Meteorological potpourri

Update #443

Ben Noll

Apr 18, 2021

Hi everyone! This is Ben Noll checking in with the weekly weather update.

The next seven days can best be described as a meteorological potpourri. It will start off on the warmer side, then turn wet, cold, and windy before becoming milder again.

Monday is expected to start off dry before a weak disturbance tracks through the region during the afternoon, sparking the development of scattered showers, some heavy enough to cause a soaking.

👍 The pick day of the week looks to be Tuesday with warm temperatures in the 70s and a good deal of sunshine.

On Wednesday, a low pressure system will approach the region from the west. A period of moderate to heavy rain looks likely during the afternoon with a thunderstorm also possible.

The passage of a cold front on Wednesday evening will usher a chilly air mass from Canada. An air frost (temperatures near 32 degrees) is possible on Thursday morning. Strong winds will make it feel even colder with rain and maybe even some snow showers or flurries (!) adding to the misery 🌬️ 🥶

🔵 A cold, Canadian air mass (dark blue) dives down for Thursday 🔵

Windy weather will continue on Friday although building high pressure should bring a dry day with temperatures about 10 degrees warmer than Thursday.

Saturday looks warmer yet, but another low pressure system could track toward the region by Sunday, bringing a chance for rain.

Cool conditions look likely to start the week of the 26th before a warmup.

Early May looks to have more of the same ups and downs with no decided warmer trend just yet… 🎢

Crepuscular rays

This was the view from the top of Auckland’s Sky Tower on Friday evening.

Have you seen this optical phenomenon before but didn’t know its name? Crepuscular rays form only when the sun has set behind an irregularly shaped cloud or mountain which lets the rays of the sun pass through the clouds in bands.

I don’t think I’ve seen a drawing of the sun without the inclusion of its rays ☀️ 🌞

Now you know its official name!

Have a fantastic week!