Enjoy the mild weather today as the heat will be back with a vengeance this weekend. The temperature will climb to the low 80s this afternoon under clear blue skies. The surface high pressure system that's brought us the very pleasant weather moves eastward, and that's going to bring serious heat to the region. The warm up (and, coincidentally, the Warm Up) begins tomorrow when the high will reach the upper 80s.
The real heat arrives on Sunday. By that time an upper level ridge will anchor itself along the East Coast. Combined with high pressure at the surface that will allow for an extended period of hot weather and no clouds. Highs will range from the mid 90s on Independence Day to the upper 90s, especially in Manhattan and the Bronx, by mid-week. It looks like the heat will last at least through next Thursday. With the lack of rain these last couple of weeks the parks are very dry. Don't be setting them on fire with your fireworks on Sunday.
Looking back, last month was the fourth warmest June ever recorded in Central Park. It was also the fourth straight month to be in the top ten, something that hasn't happened since Nov 2001-Feb 2002. Tricky trivia question: Since records began in 1869 what has been the longest streak of top ten months in Central Park and when did they happen?
