The forecast for Southern New England is not working out particularly well on Friday. Clouds have been stubborn in RI and SE MA, leading to temperatures about 5° cooler than expected through midday. The slow-eroding clouds are one indicator that the end of summer is near. Keep in mind that the sun is at its highest point in the sky on the first day of summer, June 21. On August 30, the sun angle is comparable to about April 10. The lower sun angle and shorter day give the sun less oomph and less time to dry out the clouds overhead. On a day like this a few weeks ago with a west-southwest wind the temperature would have soared into the 80s under mostly sunny skies.
In hindsight, we may have been a little more cautious with our forecast and went for partly to mostly cloudy instead of partly to mostly sunny. It seems like every year there is a day that gives us a subtle reminder that the seasons are changing. It’s on those days that our Facebook “Fans” weigh in with their thoughts (overreactions) to a forecast that is off by a few degrees.
