Wx Question - Where is the haze?

[Skip Miller]

New York Metropolitan area broadly defined (100 mile radius). I have lived here on and off for most of my life. Always in the summer we could count on "triple H" weather (Hot, Humid, and Hazy) in the summer especially when there was a strong Bermuda High - a high pressure area loosely centered on Bermuda, blocking the normal west to east flow of weather systems.

Over the last week, we have had "double H". Temperatures approaching 90 every day, and dewpoints of 70* F. But no haze! I was up yesterday and the viz was easily 15 miles, and it has been like this for about a week. Not that I am complaining about the viz! Instead, what am I missing? My weather knowledge is primitive compared to some, but I am not really ignorant of the weather either. This one has me stumped. Where is the northeast's usual "flying inside a milk bottle" VMC?

-Skip

 

[Shepherd]

Had the same experience on Friday. Hot, humid and terrific visibility.
Not complaining, Boss, just reporting it as I experienced it.

 

[skidoo]

Holy cow! 15 miles visibility, I don't like when visibility gets that poor!

 

[pmanton]

That's VFR minimums in AZ

 

[Skip Miller]

Thanks, rub it in all of you! I can take the good natured ribbing but the question was serious. Why can't I see the milk bottle at 6nm? Where'd it go? Can this be predicted?

-Skip

ps: There is a pretty good line of CBs coming through central/eastern PA right now that could hit our area. I'll welcome a change from this 90/70 (temp/dewpoint) weather.....

 

[RV10flyer]

Take a look at your nearest Skew-T from 2-3 days ago. Usually we have an inversion present around 850 mb which traps moisture and haze aerosols in the shallow boundary layer while cleaner, drier conditions persist aloft. Tropical air lacks a strong low-level subsidence inversion and has some instability through a comparatively deep layer. Haze that may be present is mixed through that deeper layer and made less dense. The air out of the South is also originating from a source region containing less pollution.

After a few days of haze build up, we can go out when it first begins to rain and it burns us precious.

 

[skidoo]

Perhaps it is not as humid as usual. 90 temp and 70 dew point calculates to only about 50% RH..

 

[ClimbnSink]

Wayne's explanation makes sense. Jumping in the area all summer would climb though the haze smog line usually around 6 thousand. Clear blue skies above, nasty, smoggy haze below.

 

[Skip Miller]

Perhaps it is not as humid as usual. 90 temp and 70 dew point calculates to only about 50% RH..

Negative on this. 70* dewpoint is very high for this corner of the country.

-Skip