AIR MAIL
Where today’s air came from
The air arriving over Manalapan about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the western Atlantic three days ago, and over New England a day ago, about 1,460 miles back along its path. The nine paths traced from around the city fan out, so treat that as a best guess. It rose from near the ground on the way. Near the ground the air came from the North Atlantic; at 10,000 feet, from the western Atlantic. Air off the water carries moisture, which is why it feels humid. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses and the GFS beyond them, nine paths at each of three heights.