"It's HAWT!" That was my nephew Peter's keen observation around this time of year when the family toured the Gettysburg battlefield years ago. Variations on the theme included, "I'm hawt!," and "Can we go now?" Now he works outdoors all summer running heavy construction equipment. Go figure. 

The average temperatures by early August may have begun to decline from the summer's peak of around 88 degrees, and we can usually expect a nice, cool break by sometime later in the month. 

But that's the average. August can and usually does produce some really hot weather. And Baltimore may be facing the hottest stretch of this unusually cool summer as this week unfolds.

Forecasters out at Sterling are calling for highs around 90 degrees nearly all week, with only the briefest of breaks on Friday.

Look for a high near 90 degrees today as high pressure dominates, with plenty of hot sunshine. Some high clouds may move in later on, followed by some fair-weather cumulus by afternoon. But on the whole it will be a sunny day with few prospects for showers on this side of the mountains.

The next "cold" front approaches from the west late on Wednesday, passing through Baltimore by the evening and providing some relief from 90-plus temperatures as thunderstorms cool things off a bit. The front will stall to our south, keeping highs Thursday and Friday in the more seasonable mid- to upper 80s.

The weekend looks just plain hot as winds turn to the south again and sunshine drives temperatures back into the 90s. Sterling is calling them "possibly the warmest temperatures of the season." Rain prospects look slight.

In short, our unexpectedly "cool" summer appears to be taking a breather, while a more typical Chesapeake pattern of hot and humid gets the upper hand.

You knew it had to happen.