Hillery Maximilian, health and safety program manager for J.H. Maxymillian Inc., checks on the safety of a work crew on Tyler Street in Pittsfield this week.
Hillery Maximilian, health and safety program manager for J.H. Maxymillian Inc., checks on the safety of a work crew on Tyler Street in Pittsfield this week.
The heat bakery is firing on high this weekend and into Monday, when a cooler Canadian airmass should restore near normal temperatures to the Berkshires.
After highs of 90 at Pittsfield Municipal Airport on Wednesday and Thursday, the warm spell eased off a bit Friday.
But what may be a mostly rain-free weekend shapes up as extremely uncomfortable, with humidity rising and temperatures nearing or exceeding record levels Saturday and especially Sunday.
The record high for July 23 is 92, set in 1955 at the National Weather Service’s airport station in Pittsfield; for July 24, it is 89, recorded in 2001.
Source: National Weather Service and AccuWeather.com forecasts for Berkshire County.
“Sunday has the potential to be a record-breaking hot day,” according to government forecaster Brian Frugis in Albany. “In fact, a lot of things are lining up to be one of the hottest days within the last decade.”
He cited a high-pressure heat dome over the western Atlantic, pumping tropical air into the Northeast. Sunday could see Albany top the 100-degree mark for the first time in nearly 60 years.
On Monday, as cooler air slowly pushes into the region, dislodging the heat dome, there’s a potential for severe thunderstorms as the atmosphere destabilizes. After two days of more pleasant weather, storms could return to the area Thursday.
The extended outlook through Aug. 4 indicates above-normal temperatures are likely to continue in western Massachusetts, along with near-normal rainfall.
DROUGHT UPDATE: So far this month, Berkshire County has received only half of the normal rainfall, and the deficit extending back to mid-May is equally dramatic. The U.S. Drought Monitor expanded its moderate drought from eastern into central portions of the county, while western sections remain abnormally dry.
Much of Massachusetts is in more dire straits, according to the state’s Drought Emergency Management Task Force.
While western areas, Cape Cod and the Islands remain in a low-level mild drought, the task force reported this week, there’s a critical drought now in the Northeast and central regions, while the Connecticut Valley and Southeast areas remain in a less severe though significant drought category.
“As the state endures high temperatures and little precipitation, now more than ever it is critical that we all practice water conservation methods,” Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beth Card said in a statement. “Minimizing water use now will allow local water supply systems and natural habitats to rebound more quickly, and will also ensure water resources are available for essential needs, such as drinking water and fire protection.”
Emergency management officials warn people to be careful with outdoor grills and campfires.
Other impacts include drying-out stream beds and ponds, leading to increase in growth of plants and algae in the water.
Groundwater is starting to be affected in many regions, state officials noted.
Farms are being forced to irrigate crops more often due to heat, lack of rainfall and low soil moisture. Minimal impacts to seasonal yields are expected, but this could change if drought conditions worsen.
NATIONAL OVERVIEW: This weekend, a searing heat wave will scorch much of the Heartland, the mid-South and the East Coast, with a high risk of severe storms in the Midwest on Saturday.
Sizzling temperatures should push highs past 100 in the Midwest and Central Plains, with record highs possible from the central Rockies to the Northeast, according to the government’s Weather Prediction Center. There’s a strong risk of damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes in the upper Mississippi Valley, including the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.
The heat wave peaks on Sunday when the Northeast sees the return of oppressive humidity levels combined with upper 90s.
Early next week, the core of the intense heat shifts to the south-central U.S. — with widespread highs near or above 100 — and builds across interior sections of the Pacific Northwest, where records of daytime highs and warm overnight lows may be set.
Monsoon showers and thunderstorms will develop each day with heavy downpours potentially leading to areas of flash flooding in parts of eastern Arizona, southern Colorado and most of New Mexico.
The Outlook is today's look ahead at the weather this weekend and next week, including its impact on the Berkshires and beyond.
Clarence Fanto can be reached at cfanto@yahoo.com.
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