Cool nights, warm afternoons

Temperatures the last couple of days haven't strayed too far from their typical August numbers; overnight lows in the upper 50s and low 60s with afternoon highs warming into the mid and upper 70s. While temperatures have been slightly below average the last couple of days, highs Tuesday warmed into the low 80s.

Under a clearing sky Tuesday night temperatures will dip into the middle to upper 50s. As our winds turn light, areas of fog are likely Wednesday morning. High temperatures Wednesday afternoon will warm back into the low 80s - near normal for mid-August.

The cool nights and warm afternoons will be common the next couple of days as northeast winds continue to pull down a drier air mass. This will leave dew point temperatures in the upper 50s and low 60s Wednesday and Thursday before a rise in moisture later in the week and weekend.

The drier air mass will also give us a bigger range in temperatures from the morning to afternoon, known as diurnal range. As the sun heats the atmosphere, air

molecules are able to move around more freely within the drier air, versus an air mass that is high in moisture. This, in turn, heats up the air faster - allowing temperatures to warm quickly and further from the morning starting point. It's also what allows the temperature to fall quickly at night. When the dew point temperature is high, the air molecules are less efficient in heating up keeping a small range in temperatures from morning to night.