Today's weather is a good reminder that we're lucky not to be living in our grandparent's New York. About a half-mile up in the atmosphere this morning is an inversion, where the temperature starts increasing with elevation. There's nothing particularly unusual about that, but it means the air below is trapped because it can't break through the stable layer of air above. In the mid-20th century, when New York was an industrial powerhouse and there were few pollution regulations, all the soot, smoke and whatever other crud factories were emitting would have been stuck near the ground for our breathing pleasure. Instead of a pollution event we're going to have mostly cloudy skies and a high in the upper 30s this afternoon.
Should we mention this evening's nor'easter? Oh, why not. There's a storm moving up the coast but it will stay far enough out to sea that we will feel only the glancingest of glancing blows. The storm will push a few clouds over the city but there's only a very slight chance of drizzle or flurries. Skies should clear overnight and tomorrow should start out sunny, but clouds will build as the day progresses and a cold front draws near. Before the front arrives we should warm to the upper 40s.
There's not much moisture with Saturday's front, so about all it will do is make for a cooler, cloudy Sunday. Look for a high in the lower 40s, which is just slightly below normal. Highs should bounce back to the upper 40s or lower 50s early next week before the next significant weather maker arrives.
