Heat Dome Coming Back, Our Protection From Fiona...

After this brief Fall preview with comfy cool nights and warm, but not hot afternoons.  The last thing many of us want to do is to go back into the 90s.  But alas, that will happen thanks to the "Heat Dome" that fried us in June, will reform over Texas & Oklahoma early next week. Let me explain why getting hot again is a good thing for us.  We begin with the Tropics.

There still are several swirls out over the Atlantic, but NHC is focused on the western most one they have named Tropical Storm Fiona.   Th daylight views reveal most of Fiona's circulation is exposed with the T-Storm clusters blown well to the east by westerly upper wind shear.  NHC has kept their track almost identical to the ones from last night into this morning hinting a gradual turn to the north before impacting the U.S.  The GFS is farther to the east while the Euro brings it into Florida.

The reason Fiona can't come towards us is an upper heat dome is predicted to develop to our west early next week.  The bottom 2 graphics are the upper pattern for NEXT Tuesday.  The red colors show where the dome is.  Note the circulation around that blocking high.  IF Fiona doesn't make the turn and somehow goes into the SE Gulf next week, the flow will steer it down towards the Yucatan.  It will not be our problem.  We'll be sweating again, but it won't be because we're nervous about Fiona.

The Caribbean remains quiet while there is a flair up down in the Bay of Campeche.  NHC doesn't seem concerned, nor should we.

You can still see the smoke plumes over the eastern U.S. from the western fires, where some showers are helping firefighters contain them. There is still plenty of warm air across the nation with only the Northeast and Rockies feeling Fall-like.

Satellite views have the moisture boundary well off our coast, but that will gradually change as we head into the weekend.  Note the 70+ dew points returning at Brownsville.

As we approach the Fall Equinox (Sept.22), temperatures will still be very summer-like.  I don't see another real cold front before NEXT weekend, not this one.  Sorry, but I'd rather be protected from Fiona.  We can endure another 10 days of heat.  Stay tuned