Weather In-Depth: Singing the blues this summer

We are in the summer season, but it sure has not felt like it for most of the time as we have been stuck with wet and cool conditions throughout much of it so far. Obviously our focus lately has been all the wet weather we have experienced since the middle of June, but what about our temperatures?

There has been a lot of talk this summer across the United States about some big-time heat — and rightfully so, as many areas in the Southeast and Southwest have broken numerous daily highs — but here in the Northeast it has been quite the opposite. Here in Rochester our seasonal temperatures have been below average. When we take our afternoon highs and overnight lows from June until now, we are averaging just over 2 F below average. A small number, but still telling the story of our summer compared to some other parts of the country.

Breaking it down month by month too, each month has been below average: June: -1.8F, July: -0.4F, and August thus far: -4.3F. None of which are record setting cold, but it just shows that the cool weather has been persistent this summer.

Moving forward, it does look like the same pattern we have been dealing with will continue. An upper level ridge with all the heat will hang out over the Western U.S. while the jet stream sags south of the Northeast and keeps us cool through much of the next 10-14 days.