Author Topic: Dangerously hot temperatures across portions of the Western US  (Read 5682 times)

elagache

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Dear WeatherCat seekers of moderation in weather,

These days, seeking moderation in weather usually requires one thing - staying inside!  There is an usually early and fierce heat event across the Southwestern deserts and into California.  Here is the National Weather Service bulletin describing it:

http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/hpcdiscussions.php?disc=pmdspd

The relevant bit referring to the West is quoted below:

Quote
High pressure aloft will expand across the western U.S. through Monday, with dry conditions and rising temperatures prevailing for most areas. Isolated showers or thunderstorms will be possible each afternoon and evening in mountainous areas. Temperatures will rise substantially across much of the West by Monday, with highs soaring well into the 90s from the interior West Coast states to the Great Basin, 10 to 20 degrees above average. Highs in the California Central Valley and across portions of the Desert Southwest may surpass 110 by Monday.

Under conditions like this, central air conditioning is most definitely a welcome feature!

Cheers, Edouard

Blicj11

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Re: Dangerously hot temperatures across portions of the Western US
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2017, 12:01:53 AM »
It's getting there! We set a new all-time record for UV today here - 13.8 - previous record was 13.0. Hot stuff.  8)

I just bought a solar powered electrical generator for when the whole grid goes down and I still need cold water.
Blick


elagache

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It's getting there! We set a new all-time record for UV today here - 13.8 - previous record was 13.0. Hot stuff.  8)

 [wink] . . . . Gosh, that sure does beat my UV record.  It seems to be zero all the time.  Maybe that's because I never did buy a UV sensor!  lol(1)

Given your altitude, the UV is more of an issue.  At the moment though I would gladly trade your daytime high for mine.  Today was the first time this year we topped the century mark.

I just bought a solar powered electrical generator for when the whole grid goes down and I still need cold water.

In your location, power outages are to be expected given how remote you are.  Alas in California there does seem to be trouble brewing.  There was some concern that the upcoming eclipse could so reduce the solar output that outages might occur.  Is this truly a reasonable way to operate a power grid?   [rolleyes2]

Oh well, . . . . Edouard

elagache

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Dangerously hot temperatures across portions of the Western US (II)
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2017, 11:16:59 PM »
Dear WeatherCat observers of extreme weather,

It has been a hot summer across the Western United States with the high pressure that is usually centered across the four-corners region being unusually large and strong.  There is a National Weather Service short-term discussion about it:

http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/hpcdiscussions.php?disc=pmdspd

What makes this heat event especially amazing is that the high pressure is so large that it is effecting even Seattle's weather!  Here is the forecast for Seattle:

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Seattle&state=WA

and here is the forecast for San Francisco:

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=San+Francisco&state=CA

Anyone notice something kind of cattywampus in this situation?  :o

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Blicj11

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Re: Dangerously hot temperatures across portions of the Western US (II)
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2017, 12:34:03 AM »
Anyone notice something kind of cattywampus in this situation?  :o

Vocabulary word of the day award. Congratulations.

And yes, it's hot here too, by mountain standards. We hit 79?F (26?C) this afternoon.
Blick


Steve

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Re: Dangerously hot temperatures across portions of the Western US
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2017, 12:33:34 AM »
In our travels, we encountered some pretty hot days. Hottest was 107?F in central South Dakota. This is the first time I have ever experienced "dry heat." We were standing there in the sun, talking to some people, when I noticed that my shirt wasn't drenched. Not even damp! They must have through me weird, as I was pulling my shirt out, looking at armpits, just curious as could be.

Yesterday, our last day on the road trip, it was 69?F and 89% humidity, and I was pretty wet just loading the truck up to hit the road. Welcome back to the midwest...
Steve - Avon, Ohio, USA


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elagache

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Desert heat is very different from wet. (Re: Dangerously hot temperatures)
« Reply #6 on: August 17, 2017, 11:20:29 PM »
Dear Steve and WeatherCat voyagers,

In our travels, we encountered some pretty hot days. Hottest was 107?F in central South Dakota. This is the first time I have ever experienced "dry heat." We were standing there in the sun, talking to some people, when I noticed that my shirt wasn't drenched. Not even damp! They must have through me weird, as I was pulling my shirt out, looking at armpits, just curious as could be.

Yes, extremely low humidity has some odd effects.  When I was living in San Diego I would travel to the deserts to the East where an astronomy club had some observing sessions.  Driving up I would get completely soaked in sweat because in those days my trusty wagon didn't have A/C.  As soon as I stepped out of the car, all my clothes would dry up almost immediately and I felt cool because of all the rapid evaporation.

Of course the low humidity is really hard on areas like your sinuses.  We have to run a humidifier during heat waves to spare our noses.  I'm sure that's something hard to imagine in the Midwest!

Cheers, Edouard

Blicj11

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Re: Dangerously hot temperatures across portions of the Western US
« Reply #7 on: August 19, 2017, 05:35:27 AM »
Yesterday, our last day on the road trip, it was 69?F and 89% humidity, and I was pretty wet just loading the truck up to hit the road. Welcome back to the midwest...

Welcome home Steve, it's nice to have you back on the forum.
Blick


elagache

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Dear WeatherCat extreme weather watchers,

While nothing like post-hurricane Harvey, the Western United States is starting to sizzle from the high pressure system that is normally parked around the 4-corners region.  There is an excessive heat watch for most of California and a large swath of Oregon.  Even Wyoming is suffering some.  The climate prediction center is forecasting well above normal temperatures for the next two weeks.  If that forecast proves correct it could become really unfriendly for folks like me in California and nearby states.

Cheers, Edouard

P.S. Unfortunately, what is making us hot is making this worse for the folks in Texas.  The same high pressure that it roasting us is preventing Harvey from moving on.

elagache

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Hottest day this year. (Re: Dangerously hot temperatures across Western US)
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2017, 11:53:44 PM »
Dear WeatherCat observers of extremes,

Hardly a big surprise and not much of a record beater, but WeatherCat has made it official:

Quote
New annual high temperature record for Canebas Weather Station! Previous high was 101.30?F on 2017-06-22 13:54:00 -0700. New high is 101.60?F

Typically in California the hottest weather is late August through September, so this is very much expected - if most definitely unwanted!  [sweat2]

Cheers, Edouard

elagache

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Dear WeatherCat seekers of moderation in weather,

During recent years, I have noted our local forecast discussion using what they call the "850 mb temperatures" as the principle basis for deciding what the temperatures will be like during a heat wave.  I still don't have a very clear idea what this means, but suspect that the air temperature where the atmospheric pressure is 850 mb is a good indication of the blanket of hot air over a given location.  There is a description of how this technique works on this webpage:

https://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/278/

Although it is a bit more than I can get my head around.  There is also a very nice view of the current 850 mb temperatures on this webpage:

http://weather.unisys.com/upper_air/ua_cont.php?plot=850&inv=0&t=cur

What I have noticed is that as the 850 mb temperatures increase, so to the daytime high temperatures.  The worse heat-waves thus far this Summer have resulted from 850 mb temperatures in the 26-27˚ C range.  Those resulted in temperatures close to 102˚ F on the ground at Canebas weather station.  Yesterday, they were claiming 850 mb temperatures of 30˚ C.   The additional 5.4˚ F would put us at a bit over 107˚ F which would smash the previous record of 102.2 ?F.  This afternoon's discussion drops the 850 mb the Friday's temperatures to 28˚ C.  That still might be enough to set a new record. 

What is clear from the current 850 mb temperatures is that the Western United States is head for another prolonged period of extremely hot weather.  It is certainly possible that some records will fall on Friday and/or Saturday.

That is your 850 mb temperatures lesson for today!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Blicj11

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That is your 850 mb temperatures lesson for today!

Thank you Professor. I had not heard about 850 mb temperatures previously and found this quite interesting.
Blick


elagache

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Handy for guesstimates (Re: 850 mb temperatures - Hot temperatures across West)
« Reply #12 on: September 02, 2017, 12:31:55 AM »
Dear Blick and WeatherCat heatwave estimators,

Thank you Professor. I had not heard about 850 mb temperatures previously and found this quite interesting.

I got interested in these values because the National Weather Service isn't making particular good forecasts of our daytime high temperatures over the Summer.  We have allowed our trees to grow and makes our yard very different from most in the region.  So we don't get as hot as the NWS expects.  Here is what was the forecasted high temperature for today - 112˚ F:



Here is what WeatherCat finally is reporting for today's high - 101.5˚ F:



In order to get some idea of what to actually expect, I would compare the 850 mb temperatures across heat waves and use that to make an estimate based on the past high temperatures we've already had this summer.

Cheers, Edouard

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Re: Dangerously hot temperatures across portions of the Western US
« Reply #13 on: September 02, 2017, 12:43:05 AM »
Interesting. I'm going to keep my eye on this and see how it plays out for my location. I get a pretty accurate forecast from the NWS just by finding my exact location on their map, but this is an interesting alternative method.
Blick


elagache

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Enough to break record (Re: Dangerously hot temperatures across Western US)
« Reply #14 on: September 03, 2017, 11:35:55 PM »
Dear WeatherCat seekers of harmony in weather,

Well harmony is definitely lacking in the hot Western United States.  It was only 0.2˚ more, but yesterday set a new all-time high for Canebas weather station:



Today we are starting to get some clouds drifting over from the remnants of tropical storm Lidia and that has capped the heat to thus far under the century mark.  However, it is supposed to remain hot through labor day.  [sweat2]  Needless to say we are leaving the air conditioner on "kill"!  [snowflake]

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]