At a Glance

The South is seeing one of its hottest September starts on record.Parts of the northern Plains and upper Midwest are having an unusually wet start to September.

September usually brings teases of fall's cooler and drier conditions, but a stagnant weather pattern in the South and Midwest has brought nothing but misery so far.

Dozen of cities in the South had one of their hottest first two weeks of September on record, and it's been one of the wettest starts to the month in parts of the upper Midwest.

Searing September in the South

More than 10 locations near the Gulf Coast had their hottest Sept. 1-14 in more 100 years of weather records. That includes Houston, New Orleans, Tampa and Mobile, Alabama. Many other cities across the region have experienced a top five hottest Sept. 1-14.

The contour shows temperatures compared to average Sept. 1-14, 2019. Plotted on the map is where Sept. 1-14, 2019 ranks among the hottest on record for that period of time in each city. For example, Dallas had its third-hottest Sept. 1-14.

(Data: Climate Prediction Center/Southeast Regional Climate Center)

New Orleans tied or broke daily record highs on six of the first 14 days in September, led by a pair of 99-degree readings Sept. 7-8. Average highs in the Big Easy during early September are in the upper 80s.

Atlanta set daily record highs on four consecutive days Sept. 10-13, helping to vault the city to its hottest start to September since 1925. Highs in the middle to upper 90s have been common in Georgia's capital so far this month. That's much hotter than the low 80s typically observed there in early September.

The culprit for the sultry start to September has been a stubborn area of high pressure parked over the nation's southern tier much of this month. Sinking air under the high causes temperatures to heat up and also prevents widespread thunderstorm chances.

Parts of the Southeast will see some temporary relief in the second half of this week as high pressure along the East Coast drops temperatures closer to average and also lowers humidity. Temperatures are then forecast to rise several degrees above average once again this weekend.

(MAPS: 10-Day U.S. Forecast Highs/Lows)

Midwest, Northern Plains Soaked

Wet conditions have plagued the Midwest and Plains multiple times this year, and the start of September has continued this theme.

Aberdeen, South Dakota; Williston, North Dakota; and Green Bay, Wisconsin, all had their wettest Sept. 1-14 on record. That two-week period was a top five or top 10 wettest for dozens of other locations in the northern Plains and upper Midwest.

The contour shows estimated rainfall for Sept. 1-15, 2019. Plotted on the map is where Sept. 1-14, 2019 ranks among the wettest on record for that period of time in each city. For example, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, had its third-wettest Sept. 1-14.

(Data: Southeast Regional Climate Center)

Williston picked up measurable rain six consecutive days Sept. 7-12. Rochester, Minnesota, saw measurable rain on seven of the first 14 days in September.

developed in eastern South Dakota last week after repeated drenchings hit the area. The Big Sioux River has swollen so much you can see the flooding from satellite.

More rounds of showers and thunderstorms will likely affect the northern Plains and upper Midwest from Tuesday night into next weekend as two cold fronts sweep through those regions.