Summer Chills Out
Think it feels good now? It gets even better late this month into the beginning of August. This is remarkable considering the last few days of this month into the first week of August is typically the hottest time of the year according to the 30 year averages. We reach our peak with an average high of 93° and an average low of 74°. Normally, we have a hot ridge of high pressure in the region putting a lid on most storm development and keeping the more comfortable air well north of the state and sometimes well up into Canada. Instead, the ridge will build over the western United States and this will send a trough downstream into the central and eastern United States delivering an air mass which will not be too hot and not too humid. In the winter, this pattern would deliver very cold air.
We have had 2, 100° days so far this summer and the average is 7. I do not see any 100 degree days for at least the next 2 weeks. It will get quite warm and steamy late this week ahead of the transition. While heat index temperatures will likely exceed 100 degrees, the actual air temperature will rise into the mid and upper 90s.
Whenever you get this sort of transition, you must watch for thunderstorms and some of those thunderstorms can be strong to even severe. Let's watch late next weekend for this. It's long range and the timing and specifics will need to be fine tuned.
