The ridge that has been baking Texas has shifted west allowing showers and storms as far south as Houston. As well as building the heat west, it’s drove north, forcing highs to 107 degrees in Montana, 104 in North Dakota yesterday.

Hot day yesterday was followed by a warm night in Montana.

It was another hot day for Texas as well as the Southwest where Phoenix soared to 115 today and 117 yesterday.

The high of 117 ties the August record, recorded in August 2011.

Today’s highs, another 100-1o5 day in the Dakotas.

This weekend sees a system crossing southern Canada bringing a major temperature drop not only to Alberta and Saskatchewan but the associated front slashes the heat over Montana and the Dakotas.

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This much fresher air drives down the Plains late weekend into early next week and in turn pushes the core of heat through the Lower Midwest, Ohio Valley and eventually the East Coast.

Check out the evolution of this upper pattern shift via the ECMWF.

NYC and up and down the I-95 (north of DC) should see it’s first heat wave (3 straight days of 90F) of the year and for some, in 2 years.

More coming up Monday!

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