The brutal heat wave we experienced last week was unbelievable. We set a record high temperature in Little Rock three straight days in a row. I know this kind of heat has left many to wonder will it ever cool off? Better yet, will it cool off in time for the 4th of July?
The short answer is NO. Sure temperatures will drop a couple degrees in the next few days but you won't notice the difference outside. There is a small opportunity of an isolated shower coming up this Monday but most of us will miss out on that chance.
As you can make out in the image above, the jet stream will remain well out to our north and there seems to be no tropical activity to speak of in the Gulf or Atlantic. In essence, the 4th of July appears dry and very hot.
What's sad is that the weather models are suggesting another upper ridge will develop late this holiday week. If this ends up being true we could be looking at scorching heat climbing well above 100°. The only promise we have of better weather could be in the middle of July. At this time period, some long range models show the upper level ridge shifting west which leaves the door open for less heat and afternoon pop-up showers.
Until then be careful outside and try to stay cool. Don't forget we have burn bans across all of our viewing area so you can't light any fireworks without special permission.
