Fall-like weather looks to stick around

Record breaking heat and extreme drought this summer will be on the minds of many for the next several months but it's nice to see a forecast a little more representative of fall-like weather.  Persistent high pressure during the month of July brought several days of 100 degree, or higher, heat across the mid-section of the country.  Unfortunately, this heat remains for some but for others a pattern change within the jetstream will bring a taste of fall by this weekend.  So, what's the cause for the cooler weather?

A high latitude blocking pattern near Greenland will occur and in turn this causes the jetstream to buckle and dip south across the Great Lakes.  A developing trough of low pressure in the middle of the atmosphere will also strengthen helping induce below average weather for many.  After a strong cold front moves through Thursday afternoon highs will drop nearly 10 degrees below the average.  As I mentioned before the average high for this time of year is in the low 80s and it looks like temperatures will only reach the low 70s; especially for Friday and Saturday.  These temperatures are more typical of what we would feel towards the middle and end of September.  Due to the strength of both the trough in the Great Lakes and ridge near Greenland it will be difficult to break this pattern which may allow the cooler weather to stick around through the end of August!