The weather pattern in August is shaping up to be cooler than normal. The jet stream is usually positioned between cool air and hot, summer air. The first graphic shows you the expected average position of the jet stream during the first half of this coming August. The jet stream will cut across the United States, with Michigan mostly being to the north of the jet stream. As a result, temperatures should be cooler than normal for at least the first half of August. This jet stream pattern should bring Michigan a chance of rain every three to five days.

Wednesday will be the warmest day of the week. This graphic shows the high temperatures on Wednesday. All of Michigan will be stuck in the 70s, with just an isolated spot around 80 degrees.

Wednesday is the warmest day this week

To show you how cool the weather pattern looks, I thought I'd show you the warmest day of the week, Wednesday. Even on Wednesday, the entire state will only warm into the 70s. There may be a spot or two that makes it into the lower 80s. The Upper Peninsula will spend most of the time with temperatures only in the 60s.

The temperature forecast for August 5 to August 11 shows how much of the country is expected to have below normal temperatures. There is a good chance that much of the Great Lakes and Midwest will be colder than normal.

Cool temperatures to continue

The last graphic shows the temperature forecast from the Climate Prediction Center for August 5 to August 11. The blue area shows where temperatures are expected to be below normal. Blue covers most of the country. Michigan and the Midwest are in an area expected to have the highest chance of being cooler than normal.

What is normal?

August is the month when average temperatures start to go down. The normal high temperature drops three to four degrees in August. Muskegon starts with a normal high of 80 degrees August 1 and ends the month with a normal high of 77 degrees. Detroit has a normal high of 83 at the beginning of August, and the normal temperature cools to 79 degrees by the end of August.

Are you ready for a more permanent fall feel, or do you think we were 'ripped off' on summer this year?

Mark Torregrossa has been the chief meteorologist for three television news stations in Michigan. A resident of the state for 20 years, he has also gardened since the age of ten and is an avid hunter. Email him at mark@farmerweather.com and find him on Facebook at facebook.com/mark.torregrossa and Twitter @weathermanmark