Weather Alert: End in Sight to Abnormal Heat

A torrid heat wave that’s capped almost two weeks without rain could end tonight—surely Thursday—as heavy rains are expected to arrive in Rockland County.

“When you have a summer that is very dry, and then you throw a monster Bermuda high pressure over top of us… you have a recipe for some record setting heat,” explains Bill Potter of Hudson Valley Weather. “ That is precisely what we’ve got here. Monday and Tuesday were record hot… and they were forecast to be record hot. But both days surpassed their projected high temperatures and broke records, in part because of how dry it’s been this summer. A dry terrain helps to enhance an already dry air mass… and the drier the air mass… the hotter you can get temperatures to climb, even to record territory.”

Wednesday’s temperatures should continue the trend, at about 10 degrees above normal.

But—all should end soon.

The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the county, saying showers and possibly some thunderstorms producing heavy rain may lead to flooding in poor drainage and low-lying areas through Thursday.

However, “the development of the rain bands will be unpredictable,” Potter said, “meaning someone could get 0.30″ of rain from this storm… and someone 30 miles away could get 3.00″ from this storm.”

The NWS is forecasting the heaviest rain for late Thursday evening. Most of Thursday is expected to be cloudy with some showers.

The lack of rain has left many lawns that were once green now brown.

Here is the Rockland County forecast through Friday night from the National Weather Service:

• This Afternoon-Sunny. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
• Tonight-Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Humid with lows in the upper 60s. South winds around 5 mph... Becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of rain 40 percent.
• Thursday-Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms. Cooler with highs in the mid 70s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
• Thursday Night-Showers...mainly in the evening. Locally heavy rainfall possible in the evening. Lows in the mid 60s. North winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 80 percent.
• Friday-Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers in the morning... Then partly sunny with a slight chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. North winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
• Friday Night-Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 60s.

Map via AccuWeather.com