Warming on up! 🌡️
What a difference a week makes.
In a big swing, the Hudson Valley will go from having lows in the 20s this past week to highs in the 70s (and maybe 80s) this coming week 🎢
It comes as a high pressure system is setting up shop over the Southeast U.S., drawing warm air up from Texas initially and the Desert Southwest later on.
However, there’s a catch. Early in the week, the Hudson Valley will find itself near a “back door” cold front. This particular cold front, instead of tracking in from the west, will track in from the north-northeast later on Monday — the opposite direction from what is typical.
These features tend to be a forecaster’s foe, leading to significant temperature variation over short distances and making temperature prediction more challenging, particularly because they have a difficult time clearing the Hudson Valley’s complex terrain and can stall overhead.
After likely passing through the region sometime on Monday afternoon, the front will be located near the region from Tuesday into Wednesday before clearing away on Thursday. During that time, it will bring increased cloud cover, a chance for some rain, and extra temperature variability. South of the front, parts of the Mid-Atlantic will be near 90 degrees on Monday and Tuesday.
Here’s my best guess as to how the Hudson Valley’s weather will shake out in a general sense, but expect more variability and changeability than normal across the region this week:
Monday: warm with a mix of sun and clouds
Tuesday: clouds and some sun; showers or a thunderstorm possible, mainly in the evening or overnight
Wednesday: showers possible, mainly during the morning — probably the coolest day of the week
Thursday: fog possible early, then gradually clearing skies and turning warmer
Friday: warm with a mix of clouds and sun
Saturday-Sunday: remaining warm with showers possible, mainly on Saturday — there is uncertainty with this forecast, so keep an eye out for updates
5/2 update: rain is expected to arrive on Saturday night and linger through much of Sunday, when it will also be quite cool (in the 50s).
For more on what May will bring in terms of weather to the Hudson Valley, see the section at the end of this post.
Farewell to Fiji!
Last weekend, Kate and I farewelled Fiji after spending two weeks there. Our last hurrah involved a trip to an offshore island, called Malamala. There, we had our own cabana overlooking the turquoise waters of the South Pacific.
We also went snorkeling, which revealed some beautiful undersea life, but also some bleached corals.
NOAA recently announced a “global coral bleaching event”, following widespread excessive ocean heat over the last year. Unfortunately, many of the corals haven’t been able to cope, turning a bright white coral. Corals can recover from these bleaching events, but continuous above average ocean warmth doesn’t help their long-term survival.
How long will the warmth last? 💭
Will the Hudson Valley’s warm weather this week be fleeting or will it flourish throughout May?