Weekend! And happy vacation to me.  It seems like an anti-climatic end to a very busy week as my vacation gets underway. I feel like I’m leaving so many ends untied as I leave Albany, but I realize I’m leaving things in good hands.

I’m sure it will be a pretty good adventure. The past two weeks have been hellish, but as Bob Dylan once said, use your rear view mirror sparingly. The Finger Lakes will be nice, as will be Pennsylvania and the Great Lakes, assuming I make it that far west. A lot depends on the weather but I hope to have analog of summer vacation 2015. 

Today was a pretty hot day. Partly clear and 88 degrees in Albany. There is a west-southwest breeze at 9 mph. The dew point is 70 degrees. The heat index is still 94. I took the bus up and down the State Street hill because it was much to hot to climb it. 

Tonight will have isolated showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. Some of the storms could produce small hail and gusty winds. Partly cloudy tonight with a low of 67 degrees at 5am. Four degrees above normal. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Maximum dew point of 70 at 6pm. The record low of 45 occurred back in 1981. The sun will set at 8:24 pm with dusk around 8:57 pm, which is 54 seconds earlier than yesterday. Waning Gibbous Moon tonight with 80% illuminated. The moon will rise around 9:49 pm. The Last Quarter Moon is on Tuesday with mostly clear skies expected. The Full “Strugeon” Moon is on Thursday, August 18th.

Tomorrow will continue to have some scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5pm. Some of the storms could produce small hail and gusty winds. Sunny, with a high of 89 degrees at 3pm. Seven degrees above normal. West wind 7 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Maximum dew point of 65 at 8am. Hot but somewhat less humid then today. The record high of 96 was set in 1955. 

Somewhat less humid on Sunday. Look for sunny conditions, with a high near 88. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph. Maximum dew point of 61 at 6am. Typical average high for the weekend is 83 degrees.

In four weeks on August 19 the sun will be setting at 7:49 pm, which is 35 minutes earlier then today. The average high is 80 degrees, and the record for that date is 92 degrees was set back in 1899.

Almost home. To do tonight:

1. Dinner
2. Laundromat 
3. Pack
4. Maybe evening walk 
5. Maybe pick up some groceries

I want to get an early start tomorrow.