Welcome to the start of the Atlantic hurricane season

In addition to today - Monday - being the first day of meteorological summer (see Sunday's blogpost) it also marks the official beginning of the Atlantic basin's hurricane season. Defined as the period June 1st through November 30th, this is the climatological time of year when tropical weather system development is most likely. Here is this year's seasonal outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):

Of course, these numbers are probabilities and aren't hard and fast or set in stone. Nor does this outlook have any bearing on whether (or how many) storms will affect land. Moreover, it only takes one storm to cause destruction from winds or flooding across a given area.

Meanwhile, a cold front will push through Mecklenburg County later this morning. Mostly sunny skies will prevail, but there could be a stray shower or two this afternoon. Temperatures will climb from this morning's lows near 60º to a daily high in the low 80s.

Local thermometer readings will sag into the mid- and upper 50s by dawn Tuesday. Tomorrow then looks to be sunny with a northeasterly breeze. Afternoon highs will top out in the mid-70s, a few degrees below the average for the beginning of June.