth. Apparently, temperatures there can reach 12 million degrees Fahrenheit.

I hope they have some powerful air conditioners!

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If you’re up for some additional reading, here are two articles I wrote for The Washington Post this week.

• A mysterious blob of cold water in the North Atlantic is defying the odds on a warming planet [gift article]

• It’s winter in Lima, Peru, but the weather just keeps getting warmer [gift article]

There were strong and locally damaging thunderstorms in the region on Saturday. A heat wave is probably coming this week. More humidity is on the way too.

I think it’s safe to say that summer is well and truly arriving in the Hudson Valley!

Wall-to-wall sunshine and pleasant warmth on Monday will be followed by progressively hotter conditions.

The region will hardly be alone in dealing with the heat. Across the country, some 140 million people can expect temperatures in the 90s this week with 100-degree heat for around 20 million more.

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The week ahead

It’s going to be a toasty week in the Hudson Valley with increasing humidity and more thunderstorms possible.

Monday: the pick weather day of the week with abundant sunshine and comfortable warmth ⭐

Tuesday: noticeably warmer than Monday, but humidity will remain low

Wednesday: turning hotter and muggier with a shower or thunderstorm chance later in the day

Thursday: another steamy one with a shower or storm chance later on

Friday: probably the most sultry day of the week with the potential for a strong storm as a front blows through later 🔥

Saturday-Sunday: right now, I’m favoring decent weekend weather with lower humidity, at least on Saturday — but keep an eye on the forecast in case of changes

Looking ahead to the week of June 15, there are some signs that the weather may shift in a more unsettled direction.

Stay 🆒 this week ✌️

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The first week of June will come with progressively warmer temperatures and ample sunshine in the Hudson Valley — swinging from the upper 30s on Sunday morning to around 90 by Friday.

Humidity levels will be low — at least until the weekend — which fits the pattern of fewer high heat extremes in early summer during developing super El Niño events. If you’re wondering what the rest of summer may bring, check out my recently published Hudson Valley summer outlook.

The week ahead

It will be a pretty solid start to June, weather-wise.

Monday: sunshine and comfortable temperatures could come with a stray afternoon or evening shower for some

Tuesday: plenty of sunshine as comfy temperatures continue

Wednesday: warmer with abundant sunshine

Thursday: like Wednesday, but warmer

Friday: hot with sunshine

Saturday-Sunday: an approaching front on Saturday could bring moderate humidity and a chance for a shower or storm, which may continue into Sunday

Looking ahead to the week of June 8, the chances for a heat wave appear low for now and it could turn wetter.

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Greetings from…

Melbourne, Australia! This week, my newsletter comes to you from the land down under.

As meteorological winter arrives in the Southern Hemisphere, this city of over 5 million people has been experiencing high temperatures in the upper 50s to mid 60s and lows in the 40s.

It’s a fun place to spend a long weekend and is a bit more lively than Auckland, which seems to have a perpetual bedtime of around 6 p.m. 😁

Happy meteorological summer (and winter)!

First, a quick forecast for the week ahead, then we’ll get into it.

A high temperature of 97 degrees last Tuesday. Steady rain with temperatures in the 40s early Sunday. What a roller coaster. The week ahead will be less dramatic.

After a few days with high temperatures in the 80s, an air mass from Canada will usher cooler conditions, especially next weekend. This should also result in minimal rainfall and low humidity levels — with the meteorological summer season little more than a week away.

Monday: rain during the morning, then drying out in the afternoon

Tuesday: warming up with highs in the lower 80s

Wednesday: probably be the warmest day of the week — reaching the mid to upper 80s — before a late-day cold front brings a chance for a passing shower or thunderstorm

Thursday: comfortably warm, stray shower can’t be ruled out

Friday: similar to Thursday, nice

Saturday-Sunday: another cold front will probably cause rather cool conditions for the time of year, especially at night; at this point, a passing shower or two can’t be ruled out, but I don’t think it will define the weekend

Looking ahead to the week of June 1, temperatures look quite comfortable for the time of year as humidity remains low.

Now, to the summer outlook.

Read more

That means summer is here, right?!

Wrong.

Naturally, temperatures are going to be stuck in the 50s this weekend as rain streaks down your windows — and the summer season unofficially starts.

Mother Nature sure likes to play some cruel jokes.

Here’s an outlook for Saturday to Monday.

Read more

Perhaps you’ve been ready since the snowy days of January and February. Or perhaps you’re not ready at all.

Either way, it’s coming. But this summer-like weather won’t signal a sustained shift toward high heat in the Hudson Valley.

If you’re wondering when that shift will come, stay tuned for my Hudson Valley summer outlook. It’s coming out next weekend, just for premium subscribers. Feel free to click the button below to receive it.

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This week, there could be more than a 50-degree difference between peak temperatures on Tuesday afternoon and low temperatures on Friday morning 😵‍💫

The week ahead

The region will say hello and then goodbye to summer weather in a matter of days.

Monday: July-like weather 🌡️

Tuesday: like Monday, but hotter and becoming more humid; a stray late-day shower or storm can’t be ruled out 🌡️🌡️

Wednesday: hot and humid once again; a PM cold front will probably bring showers and storms and cool things off 🌡️

Thursday: much cooler with clouds and sun

Friday: a cool morning; plenty of sunshine

Saturday-Sunday: the sun might depart in time for the weekend as rain chances increase 🤦‍♂️

Looking ahead to the week of May 25, sustained high heat looks unlikely. The week could start unsettled before turning drier.

I’ll have more to say about summer patterns in my report next week. Consider upgrading your subscription to receive it.

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Tales from 150 years ago

I’ve been writing quite a bit about a potentially intense El Niño forming in the Pacific Ocean this year that’s expected to have wide-reaching weather impacts. I’ll have more to say about what this means for the Hudson Valley in my summer outlook.

This past week, I wrote a story that looked back at a devastating El Niño event in 1877-78 that contributed to global population losses of 3 to 4 percent.

Here’s a gift link.

It was a popular piece that generated some interesting discussions.

I was surprised to receive an email from a New Yorker whose grandmother had shared an account of this event from long ago with her.

She wrote that her grandmother’s brother was probably a casualty of the El Niño event, succumbing to “summer complaint” in the summer of 1878 — probably from tainted cow’s milk that had been kept only in a shed for cooling.

Then, a decade later, during the super El Niño of 1888, her grandmother recalled sledding in June in Ulster County, New York!

There was a historic blizzard in March of that year — the Great Blizzard of 1888 — that produced widespread snowfall of 30 to 50 inches in the Northeast, with drifts reportedly reaching 30 to 40 feet. In Ulster County, wagons that had collected the snow dumped it into local ravines, she wrote.

Because of a cool spring that year, big piles in these shady hollows lasted for months. That’s what brought the now unfathomable opportunity to sled in early summer in the Hudson Valley.

This week’s weather is a piece of cake compared to all of that! ✌️

The weather pendulum will keep on swinging across the Hudson Valley this week, bringing a little bit of everything — cool temperatures, rain, and eventually some warmth.

It’s part of a nationwide balancing act from Mother Nature, with summer-like heat primed to bake some of the West, as temperatures soar toward 117 degrees in Death Valley, California on Monday.

In the East, including the Hudson Valley, there are signs of a push toward much warmer weather into the week of May 18.

But first, we’ll keep muddling through the ups and downs.

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The week ahead

As in previous weeks, the weather will go downhill as the week goes along.

Monday: more clouds than sun as a system passes offshore and a cold front approaches

Tuesday: a chilly start, but sunshine will create a mild afternoon

Wednesday: plenty of clouds with rain arriving

Thursday: unsettled weather lingers with scattered showers and maybe even a rumble of thunder

Friday: partly sunny, but isolated showers can’t be ruled out

Saturday-Sunday: there’s uncertainty in the weekend forecast as of this writing, but a trend toward warmer weather is a decent possibility

A comet for the ages ☄️

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of viewing a rare comet in the Southern Hemisphere’s skies.

This green ball of ice, gas and dust, dubbed C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS), is about 60 million miles away from Earth.

It has an orbital period around the sun of 170,000 years. That means once it soon moves toward the outer edges of the solar system and disappears from view, it won’t be visible for another 1,700 centuries.

See you again in the year 172,026!

Shoot for the stars this week ✌️

Much like last week, things are going to start off decently warm, then there’s going to be some rain, followed by another surge of cooler air — making it tough on plants that are sensitive to the cold.

Keep your sweatshirts handy!

I’m not seeing an abrupt start to summer-like weather this month in our neck of the woods. I think that’s partly tied to the remnants of a persistent polar vortex pattern from this past winter as well as a developing El Niño.

I’ll have more to say about El Niño soon in my Hudson Valley summer outlook for premium subscribers!

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The week ahead

The week ahead will start strong but then take a nosedive.

Monday: seasonably warm and turning breezy with some sun

Tuesday: a warm flow of air from the southwest will cause temperatures to surge 🌡️

Wednesday: clouds and rain return, ending the warmth and sunshine

Thursday: rather dreary, showers can’t be ruled out, mainly later

Friday: windy again with some sun and a stray shower chance

Saturday-Sunday: there’s uncertainty in the weekend outlook as of this writing, but Saturday looks rather cool and possibly showery followed by a dry (?) Mother’s Day 🤞

The week of May 11 looks like — get ready for this — more of the same! Rather cool with a few rain chances 🤷‍♂️

Here’s AI’s interpretation of the pattern:

Check back next week for another riveting edition of this weather loop! ✌️

And if you’re interested in some extra reading, here’s a gift link to my story in this week’s Washington Post about an expansive drought covering much of the United States.

Temperatures are typically on the rise this time of the year. But we’re going backwards this week: It will be near 70 to start and in the 50s by the end. Nighttime temperatures will dip into the 30s.

I know, that’s probably not what you want to hear.

The coming cool weather is actually the last vestige of the polar vortex pattern that brought a rather cold and snowy winter to the region. And gusty winds won’t make it feel any warmer.

It could even snow in the mountains of the Northeast next weekend.

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The week ahead

Mother Nature is having a tough time gaining traction toward sustained warmer weather.

Monday: the pick day of the week 🥇

Tuesday: some morning sun giving way to clouds; slight chance for an evening shower

Wednesday: not terrible; clouds increasing as rain approaches late

Thursday: a cool, dreary one with morning rain probably ending; turning windy

Friday: windy and cooler with clouds and sun

Saturday-Sunday: if cool mornings, afternoons in the 50s and gusty winds are your thing, then next weekend might just be for you

Looking ahead to the week of May 4, there may be a few warmer days followed by more cool ones — but I’m not seeing any big heat coming anytime soon.

If you’re interested in some additional reading, check out my piece in this week’s Washington Post about a 5,000-mile marine heat wave that could really crank up the temperatures in the West this summer. Here’s a gift link.

Before you go and enjoy this week’s lovely weather, take a virtual trip to some of the bluest water you might just ever see, in New Zealand’s North Island.

It’s called the blue spring. The water temperature is in the low 50s. It’s so blue because it takes 50 to 100 years to emerge in this spring from the mountains, where most particulate matter is removed, leaving behind water of the highest optical purity.

Keep moving forward this week ✌️

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It reached 90 degrees in parts of the Hudson Valley on Thursday during a four-day stretch with temperatures reaching 80 or higher.

And now, well, even a stray flurry can’t be ruled out in the days ahead as an Alaska-sourced chill arrives in the region.

Weather swings are normal during spring, but a change of almost 70 degrees in a matter of days is next-level stuff. Especially for your temperature-sensitive plants!

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The week ahead

The week ahead will deliver a dose of the realities of spring to the Hudson Valley.

Monday: cool with isolated showers and maybe even a flurry!

Tuesday: near-record low morning temperatures; sun to start, then some more clouds arrive

Wednesday: a few showers possible, mainly early; otherwise, clouds limiting sun

Thursday: warmer with a mix of clouds and sun

Friday: it could turn out decent — if the rain holds off, which is currently uncertain

Saturday-Sunday: more clouds and increasing chances for some rain, but amounts and timing are currently uncertain

Looking ahead to the week of April 27, more unseasonably cool air may drift toward the region. Summer-like warmth looks like it’s a long way away.

For a little more reading about the coming chill, check out my story in this week’s Washington Post: Some states will go from record heat to a freeze — thanks to Alaska.

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Hold on tight for Mother Nature’s wild ride ✌️