Monday is staring us in the face, and your weatherman is staring at the maps and the charts. I see a mid-level wave generally north of us, and surface low pressure generally south/southwest of us. Here in central Indiana, little is likely to come from either player on the double feature. Maybe a slight shower chance in the morning. More clouds today, but the heat and humidity levels should be close to yesterday–just a little higher.
A cold front tomorrow brings the best chance of rain and storms to the afternoon and evening hours. Heat and humidity just in front of the front will spike a little, then retreat again for Wednesday.
Speaking of heat: Indianapolis reached exactly 90 degrees Sunday. That sets a record for most 90 degrees or above days in a month at 26 days.
But…it’s Monday. You deserve your weather glass to be half-full, so let me balance all my recurring bad news with a more positive perspective. Call me Dr. Norman Vincent Poteet.
Bad news: more than 50% of the United States is under drought conditions, putting 2012 in the same category as some of the worst droughts in history.
However – bad as the current drought is, the Dust Bowl drought of the 1930s remains the worst in terms of national impact. At its height in July 1934, almost 80% of the nation was enduring moderate to extreme drought conditions, compared with about 54% today.
In July 1934 ALL of Indiana under “extreme drought” conditions. At this point: 58 percent of the state is in that classification.
Another good piece of weather news: The drought no one’s complaining about. There’s been a smaller than normal number of tornadoes since May. This month has been especially quiet.
US TOTAL TORNADO REPORTS FOR JULY
2009: 118
2010: 146
2011: 103
2012: 19
(This year’s number is preliminary through early Sunday evening. Those prelim numbers often contain multiple reports of the same tornado, and are typically adjusted downward after later investigations.)
Finally: The Storm Prediction Center maintains a map of “killer tornadoes” (attached) and they’ve only had to update it twice since the middle of April. (Two times in June.) The country’s tornado toll for the year to date: 68. Every death is sad, of course, but it’s certainly better than the staggering total from 2011, when 553 lives were lost.
WIKI-POTEETIA:
During the heart of yesterday’s Brickyard the relative humidity at Indy was waaaay down at 25 percent!
INDY ALMANAC:
The average high today is 84 and the average low is 66. Records are 103 and 51. Sunrise time is 6:43 and the sun sets at 9:00 exactly.
PAUL’S PREVIOUS PREDICTION:
The actual high yesterday was 90. The forecast high was 91.
UV INDEX:
9 (Very high.)
POLLEN COUNT:
The count of “medium” today and tomorrow rises to “medium-high” Wednesday and Thursday.
DETAILED INDIANAPOLIS FORECAST:
Today: Partly cloudy. A stray shower or sprinkle is possible in the morning. High 92.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 69.
Tuesday: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms, mainly in the afternoon. Humidity increases. High 96.
Tuesday Night: Storm chances early, then partly cloudy. Low 69.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny and less humid again. High 90.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear. Low 67.
Thursday: Mostly sunny. High 91.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy. Low 71.
Friday: Partly cloudy with shower and storm chances. High 90.
Friday Night: Shower and storm chances. Low 73.
Saturday: Partly cloudy with a storm chance. High 90.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Shower and storm chance. Low 73.
Sunday: Partly sunny. High 90.
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