The Dew Point Drops, New York Storms!

Thursday Forecast Highs, Image: NOAA

Friday Forecast Highs, Image: NOAA

The hot and humid weather will soon be coming to an end for folks in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi as a cold front finally slices through the tropical air mass Friday. Look at the forecast highs for Thursday (first image above) and Friday. Thursday, forecast highs will once again approach the upper 80s. When the cooler air mass takes hold Friday, 70s with lower dew points will prevail.

I know TV forecasters throw the dew point around like it’s the actual temperature, but when you live in the south, you might as well go by the dew point temperature when it comes to how you feel. Here’s the thing with the dew point. Generally, when the dew point temperature is 65 or below, most people feel comfortable. Now, in New Orleans during the summer, when temperatures are approaching 95 degrees, and the dew point is 78, if a cold front comes through and the dew point temperatures drops to 70,  A LOT  of people will feel more comfortable!

The reason people feel uncomfortable in humid weather is because our body cools itself by sweating and transferring heat to the air. If the air is warm and moist, it won’t take the heat and moisture we’re trying to give it. Bummer! When the air is drier, it will suck up some of that heat and sweat coming off our bodies. I’m not sure if that description is too simple or simply gross, but that’s the easiest way to explain it.

While cold and dry weather will be the rule across the Upper Midwest, in the Northeast advisories for winter weather are in effect for hilly counties surrounding metropolitan New York and Pennsylvania.

California is drying out and heating up, however, the threat for mudslides will continue during the fall and winter season. In USA Today, there is an article and graphic on how mudslides affect California after a busy fire season.

-Dawn Brown