Can't wait to get to baltimore--No Snow in May (Ocean City: smog, transplants)

[ByeByeDenver]

I just can't wait to get to Baltimore in July...Woke up this morning May 1st and sure enough, about 1" of snow in Denver, not in the mountains, but downtown. For those who don't know Colorado, Denver is about 1 1/2 hours East of any mountan ranges. Granted, none of that is really sticking to the streets becasue yesterday it was in the 70s so the streets are still warm enough to melt the snow upon contact. It looks like Baltimore today is at a nice 57 degress, can't wait.

[jonjj]

Actually it's in the 60s today. But, we have been having nice weather with needed rain.

[CHIP72]

I've always said Denver has really strange weather. It is like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by CHIP72

I've always said Denver has really strange weather. It is like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get.

Which is the beauty of it to some of us!

[baltimore's best]

Originally Posted by ByeByeDenver

I just can't wait to get to Baltimore in July...Woke up this morning May 1st and sure enough, about 1" of snow in Denver, not in the mountains, but downtown. For those who don't know Colorado, Denver is about 1 1/2 hours East of any mountan ranges. Granted, none of that is really sticking to the streets becasue yesterday it was in the 70s so the streets are still warm enough to melt the snow upon contact. It looks like Baltimore today is at a nice 57 degress, can't wait.

You'll love Baltimore in July. The weather's perfect!

[CHIP72]

Originally Posted by baltimore's best

You'll love Baltimore in July. The weather's perfect!

It is if you like sweat pouring off your body continuously.

[wavehunter007]

Originally Posted by ByeByeDenver

I just can't wait to get to Baltimore in July...Woke up this morning May 1st and sure enough, about 1" of snow in Denver, not in the mountains, but downtown. For those who don't know Colorado, Denver is about 1 1/2 hours East of any mountan ranges. Granted, none of that is really sticking to the streets becasue yesterday it was in the 70s so the streets are still warm enough to melt the snow upon contact. It looks like Baltimore today is at a nice 57 degress, can't wait.

I just would like to point out a few things - as I know moving can be expensive, time-consuming, and inconvenient. I think it’s important to have a full picture of the difference between the climate of the mountain West, and the humid East Coast. I work as a climate/geo mapper for a marketing company, and as such - I have a background in climate science.

I have been struck how people from the Western states have such a difficult time handling the humidity on the East Coast. Recently a young girl my wife works with who is a CA transplant - in an almost comical way – complains about the humidity nonstop, especially in summer. Since I work for a company that creates maps for climate, marketing, tax……etc,…. I thought I would show you an interesting map. I think we (on the East Coast) forget how dry the West is….or how humid the East can be to people not accustomed to it.


A quick basic guide is…

RH – 30 to 40……….very dry.
RH - 40 –55…………comfortable/considered ideal.
RH - 56 to 60…. …….becoming humid.
RH - 61 to 64…. ……..humid/ everopation low
RH - 65 and over ……sultury, tropical/air saturated, little or no cooling power.




In the typical summer months, most of the Western United States enjoys dry air with an RH that has a significant amount of cooling power. In Denver, for instance, on an 83 F day in July……the RH is around 48%. So most people will feel quite comfortable. Even along the Pacific coast - from CA right up to WA, a comfortable RH of only 50 % is enjoyed. So a 78 F day in LA, feels quite nice. This, thanks to the cool dry Canadian air that moves parallels from north to south down the West Coast, and the generally northwesterly flow over the mountain West in summer. In short, the western states enjoy a dry flow.

The East Coast is not nearly so lucky. As summer advances - the southerly flow of the building Azores/Bermuda High pumps hot and humid air from the deep tropics toward the Eastern Seaboard. From Connecticut south to Florida, west through the Gulf States - RH values of around 65 % - 70% often prevail. A temp of 90 F in Baltimore (rather common in summer) with a RH of 70 % has a THI (temperature –humidity index) of about 119 F. This combined with common thundershowers which develop in the humid tropical air – may make people from the West may feel like they are in a hot shower

Summer heat, humidity, and the oppressive, showery nature of summer in the Middle Atlantic States closely resembles that of a tropical wet climate. For example the July mean temperature at Belem (in the Amazon Valley) is 78 F,….. with 5.0 inches of rainfall…..and an average RH of 70%. The July mean temperature of Baltimore, MD is 77 F…….with 4.8 inches of rainfall……and an average RH of 68%. Daytime highs in both places are in the lower 90’s and often reach 100 F. Air like this has almost no cooling power. CHIP72’s comment is well founded, and precisely correct. Maryland and Virginia reassemble a humid lowland tropical climate in summer – far different than the often clear, cool, high altitude climate of Denver.

Also, unlike Colorado and the West - nighttime gives little relief from the oppressive heat and humidity. There is little nocturnal cooling because of the excessive humidity and cloud cover, unlike the West, which has more clear skies at night. Summer nights on the East Coast are not the cool, clear affair they tend to be in the West.

You’re coming from the one of the driest parts on the USA mainland – to the most humid section of the country. Be ready for humidity, heavy rainfall, moisture, fog, steam, thunderstorms, tropical storms…..well you get the idea. I guess the best geographic analogy – would be if you moved from dry, Madrid, Spain………and moved to humid, monsoon Shanghai, China (lol).

You’ll come to have a great respect for the invention called the ‘air conditioner”.

Good Luck!

[nelumbo]

Originally Posted by wavehunter007

Summer heat, humidity, and the oppressive, showery nature of summer in the Middle Atlantic States closely resembles that of a tropical wet climate. For example the July mean temperature at Belem (in the Amazon Valley) is 78 F,….. with 5.0 inches of rainfall…..and an average RH of 70%. The July mean temperature of Baltimore, MD is 77 F…….with 4.8 inches of rainfall……and an average RH of 68%. Daytime highs in both places are in the lower 90’s and often reach 100 F.

To nitpick, it should be noted that Belem is in the deep tropics just south of the equator, and July is in its "drier" season. During the "wetter" season, Belem receives more than 10 inches of rain per month. Deep tropical locations have very, very stable temperatures and I would be surprised if Belem had even all time record high temperatures in the triple digits F. The midatlantic is humid and sticky in summer, yes, but the equatorial tropics has got the dial cranked to 11...

Dew points are even better than RH for determining comfort. Generally, stickiness sets in with dewpoints in the 60s, and the very sticky muggy conditions for dewpoints in the 70s.
USATODAY.com - Weather answers: Dew point vs. relative humidity
In the summer in Denver, the dewpoints may briefly skirt into the 50s, but hardly ever any higher than that, and they can fall into the teens or below on some days (there are also altitude effects). It is common to see dewpoints in the 60s and 70s on the east coast in summer.

I grew up in Maryland (withOUT A/C), and I love the thick warm summer nights with air you could carve with a spoon. The year-round cold nights in the Denver area is one of the things that I dislike most about the area. But I'm weird and would love to retire to Samoa someday (lets talk dewpoints in the 80s! mmmm, tasty tasty humidity).

[wavehunter007]

Originally Posted by nelumbo

To nitpick, it should be noted that Belem is in the deep tropics just south of the equator, and July is in its "drier" season. During the "wetter" season, Belem receives more than 10 inches of rain per month. Deep tropical locations have very, very stable temperatures and I would be surprised if Belem had even all time record high temperatures in the triple digits F. The midatlantic is humid and sticky in summer, yes, but the equatorial tropics has got the dial cranked to 11...

Dew points are even better than RH for determining comfort. Generally, stickiness sets in with dewpoints in the 60s, and the very sticky muggy conditions for dewpoints in the 70s.
USATODAY.com - Weather answers: Dew point vs. relative humidity
In the summer in Denver, the dewpoints may briefly skirt into the 50s, but hardly ever any higher than that, and they can fall into the teens or below on some days (there are also altitude effects). It is common to see dewpoints in the 60s and 70s on the east coast in summer.

I grew up in Maryland (withOUT A/C), and I love the thick warm summer nights with air you could carve with a spoon. The year-round cold nights in the Denver area is one of the things that I dislike most about the area. But I'm weird and would love to retire to Samoa someday (lets talk dewpoints in the 80s! mmmm, tasty tasty humidity).

You absolutely correct……….

Belem is located at 1.2 South, and the December - April period is the wetter season. Of course at that latitude - there is no really dry season, and July has 5.7 inches or rain, June 6.9 inches…etc. The record high in Belem is 101 F in 1999, but you are also correct – daytime highs rarely reach the triple digits in the deep tropics. In the tropics, it is not the hot temperatures (although still hot)………….. but the rather the uniformity and monotony of hot weather, slight air movement, intense light, and sultry humidity with low cooling power, that saps some people’s energy. I used Belem and Baltimore to just show how tropical the East Coast is in high summer. I think folks in the West are not always aware of that.

As far as dew points, you are correct, they are just as good at showing how high the humidity is on hot days. However, some meteorologist’s think they don’t give weight to evaporation rates – which of course are a big part of staying cool for humans. At low relative humilities (like Colorado and much of the West), evaporation is rapid, and a human in motion who sweats will dry (a cooling process) much quicker………than at high relative humilities (like in tropical regions or the Gulf, and East Coast in summer) evaporation slows way down, a person in motion feels even hotter as warm sweat covers their body without evaporating.

As far as enjoying the humidity and summers on the East Coast – I with you there – I too love the warm and humid days and nights of an East Coast summer. I spent a summer on the CA coast (Santa Barbara) and was “shocked” how cool it was and how freezing cold the ocean was. Despite common perceptions - if you like the beach ( I do, I surf, sit in sun…etc), the West Coast may have bigger more constant waves – but the water is freezing cold, the immediate coast is coolish, and the ski is often gray and smoggy in summer. A month after I got back from CA and 54 F water temps and 66 F air temps, I went to Ocean City, MD………..the water was 76 F and the air temp was 93 F. In summer - the East Coast feels like you are in some tropical country like Thailand: everything is green, it’s humid, everyone is tan, thunder is heard in the distance……… it feels like what the “hot season” should feel like. On much of the central and northern CA coast the water and air are just too cold in summer for me.

I guess my main point to Western transplants was the East Coast has humid tropical summers, emphasis on the word “HUMID”. This is no place for someone who likes a dry, cool night, summer climate (lol). In short, when summer invades the East Coast……..it invades big time (lol).

Cheers.

[nelumbo]

I guess my main point to Western transplants was the East Coast has humid tropical summers, emphasis on the word “HUMID”. This is no place for someone who likes a dry, cool night, summer climate (lol). In short, when summer invades the East Coast……..it invades big time (lol).

I completely agree The summers in Denver feel...weak and thin with the low humidity, it just doesn't have much "ooomph". I want summer to smother you, by the time August rolls around it should feel like it has always been hot, is always hot, and will always be hot. Summers in the MidAtlantic do that very well.