The early night is the time from about 10 pm to 2 am. Typically, temperatures will continue to cool off during this time frame. This is a time where the atmosphere will often reset from being less stable to much more stable. The wind speeds tend to be lighter due to less mixing of air and stable air. Light wind also helps the temperature at the surface to further cool. When rain and storms occur during this time frame is often occurs from dynamic lifting mechanisms such as fronts. Instability tends to be less due to cooler temperatures, thus thunderstorms are not as common in this time frame. When thunderstorms do occur they will often be from a convective complex that has held together into the early night or from dynamic lifting such as from a cold front. The relative humidity typically increases during this time frame since the air temperature is cooling closer to the dewpoint. Dew or frost can begin to develop in this time frame if there is enough cooling and a high enough dewpoint. If a snow event occurs, this is a good time for the snow to accumulate since there is no solar radiation to melt the snow and the ground can continue to cool from longwave energy emission. |