If it’s sounding like a broken record in July… it’s because… it’s a broken record and it’s July. These patterns do not change as quickly during the summer months, especially July, although some adjustments on when and where the heat and storms will be, will occur.

Today the gun is pointed at the Virginia’s, the Carolina’s, Kentucky, and Tennessee. I’ll probably throw in the northern half of Georgia and the Atlanta metro into this category as well. Organized severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, torrential downpours and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning, will develop this afternoon and then pulse down after sunset in the evening. It won’t rain everywhere at once, but when the storms come through, you’ll know it. Another thing: The heat is legit. Average highs are about 90 and the average dewpoints are around 70. Yesterday it was 95 with a dewpoint of 80. That’s right, 80! Those storms have some sauce on the last evening. Scared my kids into my arms! This severe weather threat peaks today and then gradually diminishes heading into the weekend.

I haven’t talked much about the Northeast and the Great Lakes… probably because I’m not up there anymore… but y’all are having a beautiful stretch of weather without the heat and humidity. 70s for the most part, cool at night, natural air conditioning, comfortable sleeping weather. It’s gonna stay through the weekend as well. Get out and enjoy it in New England, Upstate NY, PA, and across the Great Lakes states.

Central US, particularly southern Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, simply put, HELL will be outside your doorstep for the next several days. Especially Texas. Highs well into the 100s with a few locations flirting with 110. That’s actual air temps, not counting dewpoints in the high 60s to low 70s. It’s a slightly scaled-back version of the summer of 1988, but not all that far off. Take advantage of whatever cool you have in the early mornings and be prepared to hide out by noon. The heat is seriously legit.

Across Montana and the northern Plains, the severe storms also roll-on here. For yet another day. Why have they been parked here? Same reason the heat dome is over the south-central US and why the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic have been hammered all week long. The pattern is locked in and not changing too much. Hail and wind damage are the most significant threats to the storms in this part of the nation. Especially for those traveling here from other parts of the nation at this time of year, you need to take these high Plains and northern Rockies storms very seriously. Don’t blow them off. It could hurt you.

Finally, in the southern Rockies and desert Southwest, it’s hot. It’s going to get hotter this weekend into next week as the heat dome heads your way. I would expect multiple days in the 110s, especially in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah, also parts of interior southern California as the heat dome approaches. Summer is in full effect.

So in summary, outside the Northwest, Northeast, and Great Lakes, It’s either hot and miserable, or stormy and miserable. So goes July for now. We’ll monitor the changes each day.