Robert's post....

My normal morning post and discussion is below....here is Robert's write-up for today....

Hot today and cooling off through the weekend. Expect temperatures today in the Mid 80s with plenty of sunshine, clouds will begin arriving tomorrow morning with temperatures dropping into the low 70s for highs this weekend.

With recent news of the volcano in Iceland affecting travel in the UK and other Western European countries, I figured it would make a good blog post. First of all the ash and volatile material expelled from volcanoes can clog and disrupt airliner jet engines. Going on the advice of the Met Offices in the UK, officials decided to postpone most flights with limited flights out of Northern Ireland. This precaution is based on the 1982 event where a British Airways 747 flew threw an ash cloud losing all four engines descending 36,000 feet in altitude before engines could be restarted.


Besides affecting airway traffic volcanoes have an extensive history of affecting weather. The most excessive and disturbing affect is climate based. Due to stratosphere forced particulate ash as well as sulfate particulate, oxidizing reactions create sulfur dioxide aerosols which circulate the atmosphere for weeks to months depending on height level before they eventually fall back to the surface. These aerosols act as cloud nuclei for water molecules allowing for more and typically dry clouds to form. These clouds which cover more of the sky (little or no rain) create an albedo effect limiting solar insulation and therefore dropping global temperatures anywhere from a half a degree Celsius to 3 degrees globally.


Recently in 1991 we saw temperatures drop below average after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. However, this eruption was dwarfed by the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1816. 1816, which is now know as the “year with no summer”. Global temperatures drop drastically and reports of heavy snowfalls in the northeast up to June. The Northeast recorded frost every month in the summer and heavy crop failure in the entire world. Summer crops are highly sensitive and cell walls rupture at any slight frost. It is believed that with the limited oats crop the bicycle was developed as an alternative means to horse travel.


Robert Elvington
robert.elvington@gmail.com

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Quite warm today...cooler this weekend...

Today will be the warmest day of the week with highs surging into the mid 80s in many locations with lots of sunshine. It will also be a bit breezy with southwest winds cranking a bit ahead of an approaching cold front.

However, that cold front, like most of the fronts this month, will not have a lot of upper level energy to support it by the time is makes it into our region. So, while a few showers will likely roll through the Carolinas tomorrow with the frontal passage, the chance of rain in any one location is quite small, and most will remain dry. Highs tomorrow will mainly be in the 70s, and northwest winds will kick up as cooler air begins the process of settling in.

Sunday will features lots of sunshine, but highs will only be in the mid 60s. Lows by Monday morning could easily be in the upper 30s.

For much of next week, highs will likely try to meander around the upper 60s to mid 70s. The work week looks primarily dry, but a couple of showers cannot be ruled out mid-week.

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Warmer weather back with us....

It felt like a winter day yesterday across much of the region. Many locations were in the 50s all day, and when you added in an overcast sky and some northeast winds, it was downright chilly.

However, today will be much different. After a bit of morning fog and clouds erode away, we will see a sunny sky today with highs in the mid to even some upper 70s. Tomorrow will be quite way with 80s across our region for highs and lots of sunshine.

Another cold front will drop through Saturday. Like I have been mentioning, that front, like most of them this month, will be weakening as it approaches, so the rain chances here in the Carolinas remain quite slim.

However, we will see much cooler temperatures again behind the front. Look for 70s Saturday, then 60s for highs Sunday with a sunny sky.

The first several days of next work week look docile with lots of sun and highs gradually warming through the 70s as the week unfolds.

I do need to note that we have the chance of seeing some 30s for lows around the region Sunday through Tuesday mornings.

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Cooler today....warmer tomorrow....

That back door cold front that we have been discussing with you for a few days has indeed pressed through the region this morning. In its wake, we are seeing a considerable amount of clouds that will try to slowly erode with time. It will also be significantly cooler today with highs in the 60s....in many spots around 15 degrees cooler than yesterday.

Full sunshine will return tomorrow with highs in the 70s. Friday still looks like the warmest day of the week with highs in the low to mid 80s.

A cold front will drop through the area Saturday, and while the overall rain chance in any one spot still looks relatively low, I do think there is the chance of a few widely scattered showers, or maybe even a storm.

Cooler air will flood in here behind the front for Sunday and Monday along with sunshine.

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Brief weather changes ahead...

More of the same is on tap today. Look for a lot of sunshine with highs in the upper 70s to around 80. However, a back door cold front will drop through this evening and tonight, and as that occurs, I can't rule out a couple of showers around the region. However, most spots will likely remain dry.

We will have one day of cooler temps tomorrow behind that front with a sky that attempts to gradually clear and highs in the 60s to at most around 70 in the southern Piedmont.

Thursday and Friday, we return to sunshine. Highs Thursday will be in the 70s with lower 80s by Friday.

The next front will then roll through Friday night into Saturday. Again, I can't rule out a couple of showers, but the chances of rain in any one locations remain pretty small. Highs will back down toward the lower 70s over the weekend into early next work week.

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Docile weather pattern continues...

Our trend of quiet weather overall here in April continues this week. If you liked the temperatures over the weekend, you will likely be a fan of what's on tap for the new work week.

There will be some variability between days, but generally speaking, most highs this week will be in the 70s with most lows in the 50s.

In terms of rain chances.....slim to none. It does appear a fairly strong cold front will drop in from the north around Friday night or Saturday morning, but since it is moving in from the north, it will not have much opportunity to tap into Gulf or Atlantic moisture, so even then, the overall shower chance is not overly great.

Down the road, I do see some signs of a more active weather pattern for the last 10-12 days of the month or so, but that is not set in stone.

In the meantime, enjoy the weather!

On another note, I am not a guy that watches a ton of golf on TV, but I do tend to watch a good bit of The Masters every year. This year, I thought the tournament overall was pretty captivating. The course lent itself to enjoyable-to-watch golf, and the players responded.

And I was glad to see Phil Mickelson win it. The Mickelson family has been through a lot over the last year, and it was good to see Phil and his family rewarded.

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