Wednesday, June 19, 2013 9:45 AM MDT Another quiet day for weather features on our Mexico Surface Chart. As a result most of the peninsula will rise to seasonal high temperatures as we approach the Summer Solstice. Just to our north a gale is whipping up in Southern California caused by a thermal Low over the deserts and the strong Pacific High to the west. Today will be the warmest day of the week ahead for the Pacific coastal areas of Baja California with clearing late, as Pacific moisture is driven inland. High's will be in the mid 70's (23°C) Inland, well there isn't much relief in site for Mexicali, 106°F/41°C today venturing toward 110°F/43°C by the weekend. Along the Sea of Cortez, San Felipe will have clear skies and temps in the mid 90's through next Wednesday, when they may see their first 100°F/38°C temperature. In Baja California Sur this will be the hottest day of the week, with a cooling trend of about 1°F per day through the middle of next week. In La Paz look for 102°F with crystal skies. Cabo San Lucas will see mid 90's through the week. Long range forecasts are calling for the chance of our first thunderstorms by the end of the next week. We could use the rain. Winds across the peninsula should remain light, under 10kts, from the SW through the 3 day forecast period, with the exception of local thermal conditions. Even the Coromuel Winds in the Bay of La Paz are slackening as temperature and pressure differences between the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific lessen.

In our Storm Watch we have nothing significant in our basin. The broad tropical wave dissipated and a weakening Low is moving safely off into the Pacific along the ITCZ well south of Cabo San Lucas. Tropical Depression 2 in the Gulf of Campeche is forecast to strengthn today into Tropical Storm Barry before making landfall on the Mexican mainland. The system poses no threat to Baja. No tropical formations in our basin are expected in the next 48hrs.

Solstice, Thursday, June 20th will be the longest day of the year and the Summer Solstice in Baja. The sun's direct angle will reach the Tropic of Cancer at 11:04PM MDT on June 20 (5:04UTC 6/21/13) Remember to protect yourself from the sun as the 23.5° latitude (23° 26'15.143") runs through the tip of Baja California Sur and these days present the greatest seasonal threat to your skin.