A building ridge of high pressure will send our temperatures soaring as we head into the weekend. Sunny skies and light winds for Thursday will help the high temperatures into the mid-70s, and by Friday, a record high temperature near 80 degrees will likely be reached. A very weak system will pass by to our north late Saturday into Sunday, which will bring some clouds and a slight chance of a shower early Sunday, and will slightly cool things off, but the highs will still remain 10 or more degrees above average.

As a follow-up to yesterday’s discussion on the equinox, Mike Walker asks: “Every season, such as when spring came, you mention the time that a certain season arrives. What formula is used to determine that?  Is it mathematical?  If so, is it algebra, or calculus?  Is the time the season is to begin originating with the National Weather Service, or is the time the seasons change regional?” It is a calculated number, so math does come into play…and if I had to say what branch of math I’d say geometry plays the biggest role. Tomorrow, I’ll explain how they come up with the times.