Perseid Preview

The best meteor shower of the year probably won't be that spectacular this year. Thunderstorms will develop to our west, and the resulting high and mid level cloud cover could prove problematic for meteor viewing. Even if skies are clear, a near-last quarter moon will rise a little before midnight, washing out all but the brightest meteors. I watch this one every year, and am planning to again this year, but I'm keeping my expectations in check. On the bright side, early meteor viewing (9 PM-1 AM) will likely afford you a few "earthgrazers", brilliant meteors that streak across a large part of the sky as enter the atmosphere at a very shallow angle. Just spotting on of these meteors can make the whole effort worth it. Click here for more on the Perseid's, good luck!

Hottest Day of the Year Expected Monday

Monday should be the hottest day of the year so far, with a forecast high in Richmond of 100 degrees. If we reach this mark, this will also tie the record high for this date, August 10, of 100 degrees set in 1900. A Heat Advisory is in effect for Central and Eastern Virginia from 11 a.m. through 8 p.m. for all the counties highlighted in orange on the map below.

The Heat Index will range 105-109 this afternoon in this warned area. Remember, the Heat Index is a value measured in the shade for how it will feel to your body. If you're in the sunshine, you can add another 5-10 degrees on top of this number.

The previous two hottest days of 2009 were yesterday, August 9 (97 degrees) and July 26 (also 97 degrees). We should once again reach the upper 90's Tuesday before relief from the high heat arrives in the form of a cool front mid-week. This front will do two things: lower high temperatures back to seasonable normals in the upper 80's, and also bring chances for showers and thunderstorms. At Richmond International Airport, we are still running about 6.5" below average for year-to-date precipitation.