Bonnie Soon to Form?

The second tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season developed tonight in the western Gulf of Mexico. Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the Texas and Mexico coasts as conditions appear favorable for strengthening of this system. If a tropical storm forms, it will be named Bonnie.

Triple-Digit Heat Wave About To Break

In the Mid-Atlantic, relief from the triple digit temperatures is on the way in an unusual form. An upper low pressure system has developed over the past couple days in the Atlantic, and it is drifting westward--not your typical northern hemisphere movement of storm systems. Nevertheless, it will drift west as the strong ridge over the East Coast also retreats westward a bit Wednesday.

This low will approach coastal Virginia and North Carolina on Thursday, bringing some cloud-cover and also cooler temperatures aloft that will translate to the surface as well with a northeast to east wind. Moisture content will increase as well, helping highs be held down in the 90's in the Commonwealth while this upper low lingers Friday. By Saturday, a cold front tied to a different low pressure system tracking through Canada will move through the region and bring our best chance for rain and storms late Friday into Saturday, as well as milder air for the weekend with highs in the low-90's. We are running about 4.5" below average for our year-to-date precipitation in Richmond. In the extended forecast, another cold front may bring showers and storms to the region next Tuesday and Wednesday, so we'll be monitoring for that potential and provide updates as we get closer to that next storm system.

Here's a recap of our temperatures at Richmond International Airport this week.

High Temperatures:

Monday, July 5: 100 degrees

Tuesday, July 6: 103 degrees

Record to tie/beat for Wednesday, July 7: 103 degrees (1977). UPDATE: High Wednesday 104 degrees, the hottest temperature in Richmond since August 8, 2007.

Heat Wave Round #2

Sunday started another heat wave in Central Virginia with a high of 96 degrees, but highs through Thursday should hover around 100 degrees as a result of a broad, strong high pressure system parked over the Eastern U.S. This means much of the densely populated Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern cities on the East Coast are also in the grips of the heat wave with high temperatures around 100 degrees from D.C. to Philly to NYC. Richmond International Airport has already recorded three 100-degree-days in June, all of which reached 102 degrees. We could top that number by Wednesday with an expected high temperature of 103.

Year with most 100 degree days: 1954 had 9

Average number of 100 degree days in a year: 1

2010 to date: 3

We could potentially add four more 100-degree-days this week if we hit 100 degrees Monday through Thursday. This would put our tally at seven, just two shy of the record for the most 100-degree-days in a single year!

Record Highs to Beat This Week:

July 5: 101 (1990)

July 6: 105 (1977)

July 7: 103 (1977)

July 8: 102 (1993)

Hottest Richmond temperature on record: 107 degrees (August 6, 1918)

Average number of 90-degree-days in a year: 40

2010 to date (through Sunday, July 4): 27

We just had the hottest Spring on record followed by the hottest June on record. Could we continue on track for the hottest Summer overall? Be safe in the heat this week!