Our next season begins Tuesday morning with the autumnal equinox. The sun's rays cross over the equator and head south for the winter. This occurs at 9:31 a.m. Tuesday and marks the beginning of decreasing daylight each day and a lower sun angle.
We have had a cool fall-like stretch so far this week, but our temperatures will actually increase through the next several days.
Hurricane Teddy continues to churn up the ocean as it heads north. The storm makes its closest pass tomorrow about 300 to 400 miles east of us. As it does, the pressure difference from high pressure over New England, and the low-pressure system in the Atlantic, will increase wind gusts after midnight and through Tuesday evening. Forty to fifty-mile-per-hour gusts from the north are likely, and inland we will see 20-40 mph winds.
The gusty winds will increase wildfire risks and could create more damage than usual with the drought-stricken trees and branches. Waves increase to 5-15 feet offshore, and since we have an astronomical high tide Tuesday mid-afternoon, we will see minor coastal flooding and beach erosion. The waves decrease for the end of this week.
High temperatures will be in the low 70s to mid and upper 70s by the end of this week with another dry stretch. Another thing we will notice is the wildfire smoke from out west, arriving here by this evening and lingering over us through midweek.
Highs this weekend will be in the mid-70s with both dry days. Our next best chance for rain could be next week, with a cold front tapping into some tropical moisture and carrying it northeast. We will keep our fingers crossed that this rain chance doesn't decrease as the week goes on.
