The late season heat wave continues and drought is growing. Yes a heat wave this extreme is rare in September but certainly not unprecedented. We get 90s into October in some years, but what IS unusual is the length of the string of consecutive 90 days and having the hottest days of the summer come after July or August.

Having the hottest temperature of the summer come in September only happens 20% or LESS of the time.

Yesterday we tied a 2010 record Wednesday at 96F.

Today we probably break a 119 year old record high of 94 when we reach a high of 96/97 late this afternoon.

Temps are expected to back down closer to 90 this weekend but 90-95 next week IF we don’t get any tropical moisture.

This will be our 75th day with a high of 90 or higher this year. Last year the final 90 high of the year was on October 6th, the latest 90 on record is October 9th in 1941.

The most 90 degree days in a year on record is 90 so we may make a run at it after another couple weeks of above-normal temperatures on average.

At least SOME increase in badly needed rain is expected gradually over the next 5 days as fronts approach from the Northwest and moisture increases from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico associated with tropical systems we are monitoring. IF one or more of those systems tracks just West of or across Georgia then obviously temps would be cooler and rain more widespread (too soon to tell as two tropical systems are just forming now).

An upper level ridge of high pressure over the Southeast is responsible for the hot dry conditions:

What happens to that ridge will impact where any tropical storms or hurricanes will go.

DROUGHT MONITOR:

NHC 80% RED AND 40% ORANGE CHANCE OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION:

PAST WEATHER HISTORY THIS TIME OF YEAR:

EUROPEAN ENSEMBLE TROPICAL STORM PROBABILITIES:

Right now the spaghetti models are all over the place with the first system, with two clusters: one across the South tip of Florida and into the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and the other up near the East Coast.

ESTIMATED 5-DAY RAINFALL ACCUMULATION:

For more follow me on Twitter @MellishMeterWSB.