(WKBW-TV) BUFFALO, NY — It's report card time! Report card time for the climatological summer, that is, as we are now half way through that time frame, which runs June 1 to August 31.
If you thought it's been a warm one, you'd be correct. The numbers in the video clip say it all. In fact, through the half-way mark, it is the third warmest in Buffalo weather history, which dates back to 1873.
July has also been warm unto itself. With still more than a week and a half to go, the month is on track to rank among the top 10 warmest on record.
And as the old saying goes, "it's not the heat, it's the humidity.
Not only have we seen a warm climatological summer so far here in Western New York, but we've also seen more than our fair share of sultry days, where the air is rich with moisture. Dew point temperatures tell this tale.
You often see us use the "Muggy Meter" during our weathercasts. It looks like this.
Dew point represents the temperature to which the air must be cooled in order for it to reach saturation. The closer the air temperature is to the dew point, the closer the air is to the saturation point. When the air temperature and dew point are far apart, the air "feels" dry. When those two numbers are closer together, the air has a moist feel, and typically, either precipitation is taking place, or it's foggy.
When you see dew point numbers that are in the 50 to 60 degree range, particularly in the warmer weather months, like the climatological summer period we were discussing (June 1-August 31), it feels comfortable. If we're above the 65 degree mark, generally, that's when the humidity levels are noticeable.
I decided to look back on the climatological summer period to date to see how many days have featured dew points above 65 degrees. Here's what I came up with, per the IEM Data Plotter from Iowa.
Now, let's take a look at the probability of seeing those kinds of dew points in a summer season here in Buffalo. Note the shaded region in green representing lower percentiles and how that region intersects with dew points of 65 or greater.
Translated: It's been a stickier summer than usual, as well as a warmer one.
Enjoy the break from the heat and the humidity!
