Brutal August Heat May Rival 2023? Debby Stalling Keeps Us Dry

 If my memory serves correct, August 2023 had 12 days that reached or exceeded 100 degrees.  An upper heat dome developed over the Southeast, and guess what Gang?  Like Arnold, it's back!  Looking at models for the next 10 days I see very little change that will bring us any relief.  The more days without rain & the drier the ground gets, the heat just gets worse.  Couple in the stalling of the remains of Debby to our east and you can see why we're going to stay hot & dry. We start with the upper water vapor showing all the dry air circulating around Debby.

Clearly, the main jet stream can be seen coming out of Colorado, streaking over Iowa across the Great Lakes into the Northeast.  Currently, Debby is cutoff from that flow.  Her stalling near Savannah keeps a northerly upper flow across the northern Gulf effectively blocking any tropical moisture/threat from coming our way.  So there is a positive to having the upper Heat Dome in place.  Better still, it appears the Saharan dust layer is proving to be a "cap" on Tropical Activity out over the MDR (Main Development Region).

NHC is still highlighting an area for development, but satellite views show me IF something does form, it's way south and will move across central America into the Pacific. Before I get to our local weather, let me look back at Debby. Despite being over very warm waters of the eastern Gulf, this storm never had any rapid intensification.  Her hurricane wind field was very limited (red) and she was way more a rain event.

Rain totals across Florida were 6-12" with a few locations exceeding 18".  The flood threat now is shifting into the Carolinas & towards the Northeast.

I'm sure all the network newscasts will have video on "extreme flooding" as Debby staggers towards New England.  Remember, there's lots of topography (Hills/valleys) that adds to the flooding threat.  Flooding won't be our issue for the next 7-10 days.  North of the frontal boundary, temps are almost chilly!

Debby's circulation will bring in some lower (drier) dew points that should allow morning lows to be more comfortable. But for the next couple of days, we're flirting with 100.

The lowering (less hot) of temperatures will come from the drier air filtering around Debby.  By the weekend, our lawns & gardens will be crying for rain.  Since I have so many (10+) potted plants, I'm on daily patrol.  Remember, if you are outside working or playing, you HAVE to stay hydrated.  Be safe & stay tuned!