First Alert Weather In Depth: Summer heat just in time for school: What’s the cause?

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Much of this summer season we have not dealt with much in terms of big time heat as we have only recorded one 90-degree day through August.

However as the “unofficial” end of Summer arrives Labor Day weekend, we will finally see the heat we have been missing out on all season. High temperatures next week (Sept. 3-9) will generally be in the upper 80s and low 90s, just in time for the kids to go back to school. So, what will be the cause of this late summer surge? Idalia.

We have been tracking Idalia this week as it has brought flooding, storm surge, and destructive winds to parts of Florida and the Carolina coastlines. Idalia is forecast to move away from the east coast as early as Thursday afternoon, but although impacts along the coast will be over Idalia’s impact on the weather pattern is not. Idalia will sit over the Atlantic for several days into the middle of next week. This is key because the general slow movement of Idalia in the Atlantic will create a block in the atmosphere, and this block will build heat over our region here in Western New York.

This setup will force the jet stream well to our north. Not only will that mean some big summer heat, but it will allow high pressure at the surface to keep us dry for several days. Another part of the pattern that we have not seen much of this summer.

Remember, the weather is all connected, which is why we watch all storms — even those that may not directly impact our region locally.