Published: July 03, 2008 08:28 am         

Weather Watch

By MARK HANOK

Each day during the past week featured better weather than most local weather forecasts indicated. That’s because most of the showers and thunderstorms shifted southward, with a series of upper-level lows and a northwest flow aloft.

During the long Fourth of July weekend, a stationary front, not far to the south and east, will keep most of the humid air and showers and thunderstorms across the mid-Atlantic states northward to southeastern New York, while we enjoy beautiful summer weather. On the Fourth of July, as a weak cold front moves to the south, skies will be partly sunny, with moderate levels of humidity and highs from 75 to 80 degrees; afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms will most likely stay to the south.

On Saturday, skies will be partly to mostly sunny with low humidity; once again, showers and thunderstorms will develop in the more humid air from central Pennsylvania to the lower Hudson Valley and southern New England.

As high pressure builds eastward to the Great Lakes, Sunday will feature mostly sunny skies and highs in the low 80s.

Beautiful weather will continue on Monday, with partly sunny skies and highs from 80 to 85 degrees. A southerly flow ahead of another cold front will bring more humid air on Tuesday, with a mix of clouds and sunshine, and the chance of a shower or thunderstorm in the afternoon or evening; highs will be in the mid-80’s.

Mark Hanok is an Otego based meteorologist. You can visit him on the World Wide Web at http://members. aol.com/weathergazette.