Tropics Are Scary Quiet...

A lot was made about the fast start to this year's hurricane season with 6 named storms before mid July.   What you haven't heard is how quiet GLOBALLY the Tropics have been.    The ACE Index is under half of normal and get this, there are zero, none, nada Hurricanes or Tropical Storms on the Planet today according to Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel.  To me that's stunning as by mid July there should be at least several systems churning in the Pacific.  

 

Now don't read too much into the current quiet trend since we are still 2 weeks away from the heart (Aug-Sept) of the season and I expect things to ramp up in another 3-4 weeks.  It would be nice to see this quiet trend continue.

 

Locally some storms have fired off along the lake breeze front on both sides of the Lake and also along the Mississippi beaches.  Notice how their temps are much cooler.

 

On the surface map, high pressure (Bermuda Ridge) remains over the southern Gulf with westerly winds across the northern Gulf.  That will slowly change during the week with tropical easterlies arriving later this week bringing and increase in our daily clouds and showers.  That should make it less hot.

Slightly lower dew points are just to our north, but they will not come here as we stay in the high humidity.  Finally, for you sky lovers...

SKY & TELESCOPE magazine tells me we might be able to see a comet in the night sky for the next week.    For more details, Google Sky & Telescope.  Stay tuned!