Your August Outlook Update Is In

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A​ugust appears to be trending hotter in the West, but wetter in the East, compared to what was previously forecast.

Overall, the entire Lower 48 is expected to be at least "slightly warmer" than average in August, according to an update released Wednesday by The Weather Company and Atmospheric G2.

Peak of the heat: The hottest conditions, when compared to a typically hot August, are expected from the northern Rockies into the high country of Utah and Colorado. That said, much of the West - from the Great Basin to Arizona, New Mexico and the adjacent High Plains - is expected to sweat through a hotter-than-usual August.

That includes Boise and Salt Lake City, both of which already have been through one of their hottest summers-to-date.

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E​astern mixed bag: While the map above shows generally above-average August temperatures, that forecast masks some changes during the month.

Cooler air in parts of the Plains and Midwest around the second weekend of August could be followed by more heat. That's based on a pattern the AG2/TWC forecast team has noticed.

"​We've had 'cooler' spells this summer, spaced out about every three weeks," said Todd Crawford, vice president of meteorology at Atmospheric G2. Crawford noted that pattern implies a hotter spell in the East is possible later in the month.

National split in August rain, too: Another factor keeping the East's heat at bay could be a wetter pattern.

W​e expect a wetter-than-average August over much of the East, particularly from Virginia to Kentucky to northern Florida.

T​his wet outlook also reflects the first of the peak months of what's expected to be an active hurricane season. Any hurricanes, tropical storms or remnants could dump heavier rain farther inland.

T​his wet month could also put a further dent into an expansive flash drought that developed earlier in the summer from the Mid-Atlantic states and Appalachians to the Tennessee Valley and Carolinas.

M​eanwhile, the Rockies, Northern Plains and interior Northwest are expected to be drier than usual in August. That's not good news for both an expanding drought and a battle against wildfires, particularly in the northern Rockies and northern Great Basin.

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