We have a new tropical depression (four) just declared by the NHC. A feature which models have been all over for the past 4 to 6 days.

This is a complex system with a complex outlook. A system which could take a route westward into the Gulf of Mexico, north and stay off the US East Coast or may indeed split with two separate pieces taking a W and N track.

Latest track from the NHC

TD 4 is expected to strengthen into TS Christobal and could even become a hurricane next week. More on this developing story tomorrow and next week.

As for the US. We have a now classic summer pattern from the Plains eastward.

While we’ve got a classic summer ridge pumping the hottest and most humid air of summer north over the Southern and Southeastern US, we’ve also got an autumnal air mass drilling into the N Rockies making for quite the contrast across the country today.

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Here’s the current upper air pattern delivering the extremes.

Quite the contrasting 500mb height anomalies for today.

Check out the high’s for yesterday.

Yesterday’s 100 in Savannah, GA was not just hottest of the summer but hottest since July 2012 and a tie of the record. Charleston, SC just missed a record at 99.

Here’s today’s current temps. Check out the contrast between Montana’s 40s and Kansas’ 100s.

Close up of MT-WY temps.

Yep that’s about 25-30 below normal.

Yes, this air is cold enough for snow above 6,000ft in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado.

Here’s Antelope Flats along US 26 in ID before daybreak this morning.

Mountain top near Butte, Mont.

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