ROCHESTER, N.Y. – If Rochester is not getting the warmth, someone else must be.
One way to verify this is by checking the position of the jet stream. These high-altitude winds are a key indicator of temperature patterns across North America. I remember a meteorology professor once comparing the jet stream to a piece of string. Push it down on one side and it dips cooler; push it up on the other, and warmer air floods in. That simple visual explains a lot about the conditions across North America.

Right now, the warm side of that string is draped over the southwestern quarter of the country. That is where we find not only higher temperatures, but also very little rainfall. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, areas from southern California Texas, through Arizona are experiencing severe to exceptional drought conditions.

At the heart of it all? Phoenix, Arizona. The city has seen multiple days of record-breaking heat this week. Friday is expected to hit 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Add to that a dangerous combination of low humidity, gusty winds, and dry vegetation, and the fire danger skyrockets.

So, while we are still wearing the overcoat in Rochester, the Southwest is already bracing for a potentially brutal start to wildfire season.