Monthly Archives: August 2018

Support Forecasterjack

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Hello everyone!
Thanks to the incredible generosity of a number of folks who enjoy reading the blog, I’ve been able to justify continuing to put the work in each morning to provide accurate weather information for Western Maine and New Hampshire. If you were part of that effort, thanks! I’ll plan to keep the forecasting up for the foreseeable future.
If you haven’t yet donated, but are interested, check out my Patreon page here. Even just a buck or two is hugely appreciated.
Last year I put the money raised on the Patreon page towards getting school supplies for the semester, as well as the adventures that keep my friends and I sane amidst the endless slog of homework and exams, including sunrise hiking in the Whites and a night spent up in the Catskills over fall break.
This year, with the cost of college steadily climbing, the money brought in by this project will go directly towards paying for college and all the expenses that are part of going to school. This includes tuition, fees, transportation to and from school, and textbooks. If all goes well, there might even be a few bucks left over for a pizza or two.
Many thanks again for everyone’s support both of Forecasterjack as a project, and of me as a student of meteorology!
-Jack

A Note On The Future Of Forecasterjack

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Hello everyone!

I’ve been posting weather forecasts here on forecasterjack.com since 2011. Since that time, the page has grown from a place to ramble about something 11-year-old me was casually interested in, to a dependable source of weather information for Western Maine and New Hampshire. Each morning, I work to bring you the most reliable forecast I can, communicated clearly and concisely. That takes effort on my part, and that effort is something I’ve been more than happy to put in.

That being said, I’m heading off to college at Cornell University this fall, and the workload associated with that education will mean I have to be a little more selective about what I choose to spend my limited time and energy on. That doesn’t mean that forecasterjack will be an impossible lift, but instead that to make it viable, it’s going to be important to get something out of it. Getting up an extra half hour-hour early to forecast weather a few hundred miles away for free isn’t something I’m going to be able to do. But if a few folks each pitch in a few bucks, and continuing to post means having enough spare change to buy my friends and me pizza on a Friday night, or put gas in the car to get to the ski mountain on a Saturday? That’s a tradeoff I’d be happy to make.

So if you’re willing to chip in a few bucks to keep these forecasts coming, please head on over to my Patreon page. If enough people chip in to make the continuation of posts worthwhile, I’ll keep posting each morning (or if I’m away, I will post a forecast a couple days in advance so you’re always informed).
Either way, I won’t be posting during the rest of August as I head off on an orientation hiking trip and get settled into life at Cornell. During that time, remain informed about the weather by heading on over to weather.us and typing your town into the search box on the homepage. The data comes straight from models, so it won’t be perfect, but then again my forecasts aren’t perfect either. Be sure to check out the “Forecast XL” and “Forecast Ensemble” options to compare different model forecasts for a sense of forecast uncertainty. If all the models agree, you can be pretty confident in their forecast. If the models don’t agree, take their forecast with a grain of salt.
Whether or not Forecasterjack continues this fall, I want to thank everyone who has read my forecasts on here over the past 7 (!) years. Your support and encouragement has helped me do what I do today, and I am extremely grateful. Working on this project has provided me with tons of inspiration, and has helped turn a casual childhood interest into a full fledged passion, complete with tons of plans for the future. Even if it doesn’t end up working out to continue posting daily updates this fall, I’ll keep the site up, and will send out a quick note if a particularly intense storm is heading towards Maine.
-Jack

Humidity Back On The Increase Today

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Hello everyone!

After a much-deserved few day break from the oppressive humidity that we suffered through last week, we’re unfortunately headed back into a tropical airmass as moisture continues to surge northward from the Gulf of Mexico, and adjacent parts of the tropical Atlantic. Dew points this morning are still reasonable, in the mid 60’s for most of the area, but by this evening, dew points will range from 65 in the north, to over 70 in the south, back into the “oppressive” range.

Along with the increase in humidity will come an increase in cloud cover, as well as an increase in precipitation chances. Satellite imagery shows plenty of sunshine across the area this morning, and high clouds just to our south/west. These high clouds will filter into the area this morning, resulting in a transition to overcast skies by lunchtime. Coastal fog will also continue, with only slightly improved visibility this afternoon. These clouds will help keep temps down in spite of the humidity, with highs ranging from 80 in areas northeast of Augusta to 70 in the White Mountains.

We’ll remain under the influence of strong high pressure in the Western Atlantic, so widespread shower/thunderstorm activity is not expected. However, a pop up shower or storm is possible late in the day across New Hampshire, with heavy rain being the primary threat.

Wetter weather is expected tomorrow.

-Jack