I’m really looking forward to two events this week: potential for a meteor storm on Monday night and the appearance of warmer than usuals on Tuesday and Wednesday.
First, the meteorites. On Monday from 9:45 PM to 10:15 PM, the Tau Herculid meteor shower will reach Earth. There is considerable uncertainty about how many meteors will enter the earth’s atmosphere, but it is likely to be a major event.
The latest high-resolution weather model outputs show clear or nearly clear skies over much of the Northwest (see 11pm cloud forecast map below)
The remaining problem is moonlight and sunlight. We will have a new moon….so no light there. But there is a problem with sunlight. By this time sunset was very late (around 8:55 PM). Civil Twilight ends around 9:36 p.m. – which is right before the meteor shower. What does the end of civil twilight look like? Here’s the same situation on May 18 for the sky at the start of the meteor shower: too much light!
By the end of the shower (around 10:15 PM) it should look like this (see below). Maybe we’ll get a chance to see some meteors.
A high pressure peak will develop around us beginning late Monday and amplify slightly Tuesday and Wednesday (see the 5 a.m. Wednesday upper-level map below).
As a result, temperatures over the western lowlands will rise to around 70 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday and mid-70s on Wednesday (see daily forecast by the National Weather Service’s ingenious mix) . Unfortunately, we’ll be diving into the gloom over the weekend.
The weather in eastern Washington will be much warmer, rising into the 80s for weeks to come, and cool only into the 70s.
Keep your fingers crossed for an impressive meteor shower!
