Thursday, August 4 Update

First of all, I apologize for the lack of updates over the past couple of weeks.  It's just been too hot to blog. (Not really, but I don't have any other excuses.) 

Speaking of heat, yesterday was the hottest and most oppressive day of the summer for many communities.  Check out these high temperatures and peak heat index readings from yesterday:

• Poplar Bluff:  104/126
• Cape Girardeau:  103/116
• Paducah:  99/117
• Carbondale:  98/113

Thankfully, a weak cold front slipped through most of the area, bringing a temporary break from the extreme heat for a day or two.  This front also was responsible for an isolated thunderstorm that brought damaging wind gusts to Clinton, KY and parts of Henry Co., TN.

Looking ahead, the key player in our weather picture for the next several days will continue to be this frontal boundary, which is currently stalled across the Mid-South....roughly along or just south of I-40.  The slightly cooler and drier air on the north side of the front will linger over the Local 6 area through tomorrow, along with a small chance of showers or t'storms as weak ripples of energy ride along the front.  By Friday night and Saturday, the front will begin lifting north once again, bringing a return to hotter and more humid conditions for the weekend...as well as a continued small chance of rain.  Then, by the first of next week, a little more substantial shortwave trough will dive in from the northwest, pushing the front back to the south.  This will lead to another minor break in the heat and humidity for the first half of next week, as well as more small chances for rain.  At this point it is pretty tough to nail down any specifics with regards to rain chances, as the weather systems that will lead to those chances will be fairly subtle.

As we turn the corner into the month of August, the National Weather Service offered a little perspective on how this summer's heat compares to previous years.  And while I've heard a lot of comments on this year being the hottest they remember, the period from June-July 2011 rank only as the 7th hottest on record for Paducah.  However, the kicker thus far this summer has been the humidity.  With this year being the 2nd wettest on record through July 31st for Paducah, the consistently high humidity has made things pretty unbearable.  For more details on how this summer compares, you can check out the full article by clicking here.

Finally, a quick update on Tropical Storm Emily.  This storm is still plugging away, but shear is keeping it from strengthening and posing much of a threat aside from some wind and heavy rain.  The latest update as of Thu. afternoon keeps Emily as a tropical storm as it crosses the Bahamas, then approaches the eastern coast of Florida, and then heads out into the Atlantic.  Here's the 2PM EDT update: