The Heat Is On!

The heat is on, feels like a sauna, a scorcher...all of these terms have been used to describe the extreme heat we have been dealing with in Central Georgia lately. And the bad news is that the above normal temperatures and high humidity are going to continue through the weekend!

Is this normal? No, it shouldn't be this hot yet. Our average high for the first half of June is 89 degrees. We have definitely had more days in the 90's so far this month. We even hit 100 for the first time this year on Tuesday. Our average low is 67, but we have been starting our mornings in the 70's the past week.

Why is it SO hot? Well, there is an area of high pressure at the upper levels of the atmosphere and it is parked right over the southeast. It's basically keeping a dome of really hot and humid air over Georgia and the south. And with all the heat and humidity the atmosphere can become unstable in the afternoon, which is why we have a daily chance of storms late in the day into the early evening.

Forecast models are hinting at the unseasonably warm conditions continuing through the end of the month. I hope the models are wrong, because summer hasn’t even officially started yet. Season starts on the 21st!

Meteorologist Sonya Stevens