Forecast Discussion: Current Conditions: As of 2 PM on Tuesday, overcast skies prevail over the region an area of high pressure continues to build in from the west. Right now, the clockwise circulation around the high is keeping our winds out of the northwest. As a result, we have seen temperatures remain cool (with readings in the low 50s) and dewpoints remain low (with readings in the mid 30s). The combination of these cool and dry conditions have limited PM 2.5 levels to the good range. Expect the good air quality to continue tomorrow as a result of the drier weather remaining in place over our area. *** Wednesday's Forecast: So for Wednesday, partly sunny skies will prevail over the region as the high pressure system, which was off to our west on Tuesday, slides east to a position just off the East Coast. As a result, the winds over our area will swing more out of the south and west, which, in turn, will allow a warmer air mass to build in. In fact, expect temperatures to rise into the lower 70s as a result of the southerly flow and the sunnier skies. Even with the warmer temperatures, the air mass should remain rather dry (with dewpoints rising into the 40s). Thanks to the dry air coupled with the stronger winds, air quality levels are expected to stay within the good threshold. *** Extended Outlook: Over the coming days, expect temperatures to remain near seasonable levels early on as high pressure continues to dominate our weather. A cold front passage late in the work week will not only provide another shot of rain but should also produce colder temperatures as we head into the weekend. These colder conditions will be short-lived however. A new area of high pressure will build in along the eastern seaboard early next week. As it does, expect our winds to turn southerly, allowing the warmer southeastern US air to ride northward into our area. At the same time, we could see PM 2.5 levels rise to near the moderate threshold, something we have not seen since earlier in October. A new frontal passage is slated to push through the region toward the second half of next week. This frontal system will provide another reinforcing shot of cooler and drier air and will likely force any rise in the PM 2.5 levels earlier in the week to diminish. --Nolan |