I kept the windows open last night and was rewarded this morning to a room filled with cool refreshing air. Temperatures started the day in the 50s and the bright blue skies and light winds are making it an ideal morning for all summer activities.

A review of the weather maps for the next week shows while there is a chance of more storms this afternoon, there’s not much in the way of upcoming precipitation the rest of the week or this weekend.

Today we have some upper level energy passing over the region, especially north and west of the coastline. This energy (think of it is faster winds), will act in combination with the sun to help lift the air and create clouds and possible precipitation.

Like yesterday, there a chance for hail and gusty winds in any storms, but not all areas will see them. Once the evening arrives the sun’s heating will dissipate and so will the chance of showers and thunderstorms.

The radar loop below should be familiar to regular readers of the blog. I use this to help predict the extent of any precipitation during the year. What I notice today is the widespread nature of the storms this afternoon. This means while you might not see a storm, many of you will get wet for a brief period of time.

Some of the storms could reach severe levels, but we are mostly looking at strong storms, not severe ones this afternoon.

The next week features temperatures slightly under the long-term averages we typically have here. I don’t see any 80 degree reading for a while after today when some inland areas will get close to this.

The charts below shows typical temperatures over the course of a year. In August readings are still often in the upper 70s to lower 80s along the coast, but in the 80s inland. I am showing you Portland and Concord, New Hampshire as way of comparison. Concord is of course further south and inland, but give a nice idea of how when you lose the ocean’s affect, temperatures are more extreme. Concord, like many inland areas of Maine is also colder in the winter.

Later this month there are some signs temperatures will return to above normal readings, but as the month progresses, the average high will decrease, so an above normal day in late August can be cooler than a normal one at the start of the month.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to tweet me @growingwisdom. Have a great day.

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