Did this past July seem easier to tolerate?

Sorry. This question doesn't apply to those who are still sweating in the West, and those who endured an extended heat wave in the Northeast – especially the 10 cities where July was the hottest month ever recorded.

(RECAP: Extremes of July 2013)

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But for a large swath of the nation's Plains, Midwest and South, excessive heat in July was largely suppressed.

South Bend, Ind. ended July with a record nine straight days with temperatures below 80.  The final weekend in July saw high temperatures only in the 50s and 60s in parts of the Midwest and Plains, more typical of fall, than the "Dog Days" of summer.  There were more daily cool records tied or broken (2,828) than hot records (2,553), according to the National Climatic Data Center.

Contrast this with July 2012, the hottest month on record in the Lower 48 States. Thirty-two states, scattered across several different regions, claimed a top ten hottest July in 2012.  St. Louis sweltered through 15 days of triple-digit heat, marking the city's hottest month on record.

That was "so 2012", though.  Any chance August will also keep its cool?

Tearing Down an August Reputation

At least for the first ten days of August, there's no signs of oppressive heat in the Midwest, Northeast, or even parts of the Southeast.  

In fact, a pair of cold fronts will reinforce the cool trend in parts of the Midwest and East over the next five to seven days:

Cold front #1:  Sagging into the Deep South through Monday.

Highs in the 70s and 80s will again be common Sunday from the Dakotas to the Ohio Valley and Northeast.  A few highs in the upper 60s are possible along the Canadian border, from northern North Dakota to Upper Michigan to the interior Northeast. 

Even typical early August hot spots such as St. Louis and Kansas City may struggle to rise out of the 70s or low 80s Sunday.

Cold front #2:  Drops south through the northern and central Plains, Rockies Front Range, Great Lakes and the mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys mid-to-late week.

With complexes of thunderstorms possible near that frontal boundary, daytime highs in the second half of next week may hold in the 70s and low 80s from eastern Colorado and Kansas to parts of the mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.  

If the front can plunge (or be forced by the aforementioned thunderstorm complexes) farther south, some heat relief could even work its way into parts of Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, and eastern New Mexico.

(MORE HIGHS MAPS:  Wednesday | Thursday) 

Lows in the 40s will be widespread across North Dakota, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan behind this second front.

(MORNING LOWS: Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday)

While the climatological peak of the heat in many East, Midwest, and South locations is from mid-late July into early August, keep in mind the following regarding lagging 90-degree-plus warmth:

• New York: Averages 5-6 days of 90s Aug.-Sept.; once reached 90 as late as Oct. 17.
• Chicago: Averages 5-6 days of 90s Aug.-Sept.; once reached 90s as late as Oct. 6.
• Atlanta: Averages 3-4 days of 90s in Sept.; once reached 90s as late as Oct. 9.

So enjoy the break from the heat while you can. This "cool" pattern may not last later in August or September.

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