Star Date 15 August 2016 Monday

Captain's Log
Happy Monday!

Can you believe August is already half over and kids are already going back2school in many areas. The first 15 days of August have been a hot one with the nation trending the 3rd hottest of the past 25+ years and hottest since 2010. Rainfall has been hitting many of the same areas over and over boosting national rainfall totals to the #1 most in over 25 years. Hardest hit has been Louisiana where over 20" has fallen from Lafayette to Baton Rouge with thousands rescued from flooding and crops under water and even loss of life. The extremes have been amazing this year with Louisiana having major spring flooding, then hot/dry Summer and now cool and record wet. The other major weather event has been one of the longest most intense heat-waves in years in the Northeast with day-after-day of 105 to 120F heat indices. The humidity has been off the charts with actual air temperatures in the mid to high 90s and night time lows not going below 80F in the bigger cities.

THIS WEEK (15-21 AUG): The heat-wave in the Northeast has been downright oppressive the past week but about to get some relief Wednesday as a cold front moves through. Temperatures will still be above average in the East behind the cold front but mid to upper 80s and lower humidity will bring a much needed reprieve from the excessive heat. The conveyor belt of tropical moisture from Louisiana has pushed all the way up into Southern Illinois where some areas received15" of rain in the past few days, more than the previous 3 months combined. Drought parched Northern Indiana are getting some of this rain although not quite as extreme but still too much over a short period of time. Nationally temperatures are near average with rainfall the most in 9 years.

NEXT WEEK (22-28 AUG): National temperatures look to trend the 7th coolest of the past 25 years, below average but still the wettest in 24 years. We could actually see temperatures at night cool into the 40s and 50s for interior Northeast which will be a welcome reprieve from the recent sultry weather. Tropical models show the Atlantic getting a bit more active so the Gulf Coast and Southeast Middle Atlantic should keep an eye out as any tropical system could flare up and intensive rapidly. NHC has increased their hurricane forecast to now be above average in light of extremely high tropical cyclone heat potential from the really warm Gulf and Atlantic waters.

We hope you have a great week! - Capt Kirk out.