If you're living in a van down by the river, your temperatures this afternoon are running some five to ten degrees cooler than they are across the northern and western suburbs. Southwest winds are slowing the temperature ascent across Philadelphia and parts of South Jersey today since that wind is blowing off of the Delaware River or Delaware Bay. Downsloping across Eastern Pennsylvania is boosting the temperatures across the Philly burbs in Pennsylvania. As a result, temperatures are warmer in Allentown at 2 PM than they are in Philadelphia. It's almost as warm in Scranton (69, not shown) as it is in Philly. Atlantic City is doing well in the temperature race but its sandy soil and its presence farther inland from the river, ocean, and bay are helping its case today.
In the grand scheme of things, today's first 70 of the year is nice -- but the river's presence is making it not quite as warm as it could be had the Airport been in say, Willow Grove or Blue Bell.
Needless to say, there will be some records approached or broached today -- Allentown, Reading, and Trenton to name three. We'll recap the warmth later this evening.
