Unraveling the Heatwave: Solar Flares, Urban Heat Islands, and National Weather Forecasts with Steve Pelletier

Ever wondered how solar flares could be responsible for the sweltering heatwave gripping the Northeast? Discover the intriguing connection and prepare yourself for the extreme weather conditions set to hit from Sunday through Wednesday. Join meteorologist Steve Pelletier as he breaks down the science behind the heat, dives into the impact of urban heat islands, and even shares a personal anecdote about witnessing the aurora borealis in South Florida. This episode is packed with critical weather updates, ensuring you're well-prepared for the scorching days ahead.

Stay informed as Steve provides a detailed national weather forecast, making sure travelers know what to expect in cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, and Dallas. Get the latest insights on regional phenomena, including the monsoons in the Four Corners area and dry spells along the California coast. Whether you're planning a trip or simply looking to stay ahead of the weather, this episode offers essential information to navigate the upcoming heatwave and other weather patterns across the nation. Tune in for a comprehensive weather briefing that you won't want to miss.

Here's more!

Dangerous and record-breaking heat will continue for much of the West
through Saturday, while sizzling temperatures will also begin to build
across portions of the central and eastern U.S....

...Showers and storms will continue along portions of the East Coast from
the Carolinas to the New England, with flash flooding possible...

...Several rounds of thunderstorms will bring the threat of large hail and
damaging winds to the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest this weekend...

...Monsoon showers expected for the Four Corners Region with locally heavy
rainfall and isolated flash flooding possible...

Temperatures will remain dangerously hot through at least Saturday across
much of the West as a stubborn upper-level ridge remains overhead. The
most intense heat Friday and Saturday will focus over portions of the
Desert Southwest Friday and the Great Basin and central California Valleys
Friday into Saturday. Many near daily record-tying/breaking high
temperatures are expected with highs generally in the low 100s, and into
the 110s for the Desert Southwest. Widespread heat-related advisories and
warnings remain in place due to the threat from this heat, which remains
dangerous given the longevity and the intensity of this heat wave. The
ridge is expected to begin shifting a bit eastward by Sunday, which will
finally bring a little relief to the region. Pockets of hotter
temperatures will remain, particularly in the northern Great Basin, but
highs overall will be cooler by a few degrees, reducing the intensity of
the heat and heat-related illnesses. Unfortunately, as the ridge begins to
shift eastward and heights build in over the southern U.S., areas of
hazardous heat will expand over central and eastern portions of the
country through this weekend. Portions of the northern and central Plains,
already hot this week, will continue to see intense heat in the upper 90s
to low 100s into the weekend, with some daily record-tying/breaking highs
possible. Hotter temperatures into the upper 90s will also begin to expand
over the Southeast Saturday, and then in the low to mid-90s across the
Midwest on Sunday. The threat from this heat will only expand and
intensify across the central/eastern U.S. heading into early next week,
and it will be important to monitor the latest forecast and
watches/warnings for your area as confidence is increasing in extremely
dangerous, potentially deadly heat for many of the urban areas across the
Southeast and along the East Coast.

A quasi-stationary frontal boundary draped along the East Coast will
continue to remain a focus for numerous showers and thunderstorms through

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Hi, this is meteorologist Steve Pelletier and I am the weatherman. Thanks for checking into weathermanpodcom on your Saturday, the 13th day of the month of July. So far this month temperatures have been above normal and it's going to get even worse. We're looking at the northeast corridor going into an excessive heat warning for Sunday through Wednesday of this week. We do see a frontal system arriving on Thursday that probably will set the temperatures back to closer to normal than its time of year, but so far through the month of June and the month of July it has been well above normal.

Speaker 1: 0:31

Takes me back to the time when I was spending some time in South Florida for a couple of weeks in early May. Early May in Fort Lauderdale and also in Fort Myers, the aurora borealis was seen in the predawn skies under dark skies that far south. What that means is that the sun has been very active and has been sending a lot of heat towards the earth, and that heat actually arrived during the mid-month of May into early June and the atmosphere, of course, which protects us, absorbed all that heat. But it is showing up in our temperature trends all across the nation and the globe. It's something that has happened because of solar activity at this point. Yes, if you take an area that was completely forested, take down the trees, put up concrete, it's going to make heat islands there. We're going to make heat areas there. Area that was completely forested take down the trees, put up concrete, it's going to make heat islands there. We're going to make heat areas there. If you take areas that are fields and then all of a sudden put down concrete, or macadam or blacktop, yes, it is going to make those places a little bit hotter. But at least when you're talking about large-scale changes like the very, very hot conditions that we've had so far the month of July across the nation and across the world for that matter, it has been solar for the most part, a local solar and a recent solar situation that has been causing all the successive heat.

Speaker 1: 2:00

In my opinion, weather-wise for the Northeast Carterter, it's just going to be a chance of showers and thunderstorms on saturday, especially in the early going, but probably clearing in the afternoon. The warm front goes through. High pressure sets in from dc up to the boston area. Excessive heat warnings will be in effect commencing sunday, lasting at least through wednesday. We do see a frontal system possibly moving through on thursday and friday and that will give us some temperatures that are a little bit closer to normal. Normal high should be around 85 to about 89, 90 degrees, depending upon where you're talking about it across the northeast corridor. But temperatures commencing Sunday and up through Wednesday will be in the mid to upper 90s and into the lower 100s. So very, very hot weather. Get set for that heat coming our way, weather-wise, across the nation.

Speaker 1: 2:47

If you are traveling across much of the nation, we see that the weather situation in Atlanta and Charlotte looking pretty good. Chicago will have some scattered showers. Of course New York in the early going on Saturday will have showers and thunderstorms, but the weather situation does improve. But there is a stationary front across the area. Eventually it pushes off to the east and we get into that heat that I was mentioning a little bit earlier. Dallas and Houston, san Antonio and also Austin also looking good, but hot.

Speaker 1: 3:15

The Four Corners area is still under the monsoons in Arizona, new Mexico, utah and Colorado and in California at at this point it does look like dry conditions along the california coast from san diego up to la and san francisco, but interior spots will have scattered showers and some thunderstorms. So much needed rainy weather in nevada and in eastern sections of california during the latter portion of saturday into sunday. Also dry up in portland and in the seattle area, but weather-wise for traveling, not major situations. As far as weather is concerned, maybe you might have some heavy thunderstorms around Minneapolis-St Paul. However, most other places will be workable and if they have delays, not because of the weather, most likely because of, well, either excessive heat or equipment or scheduling problems. Once again, I am meteorologist, steve Pelletierian, I am the weatherman. I hope you had a good day today and get set for that heat in the northeast corridor. It's going to be quite hot, commencing Sunday, lasting right up through at least Wednesday, maybe Thursday of this upcoming week in July. Talk to you first thing Sunday.