Like the prodigal son, summer weather returned to Baltimore yesterday after a long, lamented absence. And its warm, humid embrace came just in the nick of time.
The summer solstice -- the season's official beginning (or more scientifically, the moment the northern hemisphere is tilted most directly toward the sun) is 4: 20 a.m. today.
Yesterday's high temperature of 94 degrees in downtown Baltimore (90 degrees at Baltimore-Washington International Airport) was practically overdue after one of the coolest springs on record. For most of the day, humidity hovered around 50 percent, making it seem even hotter.
But with the heat and humidity came a seasonal bane: air pollution. The state Department of the Environment declared a "Code Red" health advisory for the Baltimore region yesterday, a first for this year.
After high levels of ground-level ozone were detected at monitoring stations in Fort Meade, Fair Hill and north of Aberdeen by late afternoon, officials advised children, the elderly and people with heart or respiratory ailments to limit their time outdoors.
A Code Red advisory has also been forecast for today.
Such a typical Baltimore summer weather pattern -- hot, humid and unhealthy air -- seemed almost startling after a relatively mild winter and cool spring. Last month, for instance, high temperatures were more than 4 degrees below average.
"We didn't have much spring, but now we've entered summer and we may be there for a while," said William F. Ryan, a University of Maryland meteorologist. "It's like living in the Midwest."
Across the region, the return of sultry weather was a balm to summer-philes who needed some time in the defrost cycle. For the first time in memory, Baltimore's opening of its 24 municipal pools -- scheduled for Sunday -- didn't seem overdue.
On the other hand, the heat provoked a slew of illegally opened fire hydrants along city streets. Public works crews found 42 Thursday and 32 by midafternoon yesterday, more than twice the summer average, raising concerns about safety.
While youngsters may enjoy running through water from open hydrants, it reduces water pressure, a critical problem if
a fire develops nearby. As an alternative, city Neighborhood Service Centers are offering to lend sprinkler attachments -- although relatively few have been put in place.
"It's going to be another week before we have sprinklers," said Kurt L. Kocher, a city Public Works Department spokesman. "The neighborhoods are still getting organized."
