Perseids Are Peaking: Dobbs Ferry's Weekend Weather

DOBBS FERRY, NY — The Perseids will peak overnight Saturday and Sunday. Whether you'll be able to see them depends on weather conditions, and the forecast is for unsettled weather.

That means the sky could be clear in one part of the Hudson Valley for a couple of hours while it pours not far away. And then things will change. Sunday may be our best bet.

"So while every day says 'scattered showers'… we could see several dry periods within the period," said Alex Marra and Bill Potter of Hudson Valley Weather. Just remember that a Hazardous Weather Outlook has been issued, and be prepared.

At least the moon won't be a factor: it will only be a slim sliver of a crescent.

In normal years, the Perseids produce about 60 to 70 meteors an hour, and they're typically rich in fireballs.

To get the best views, find a dark sky. It may be your backyard if you live in a rural area; others may have to get a bit creative. If your state has dark sky preserves, plan to go there. We're in a major metropolitan area but we can still find areas suitable for meteor viewing.

There are plenty of places in the Hudson Valley where it's suitable. Just get away from street lights if you are in populated areas.

While both nights of the peak will be spectacular, look to Aug. 12-13 for the best meteor shower of 2018, NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke said. The meteors begin flying after midnight and continue into the predawn hours.

"This year the moon will be near new moon, it will be a crescent, which means it will set before the Perseid show gets underway after midnight," Cooke told Space.com. "The moon is very favorable for the Perseids this year, and that'll make the Perseids probably the best shower of 2018 for people who want to go out and view it."

Here's what the National Weather Service says now about the weekend weather in southern Westchester:

• Saturday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 76. Light north wind. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
• Saturday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 10pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 10pm and 2am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 67. Light east wind. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Sunday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 80. Northeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Sunday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.

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Photo caption: A Perseid meteor streaks across the sky above Inspiration Point early on Aug. 12, 2016, in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. The annual display, known as the Perseid shower because the meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus in the northeastern sky, is a result of Earth's orbit passing through debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle. Photo credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images.