Not a fan of the big heat, well unfortunately it looks as if it is here too stay. If you really think about it we didn't really have a Spring in central Maryland. Essentially it was a jump from Winter to Summer. Looking back at the months of March and April we combined over 38 days with temperatures in the 30s, 40s, and 50s compared to only 9 days in the 70s & 80s. In that time frame we also managed 6.7" of snow with most of that amounts coming on the heels of our big coastal storm on March 21st.
We trade in the winter chill for a typical summertime regime with an area of high pressure stationed between the coastal Carolinas and Bermuda driving that heat pump our way. With this pattern in place many up and down I-95 get a true taste of Summer and a break from what seems like a Winter that would never stop. Temperatures hangout in the 80s and 90s with any storminess staying locked up west of the region.
Eventually though these weather patterns do breakdown with small cool-downs to near normal readings before more heat arrives. Long range models suggest this as we head into this weekend and over the next 8-14 days ahead. Even the one to three month outlooks suggest above average temperatures along with near normal too above average precipitation.
With all that said this is the time of year not only to thing about time outdoors but the dangers of heat. Time and time again it seems that we run a story on someone being left behind in a hot car whether it be a pet or child. It's simple "Look Before You Lock!!" Yes we live busy lives but it's easy to look in the backseat to see if you left anything behind. A temperature outside of 80 degrees can lead to temps above 100 degrees within 30 minutes inside a closed up car.
If your working outside take plenty of breaks and drink plenty of water. Avoid strenuous activity during peak heating hours and don't forget top check on those elderly friends and neighbors. Most of all any activity outside this time of year requires sunblock or sun protection from some sort of clothing. As we roll into Summer the sun angle gets higher in the sky which means the time to get a burn gets smaller. Avoid the burn and lather on SPF as Summer is here to stay!!
