Why hasn’t it been blistering hot this summer in metro Atlanta?

METRO ATLANTA — If you’re wondering why metro Atlanta and most of Georgia hasn’t had a string of those sweltering 90 degrees days like years past, there’s a simple reason for that.

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Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan said it can be pinned directly on the jet stream over the eastern part of the U.S. the past two months.

Monahan said the jet stream has kept storms tracking further south than they normally do this time of the year. He also added that a huge dome of high pressure has been in place out west several times since May. That high pressure, he said, created the record high 110-plus degree temperatures in places, like Portland and Seattle over the past few weeks.

Monahan also explained the long run of cloudy to mostly cloudy days with above average rain since June 1. He said since that day, we’re roughly 2.25 inches above the average rainfall for that time period.

Those issues combined equals less 90-plus degree days.

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The pattern is likely going to continue at least through the end of July with above average rain and below average temperatures.

Monahan said we should remember below average temperatures don’t necessarily mean “cool” temperatures. He said the average high at this point in July is 90 degrees, so a high of 87 or 88 is considered “below average.” That’s still pretty warm for any time of year, it just isn’t the mid-to-upper 90′s or 100 degree days that we’ve had during the past few summers.

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