After a breakneck warm-up, we had a monsoonal drenching this afternoon. Amidst the wind damage from gusts of 50+, we had flooded intersections and lots of ponding on the roads. It was no coincidence that the strong winds went hand in hand with the heavy rain. Part of the reason the rain was so intense was because the air was being lifted so rapidly by the wind.
Thankfully, a swift-moving jet stream punched the storm offshore before it had time to get really nasty around here. That same jet stream is also going to clear the skies tonight and send a high pressure system our way to settle down the winds overnight.
With clearing, comes the colder air. Not a hard smackdown of cold, mind you, but a slow drop through the night. Temperatures will fall to near or below freezing in many spots, so watch the steps and stoops in the morning. Roads should dry and be good to go for the morning thanks to the steady wind through the night.
With all the action over the last couple of days, we're ready for anything in the forecast. Instead, Mother Nature lobs us a softball with sunshine and reasonable temperatures through Thursday.
Our next worry is a brewing storm next week. Right now, odds favor a wet weather system, but I'm not about to call it just yet. Plenty of things will play out into the weekend that will give us a clearer picture of what's to come.
