What a terrific treat for late July. Typically THIS IS THE HOTTEST TIME OF THE YEAR! With average temperatures up close to 100. Most days this week have been 91 or lower. The jet stream, which drives weather systems and fronts across the globe is unusually active right now across the U.S. Typically this feature stays up close the U.S./Canadian border until the fall. But it's taking a rare July dip across the central and eastern U.S.
While it will heat up on Friday and Saturday with a return to near 100 degree temps, this will be temporary! The jet stream will stay in the exact same position for the next one to two weeks. This means more fronts headed our way. We should see another front move in late Saturday into Sunday, bringing a rain threat and dropping the temperature back down again..I'm not sure it will be in the 80s  but lower to middle 90s is certainly possible.
More rain is in the forecast next week as perhaps more fronts head our way.
It is summer and meteorologically it will be through the end of August and we will see more heat, with 100 degree days!
This type of weather pattern is also keeping tropical storms and hurricanes from forming in the Atlantic basin. So far, no named storms! June and July typically don't bring much action, although Hurricane Dolly slammed the Texas and Mexico coastline a year ago today! (july 23, 2008) Activity usually picks up in mid August into September, before slowing down in October. Lets hope we don't get many storms. But all it takes is one storm to make this season historical!
 We are in a weather pattern phase known as El Nino. This is where the water in the Pacific warms. This affects the overall global weather pattern, resulting in stronger winds across the tropical Atlantic. Not favorable for tropical development. It's likely that the El Nino pattern could be responsible for creating an unseasonably strong upper level jet stream across the U.S. If it persists into the winter then, it could be wetter and cooler than average across the southern U.S. We'll know more about that and have an official winter forecast later on this fall. That's the way the weather is!