While our streak of triple-digit days continues, there’s at least a big drop in humidity on the way! August’s version of a cold front is pushing through Texas and it reaches Houston late Tuesday.
Now before you get too excited, we are still predicting highs in the 100s all week long, but for a couple of days it will feel more like an oven than a sauna. Wednesday morning could be particularly delightful with lower humidity and low temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s.
Temperatures on Tuesday will rocket up to near 105-degrees in the afternoon as the front pushes into Houston. There will be enough moisture to squeeze out a 30% chance of a thunderstorm. Those of you north of I-10 have a near zero percent chance for rain, but as a consolation prize you will feel the lower humidity first. Those of you south of I-10 are in the game for the rain chance, and those of you in our coastal counties have a 40% chance of a late afternoon or early evening thunderstorm. Any storm that pops up could bring gusty winds over 50 mph and frequent lightning.
As for weather alerts, Heat Advisories and Excessive Heat Warnings continue for most of southeast Texas Tuesday. Farther north, those hot weather alerts have been replaced with a Fire Weather Watch that begins at Noon and lasts until 9 p.m.
How close are we getting to the August 2011 record of 24 consecutive triple-digit days?
It’s going to be really close. We are now at 16 days in a row of 100-degree heat, and we are predicting to tack on 7 more, which would get us to 23 straight days. We are cautiously optimistic that a tropical wave next week could bring us widespread clouds and rain and keep our temperatures below 100 for a day or two starting on Tuesday, August 22nd.
A tropical wave with rain?! Tell me more!
Again, we don’t want to get hopes too high at this time, but we have sprinkled in 20% and 30% rain chances for next Monday through Thursday pending the exact path this wave takes. We are still trying to get a handle on if it tracks more toward us or more toward South Texas. If it tracks toward us, our rain chances will go much higher. If it tracks more toward South Texas, then the 20% and 30% chances are the best we can do…if even that.
Could this tropical wave develop into a named storm?
That is possible given the projected wind patterns of lower shear over the Gulf next week. It’s only a small chance at this time, but we will be watching things very carefully since we are approaching the peak of hurricane season.
What else are you monitoring in the tropics right now?
The Atlantic is definitely starting to awaken. There are now two tropical waves with a low chance for development over the central and eastern Atlantic.
