It has been a very hot weekend all across the area. Believe it or not, temperatures have actually been around normal for this time of the year, but the moisture makes it feel so much hotter.

Thankfully, we've had a bit of a pressure gradient to help mix up the atmosphere, and that wind has actually helped to keep the temperature down a bit. When the winds are light on a summer day, radiation emitted from the ground efficiently heats the surrounding airmass. However, when the winds are blowing, the atmosphere becomes mixed, and that heat becomes transferred throughout the airmass.

The pressure gradient will weaken toward the weekend as a dome of high pressure strengthens across the United States. Take a look at the picture above. This is a 500 mb chart for next Saturday. The closed high will limit strong winds at the surface, and we'll see temperatures soar into the mid to upper 90s. Will we hit 100, well, it will be very close!