By Jay Grymes & Steve CaparottaWAFB First Alert Quickcast:
- scattered mainly-afternoon t-showers for the weekend
- highs in the low to mid 90°s both days, Heat Index readings peaking in the 100°s
- slightly higher rain chances next week
Metro Airport hit 95° for the second consecutive day today - - and the third time this summer. Hot? You bet, but nowhere near a record. And the Airport recorded a ‘trace’ of rain during the afternoon too.
The forecast for the weekend calls for continued hot-and-humid days, although we will raise rain chances about 10% or so from our thinking earlier this week. Instead of running 20% to 30% for Saturday and Sunday (as we’ve been saying this week), we’ll go 30% to 40% for the weekend afternoons. Frankly, it’s not that big of an uptick, and fits right in with “normal” rain chances for the month of August.
Heat will again be something to consider over the weekend, with highs in the low to mid 90°s and Heat Indexes running in the upper 90°s to low 100°s for up to six hours or more for many WAFB communities on both days. Truth is, one of those heat-squashing afternoon thundershowers might be welcomed by most of us. And the mornings? Continued muggy, as has been the case all week, with morning minimums in the mid 70°s for most.
So, whether it’ll be yard work, home maintenance, or a round on the links, please be smart in the heat. Few of us are truly acclimated to our summer weather anymore given that most of us spend the better part of the day in ‘climate controlled’ environments. Heat exhaustion and dehydration are sneaky ‘critters’ -- they can set-in without clear-cut signs -- and before you know it, you’re feeling a little light-headed and/or a little nauseous from too much sun and overheating. Oh .. and remember, your pets can suffer too, so make sure that they are well-watered and have good shade options if they are spending a lot of time outdoors.
Rain chances go up for the better part of next week as the upper-level ridge that has been centered over the Southern Plains becomes a little “weaker” and retreats a bit to the west. That will take a bit of the mid-level capping out of the weather formula and allow out warm, unstable Gulf air to get a little extra lift, prompting better opportunities for those typically afternoon showers and storms.
In the tropics, all remains ‘quiet’ in the Atlantic Basin, with the National Hurricane Center acknowledging little or no chance for any development through the next five days or more. Meanwhile, national attention regarding tropical weather has turned towards the Pacific and the Hawaiian Islands. ISELLE passed over the ‘Big Island’ today as a strong tropical storm and Hawaiians continue to nervously watch Category 2 JULIO to their east. Fortunately, the latest 5-day forecast takes JULIO north of the island chain.
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