By By ALEX PARKER / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- Niles residents should enjoy the brief respite of cool, dry weather, because according to meteorologists it won't last past the weekend.
Weathermen around the county predict that this week's breezy July temperatures should last into the weekend, but are expecting the temperatures and humidity to slowly rise into the coming weeks.
Although Hoffman sees temperatures keeping through the weekend, he expects to see "a lot of heat and humidity for next week."
Rick Mecklenburg, meteorologist at WSBT, agrees, "In the short term, it's going to be tolerable. We think that it's going to be a hot August."
The National Weather Service has yet to come out with a solid prediction for the future, however, stating that August has equal chances of being above or below normal levels of temperature.
Niles townspeople are enjoying the nice weather while they can.
One thing is for certain -- rainfall this summer has been higher than the drought-levels of the past couple of years.
The government's Weekly Drought Monitor no longer considers this area of Michigan to be under drought, said Mecklenburg, who predicts drought levels should not return during the summer.
The rainy weather is a mixed blessing for local growers, who benefit from the increased watering but found the recent thunderstorms to be troublesome.
Overall, though, he's found this year's weather to be "tree-mendus."
Paul Thelen, owner of Hillside Orchards, has not been as lucky, however.
Most of the meteorologists are reluctant to make predictions past the summer, but Mecklenburg is expecting the precipitation levels to be less than normal for the winter.