Meteorologist says mild temperatures may persist this summer in southern Indiana

“It ties back into the cold of the winter, and in the Great Lakes and Hudson Bay area the water is cooler than normal, creating a persistent upper air trough over the eastern United States,” he explained.

In the western part of the U.S., a high-pressure ridge has created hot and dry conditions, the opposite of what’s happening in the Midwest and in the East.

Tucek predicted Indiana summer’s heat and humidity, glimpsed Tuesday when it got up to 90 with a humidity level about 60 percent, may not arrive with lasting force. He said it’s more likely that southern Indiana will see a few regular hot, humid summer days, followed by cool spells that last four or five days.

“So far, every time summer tries to come through full bore, it is unable to do it,” Tucek said Tuesday. “We might see this continue on through the summer — brief periods of humidity and warm weather that are soon replaced with cooler and less-humid days.”

July in the Bloomington area started off with regular summertime temperatures in the mid-80s, with the promise of 90-degree days to follow. But instead, temperatures plummeted. On July 3, the Fourth of July weekend kicked off with a high of 73 and a low of 55 degrees, temperatures more common in spring or fall.

It wasn’t until July 13, according to National Weather Service data, that temperatures got back to the mid-80s. Then two days later, cooler temperatures returned with a high of just 70 and a chilly low of 56 degrees overnight.