We have seen yet another minor roller-coaster on temps this week, mostly inland. Inland temps hit 100 earlier this week but today they were below average by a little. Over the weekend, and continuing into next week, inland temps will rise. Ultimately I think we see triple digits return inland.
At the coast there is also a small upward trend on temps, but very minor because there is already marine influence muting the heat, there will just be a ever so slightly less of it into next week. We are talking evolution not revolution in the forecast.
There is one location bucking the warming trend next week: The Southcoast. Temps will be near 80 over the weekend and backing off a bit next week.
The reason for the trend is that an upper low off the coast leading to today's slightly cooler weather is moving off as a ridge backs in from the east. This will increase high pressure and compress the depth of marine cooled air a little.
Yesterday we update lakes and drought status. Lakes continue the seasonal slide but after two back-to-back LaNina years, the levels are uncomfortably low.
This raises some questions about this winter season where a rare 3-peat LaNina is more likely than any other ENSO condition. LaNinas generally are a sign of lower than average rainfall (but not a 100% correlation, it is one of many long-range weather factors).
The drought status did change but by less than 1%. There was a slight reduction in "exceptional" drought but less than 1% is not significant.
