  We study the equilibrium properties of a dipolar Fermi gas at finite
temperatures. We introduce a variational ansatz for the phase-space
distribution function that can describe the deformation in both real and
momentum space. The effect of dipole--dipole interactions on the thermal
equilibrium is discussed with particular emphasis on the deformation in
momentum space. We examine the stability of the system by varying the
temperature, trap aspect ratio, and the dipole moment. In addition, we discuss
how the deformation in both real and momentum space can be observed in the
high-temperature regime.
