An anomously strong ridge to start the week Towering ridges over the east are usually associated with record heat in the summer. The blocking that continues to plague the Northern Hemisphere, as it has for months, brings that element. Record highs fell for Caribou, Houlton, and Augusta on Sunday. The upper air pattern indicated here shows that changes are on the way. After this round of summer-like temperatures to start the week, the pattern is expected to return to near normal later in the week. Record heat and elevated fire danger for Monday Some longstanding high-temperature records are likely to fall, with low to mid-80s being the likely peak point, away from the shorelines. I've mentioned the period of 1946-47 off and on over the past few weeks, as there are similarities in the pattern between then and now. The prolonged drought experienced back then started roughly around the same time (May 1946) as this one (May 2024), and it was the dry and warm period of October 1946 that contributed to the wildfires of October 1947. There is a solid chance that five out of the six listed above will set new records, and Portland may come close.  With the rain showers from last week dried out at this point and dew points in the dry side, this elevates the fire danger risk statewide. Please use caution with flammable materials and check with the local fire department, forest, or park ranger for burn regulations. Showers on the way late Tuesday into Wednesday Tuesday 2 PM (18z) to Wednesday 8 PM (00z) Thursday - A cold front approaches from the west on Tuesday that will increase cloud cover during the day. Showers with a rumble of thunder are possible over the mountains and north later in the day. Showers continue east overnight into Wednesday morning, and exit Way DownEast by mid-afternoon.  Given the lack of moisture associated with the front, rainfall amounts are expected to be on the lighter side. It appears to be enough to dampen the ground to diminish the wildfire threat for a couple of days, but it won't offer much more than that. The drought is likely to expand when the update is released on Thursday morning, as the data from this round of precipitation won't be included, with the weekly cutoff being 8 AM on Tuesday. The annual Allspeed ski swap is Saturday October 25th |
Mike Haggett
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