After a sultry Saturday with high temperatures well into the 90s and scattered afternoon thunderstorms, today has brought some pleasant changes.  With high pressure arriving along with northwesterly winds and lower dew points, it was a refreshingly mild start to the day with readings in the low 70s.  There is a slight chance of showers later today, but under partly sunny skies, it should be an exceptional day with highs in the upper 80s.

The respite from summer's stickiness and thunderstorm threats will be brief, however, as unsettled weather returns on Monday and lasts through much of the coming week.  Temperatures from the mid 80s to near 90 along with more humid air will make for a seasonably warm week with thunderstorms possible each day.

July ends on Wednesday, and it could break a heat record that is just a year old.  Last summer's July, with an average temperature of 83.9 degrees, was the hottest month ever recorded in DC.  To date, this July's average is 84.2 with three days to go.  In a summer when extreme heat has been the rule and not the exception, it is all the more reason to savor a day like today that breaks that rule!