This has been quite a week of intense weather across the region! It’s been awfully been hot and humid at all locations, with the western part of our region experiencing unprecedented heat:
- Last Friday and also on Wednesday, the temperature at Junction reached 111 degrees—tying the all-time record high temperature for Junction.
- On Tuesday, San Angelo’s temperature reached 114 degrees—setting an all-time record high temperature for San Angelo and beating the old all-time record of 111 degrees.
- On Wednesday, the temperature at Del Rio reached 115 degrees—setting an all-time record for Del Rio and beating the old all-time record of 112 degrees.
The unusually high relative humidity this week lead to record or near-record highest heat index values ever recorded:
- On Thursday, the heat index at Austin-Camp Mabry reached 118 degrees—establishing the highest heat index reading ever recorded for Austin.
- On Tuesday, the heat index at San Antonio reached 116 degrees—establishing the highest heat index reading ever recorded for the Alamo City.
- Corpus Christi and New Braunfels both set all-time heat index values of 125 degrees early in the week.
Then came the strong thunderstorms which affected parts of the region Thursday evening and Thursday night. Over at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, the storms produced a wind gust to 97 mph!
Forecast for this Weekend and Next Week
Temperatures dipped slightly across the region Thursday as the unusually strong heat ridge in the mid and upper atmosphere shifted west to northeastern Mexico. Friday’s analysis showed the center of the ridge was still over northeastern Mexico, but it is beginning to shift back to the east. Forecasts call for the center of the ridge to slowly spread east over the Rio Grande Plains this weekend, reaching a position over central Texas by about Tuesday. The center of the ridge is predicted to remain parked over central Texas through next Friday and this is going to be the big weather story for the next few days! The ridge is forecast to slowly back west into northern Mexico next weekend.
With the ridge expected to set up across Texas next week, we are looking at a very hot and dangerous stretch of weather! Widespread triple-digit temperatures are forecast to begin this weekend and continue through all of next week. The western Hill Country and Edwards Plateau region will likely see air temperatures at or above 110 degrees on several days next week.
Heat Advisories and Excessive Heat Warnings are expected every day next week.
With the ridge setting up over the area, no rain is forecast through next Friday.
High Temperature Forecast for the Next Week
Hill Country Region
Friday: Mid and upper 90s.
Saturday: Near 100-102 degrees.
Sunday: Near 103-105 degrees.
Monday through Next Saturday: Near 105-108 degrees.
Central Texas Region
Friday: Upper 90s.
Saturday: Near 100 degrees.
Sunday: Near 101-103 degrees.
Monday through Next Saturday: Near 100-105 degrees.
Middle Texas Coast
Friday through Sunday: Upper 90s.
Monday through Next Saturday: Near 100-102 degrees.
The heat and unusually high humidity levels will combine to produce more very high heat index readings:
Heat Index values of 105-111 degrees are forecast across Central Texas and the middle Texas coast this afternoon through Sunday.
Heat Index values of 110-115 degrees are forecast across Central Texas next Monday through Wednesday.
Heat Index values of 105-110 degrees are forecast across Central Texas and the middle Texas coast next Thursday and Friday.
Next Weekend into the Week of July 3rd:
Forecast solutions call for the center of the ridge to shift west to northern Mexico beginning next Sunday, then further west to northwestern Mexico July 3rd and 4th. As the ridge backs to the west, high temperatures the week of July 3rd are forecast to lower mostly to the upper 90s to near 100 degrees.
We are entering a long and dangerous stretch of hot weather! Continue to practice proper heat safety and encourage those you know to do the same. Check in on folks, especially those in vulnerable communities such as the elderly and the unhoused.
Tropical Weather Outlook
The National Hurricane Center is closely monitoring the progress of tropical storm Bret, located over the eastern Caribbean Sea, and tropical Storm Cindy, located over the central tropical Atlantic. Neither system poses a threat to the western Gulf or the Texas coast. Bret is forecast to dissipate Sunday, while Cindy is forecast to move north of the Lesser Antilles and eventually dissipate somewhere south of Bermuda the middle of next week. Elsewhere, there are no other systems which pose a threat for tropical development over the next seven days.
As of 10 am CDT, the center of Tropical Storm Bret was located about 300 miles east-northeast of Curacao. Bret was moving toward the west near 21 mph and this general motion is expected to continue through the weekend. On the forecast track, the center of Bret will continue moving westward away from the Windward Islands and across the eastern and central Caribbean Sea during the next couple of days. Maximum sustained winds remain near 60 mph with higher gusts. Weakening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Bret is expected to dissipate over the central Caribbean Sea by Sunday.
As of 10 am CDT, the center of Tropical Storm Cindy was located about 915 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. Cindy was moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph and this general motion is expected to continue over the next few days. On the forecast track, the system is expected to remain well east and northeast of the northern Leeward Islands through early next week. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 50 mph with higher gusts. Some additional strengthening is forecast over the next day or so followed by gradual weakening afterwards.
NOAA/Colorado State University/RAMMB 06/23/23 1:20 pm CDT
Catch Venus for Another Month
Venus continues to be the brilliant “Evening Star” in the west in twilight. But have you noticed, it’s starting to get lower day by day, and it’s setting not too long after dark? In a telescope Venus is a lovely, dazzling white crescent, thinning and enlarging. Watch Venus change daily. It will continue to swell in diameter and thin in phase as it drops lower. Venus will be gone from the evening sky by mid to late July as it begins to move behind the sun. So catch it while you can!
Have a great weekend and stay cool!
Bob
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