Summer arrives, officially, on Monday morning. But while we enjoyed a cool night last night, one look at the forecast for Baltimore will assure you that the sticky season is already well underway.
The seven-day forecast out of Sterling shows daytime highs headed for 90 degrees or higher through next Thursday, with intervals of high humidity. Today - Friday - looks like the last day anywhere near the long-term averages for this time of year in Central Maryland, which are in the mid-80s.
Sterling says we should expect sunny skies and highs near 90 degrees right through the weekend. As high pressure moves off the Atlantic coast, it will pump warm, humid air into our region from the south starting late tonight and Saturday. Our only chance for cooling would come from any isolated showers that might pop up on Saturday.
Forecasters do expect a cold front to move through late Saturday into Sunday, but we probably won't notice much, except for some isolated showers in Southern Maryland. Sunday may feel a little drier as winds swing to the northwest for a time. But the forecast high is still near 90 degrees. Under a strong solstice sun, and clear skies, Monday could be the hottest day of the week.
Once that high moves offshore, we will once again fall under southerly winds, with more heat and humidity again by Tuesday and Wednesday. Forecasters expect highs at mid-week to remain near 90 degrees, with only a 30 percent chance of a cooling shower. The next cold front is expected in time to dry things out for next weekend.
We managed to open the house up last night as temperatures on the WeatherDeck dropped into the 50s. This morning, we shut the windows for the day, but hope to keep the AC off until Saturday if we can stand it.
Thinking of a long drive in a cool car this weekend, and maybe a turkey sandwich at Reading Market in Philly. How do you plan to stay cool and dry this weekend?
(SUN PHOTO: Top/ Karl Merton Ferron, 2003. Bottom: Kenneth K. Lam, 2005)
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