Matching Record Highs! Also Planets At Dawn!!

That's right bloggers, The birds were out like crazy today enjoying the warm weather and the sunny skies for the most part of the afternoon!

We have much to talk about this evening bloggers. From this heat wave that seemed to come outta no where. To a new way to get up in the morning without coffee! ;) WHAT??? lol I'll get to that in just a minute.

First off take a look at the high I recorded in the Lafayette, area this afternoon.

Yes, the record high set on this very day back in 1979 was 88* degrees! We matched that high this afternoon with a recorded high in the Lafayette, area of 88.4* degrees! WOW! What a day! With a high today in the afternoon in the 80s and the humidity ranging between 60% and 77% we ended up seeing a heat index around 93* degrees! Just amazing.

Our average high for this time of year is right around 72* to 73* degrees. You can see we were running a good 15* degrees above average this afternoon.

You can see that warm front that has given way to all this warm humid weather in the chart above. So now the question is, "How long will this above average weather last?". Well, at this time it's looking like we could have at least one more day of this warmer, or dare I say "hotter" weather! Right now I'm looking for our highs to reach the upper 80s tomorrow (Wednesday). Yes, another day near 90* dergees!

Take a look at the 5 - Day Temperature Outlook map below from this weekend into next week.

So here's your weather break down below.

Quick Cast.....

Wednesday we will look for partly cloudy skies across the area with a slight chance of a few quick pop up showers / thunderstorms not out of the question! Highs will be hot in the upper 80s once again much like what we seen earlier this afternoon. Lows that night will be in the 60s around 64* degrees. Winds between 10 and 15 mph gusting to 20 mph possible.

Thursday we will look for partly cloudy skies off and on through out the day with again a slight chance of a few quick pop up showers / thunderstorms possible. Chance of rain 30%. Expect a high around 84* degrees with a low that night around 60* degrees. Winds between 10 and 15 mph.

Extended Outlook. We wont start to see temperature back around average / slightly below average again until closer to this weekend. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday highs will be back in the 60s and 70s.

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And lastly I have a treat for all you sky watchers in the area! Yes, I'm talking about the planets at dawn!

PLANETS AT DAWN: No coffee? No problem. To wake up any morning this week, all you need to do is look out the window. Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury are aligning in the eastern sky for a spectacular dawn conjunction. Mariano Ribas photographed the gathering on May 9th from his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina:

"It was an awesome morning with an unforgettable view: four planets packed in just a 7º piece of sky," says Ribas. "The very compact Venus-Mercury-Jupiter triangle was simply hypnotic. And Mars, below them, was faint but still clearly visible to naked eye. Marvelous planetary gathering, but the best is yet to come."

Indeed, on May 11th, Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in the Solar System, will converge to form a pair less than 1/2 degree apart. Set your alarm for Wednesday morning and begin the day with an eye-opener--no caffeine required.

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That's it for now bloggers. Have an awesome night and a great tomorrow!

God Bless!