National Weather Pattern Continuing With Extremes, Just Not Here In Vermont

Forecast map for today depicting patches of light
but rare August snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains
of California tonight or Saturday morning. 

 After our big August cool spell, it's back to summer, as forecast, with very seasonable, average temperatures for this time of year lasting for the next several days. 

Not so in other parts of the nation. especially out west, where weather has gotten pretty extreme, one way or another. 

Texas - especially West Texas and the Panhandle, have just gone through one of their biggest heat waves on record. 

That part of the nation gets hot, but this was ridiculous. 

Abilene. Texas reached 113 degrees this week, its all time hottest temperature on record. Several cities set new marks for the entire month of August, including 112 at Del Rio, 111 at San Angelo and Carrizo Springs, 109 in Sonora and 108 at Kingsville and Amarillo.

Meanwhile, that cold, out of season storm sliding southward along the Pacific Coast still looks like it will bring rare August high elevation snow to the Sierra Nevada range.  Some places above 7.900 feet above sea level in the high mountains might see their first August snow in two decades. 

In eastern Washington, blowing dust advisories were in effect Friday and Friday evening. Outflow from expected strong storms was expected to stir up dust from rangeland and recently plowed fields, resulting in the risk of zero visibility at times on some highways. 

Both new fire starts and flash flooding are possible in the mountains of California with this weird, cold system.  A flood watch is up for north central California, as downpours triggered by the storm could cause debris flows where there have been recent fires. 

As far as new and worsening fires go, at looks like Nevada is most under the gun today, with the risk spreading into Wyoming Saturday. 

This chilly weather system on the West Coast is forecast to be short-lived, with a return to hot, dry weather next week.