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The current hot, dry weather seems to be on everyone's mind, and it has been quite hot unusually early this summer. To put things in perspective, we can take a look at the record high temperatures (for the Waco airport weather station) for the balance of this month. Today's record high is 105, set in 1933. For tomorrow, the record high is 104, also set in 1933. After that, we see a string of record highs set in 1980, a year that saw temperatures reach 100 degrees or higher for more than 50 consecutive days! So, for Thursday through Sunday, the record highs are 105, 107, 109 and 106, respectively. The record high for next Monday is 104, set in 1907, then Tuesday of next week we're back to a record of 103 degrees set in 1980. What's really interesting is that the record low temperatures for tomorrow through Sunday were all set in 1974, and were all in the mid to upper 50s! Wouldn't that feel nice about now! Let's all hope that our early summer heat this year isn't a harbinger of another summer like that of 1980. |
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Posted by: Lew
Thanks Lon; I thought that might have something to do with this searing heat we're having?
Posted by: Lon Location: KWTX Lew, in some years, the tropical cyclone season starts early; in other years, it starts late. There doesn;t seem to be much relationship between when the season starts and how bad it may get later on. I will mention that in 1980 (a summer we have mentioned several times for its record heat), the "A" (first) storm of the season was Hurricane Allen, which made landfall in far south Texas on August 10th. In 1967, the "B" storm, Hurricane Beulah, (second of the season), reached the Texas coast in mid-September. Both Allen and Beulah were noteworthy because they produced numerous tornadoes at and after landfall. It's just too early to draw any conclusions about the 2009 tropical season. Posted by: Lew Location: between waco & downsville One thing that really seems strange to me is that AFAIK we've had no named/numbered Atlantic depressions as of yet. Aren't there usually several before early August? Posted by: Tempe Location: Salado Hooray!!! I received 9 tenths of an inch yesterday and we are very thankful!!! Each life giving drop is precious and we appreciate each one! I watched that little one form south of us today and didn't see how it could miss us, but it turned a little west,away from I35, increased in size and turned back north going up through west central Texas as so many storms have! I don't honestly think there is a wall, but it is frustrating when the rains go around us, watering is restricted, yard grass dead & dying and young trees suffering, not to mention a dead garden!! I guess we must be patient because we know that the good Lord will provide a real toad-strangler some day soon! Thanks for your info Lon. It is appreciated! I look forward to seeing how bad that one was in the fifties! Posted by: Lon Location: KWTX Bell County has received considerably less rain than McLennan County, and McLennan County has received far less rain than Dallas County. But ... since January 1st, Bell County has been wetter than Travis County and Travis County has been wetter tahn Bexar County. Exceptional drought conditions (the worst in over 50 years) have plagued the southern half of Texas for the last 12 months, longer in some areas. It isn't a matter of luck as much as a matter of geography ... the farther south you go in Texas, the drier it has been compared to normal. But ... we did have a good rain in Bell County today, and it came in the middle of what is normally the driest 21-day period annually! When I get a chance, I'll post a blog on the multi-year drought that began in 1952 and ended in 1957 ... And I certainly hope this one doesn't last that long! Posted by: Nick Location: Temple This is one instance that I love being proven wrong... Posted by: Nick Location: Temple There is something/someone affecting the weather in central Texas and I firmly believe this. Today is yet another example of this. For the last month if not longer, every time any weather tries to make its way into Bell county, no matter how powerful the front, it fizzles out once it approaches the county line. Maybe it is Fort Hood experimenting with some kind of weather device or some other entity but there is something wrong. I know I may sound like a conspiracy theorist but with the facts showing up on radar all the time proving the point it's hard to deny that something is influencing the weather and I just wish someone would acknowledge it. Posted by: Tempe Location: Salado Lon, Why is there a rain blocking wall up & down the I35 corridor? Is it pollution, heat from traffic, or what? East Texas, north & parts of west Texas are pretty & green, but not us! I have watched for weeks now & even when rain is coming toward us, it stops, or goes away! Heat is normal in Texas, but this lack of rain in the I35 corridor is not! If there is a reason rather than just luck, I would appreciate it if you would comment on this subject. Thanks!! Posted by: Lon Location: KWTX Weather Watcher Waco ... sometimes the computer generating those maps gets hung-up; it looks like they are up to date now. Posted by: gary Location: between vally and clifton when it gets hot out I will start to complain. Posted by: weather watcher Location: waco Why has your weather page not been updated on Sunday? Your maps are still showing 7:30 a.m. at 4:42 pm Posted by: Lon Location: KWTX Replying to RC SEP ... Every summer, the jetstream shifts north leaving the southern U.S. with weak flow aloft. Depending on the location of troughs in the jetstream flow across the northern U.S. and Canada, we may be in a trough or ridge in our part of the U.S. Last year, we were NOT dominated by high pressure; in 2007, we were in a trough for the first half of the summer, and our weather was very, very wet. So ... some years we are in a neutral situation, some summers we are under a ridge, and occasionally we are in a trough. The high pressure "domes" are the result of weak flow aloft, because the jetstream has migrated northward ... a typical summer pattern. Posted by: RC SEP Location: Temple What causes these high pressure doms that sit over us and torture us so. Posted by: Me Location: Central Texas Alaska is looking really good, right about now. Posted by: Ron Location: Waco The people who are having signal problems. This is a result of the switch to digital signal. Digital is not as strong as analog and any interference of any kind will cause the TV picture to freeze, drop in and out, or do kind of a stop frame with splotcy blocks. This is especially true if you live on the edge of the signal strength. I see this on cable when the satellite reception is not good. I have definitely seen this on friends' TVs who are using just rabbit ears. I don't have an answer to the problem, but it would seem that the industry and FTC are going to need to rethink how to increase digital signal strength to resolve these problems. This has always been an issue with DTV. Posted by: Lon Location: KWTX Travis, I have used what's called a "tube in a tube" gauge for years. The inner gauge measures 0.01 to 1.00, and the excess empties into the larger tube, with a capacity of 11 inches. I am sure there are many sources for this type of gauge, but here's one I found with Google: http://www.storesonline.com/site/453784/product/RG-200 ... Exposing a rain gauge properly involves mounting it away from overhanging objects like roofs, shrubs, trees, etc. The farther from structures, the more accurate your readings. By the way, my two-day rainfall was a pitiful 0.10 inch. Posted by: Travis Location: Turnersville Lon, can you recommend an "official" rain gauge, and how to place it? The comments about the temp gauge got me thinking I may not be getting an accurate reading. This latest bout of rain read 2.3" for the two days. Thanks. Travis - Turnersville Posted by: Jean Today is the 29th and Ahhh, wonderful rain. Yesterday's cool off felt like heaven. We have had plus 100 temps here & much higher with the heat index,as you all know. Reminds me of the summer of 1980 when we were living in Houston. We survived that and am sure we will survive this. We all just need to "cool our jets" I suppose. Jean--Gatesville, TX Posted by: Roger Location: Hewitt I agree with "Concerned-McLennan County" about the fire danger and fireworks. Posted by: Linda B Location: Pidcoke I remember the heat in 1980. That was horrible. Rationing water-draining the washing machine into buckets so we could keep plants alive-dipping water out of the bathtub after baths for the same reason. It was horrible then, and it's even worse now because there are more buildings, more people, and that means more heat-ugh, hope it goes away soon. Posted by: Roger Location: Hewitt I live in the hewitt area and work in Cedar Park (N. Austin suburb). When I got home from work last night I could see evidence or rain in my yard and standing water in the street gutters. So, I'm glad to have seen that. I encountered some rain on my way to work this morning around Lorena-to-Bruceville. Evidentally the "cool front" is stalled out right between Waco & Austin and I hope it stays that way for another day or two. My newly sodded front yard could use a little bit more of Nature's water. Glad to see this short-lived change. Posted by: WingnPrayer Location: Hewitt area My only complaint is that now we gotta start over in our count of consecutive days of Century-marked heat or greater. I do remember several past years that were worse than this year's heat, so far. I drive by a cornfield in Hewitt (New Hewitt Drive extension towards IH-35) and I have watched this poor farmer's crop turn from a lush green in late spring/early summer to this pale yellow/white color by this time. That's who I feel sorry for is that farmer who had a promising young corn crop early on, then had to watch it "evaporate", so to speak. Posted by: J. Location: Texas in the summer... Wow. I know this is not the rant section of the paper, but come on folks. Of course it's hot. We live in Texas. Some of these will be the same people that complain about the cold weather in the mild Texas winters. Try air conditioning, inside gardens, temp controled greenhouses. Quit complaining or move. I know for a fact that Hawaii is a constant temperature all year long, after living there for 5 years. So to all those that can find nothing else to do but complain, ALOHA!!! Posted by: jaynie Location: waco how many days in a row, have we been over the century mark? Posted by: Jay Location: Killeen,south on 195 Cloud cover? Cooler temps? It 1102am and its 92 degrees on my covered back porch and with at least a 30 mile view there is not a hint of a cloud. Hope something develops or the weather folks are going to be far off base once again. Posted by: Lon Location: KWTX Alice in Mart, that sounds like a pretty good way to get an accurate reading. I sympathize with your garden problems ... this heat has been searing! Posted by: Lon Location: KWTX Gary in Clifton ... our engineers say that if you have an amplifier on your antenna that is exposed to the sun, you may be having signal fade because the amplifier is overheating. That's the only explanation they could give me. Posted by: Alice Location: Mart My thermometer is hanging from a tree limb, 12 inches from the trunk, and nearly 6 ft high. No sun hits it. Today at 6:40 PM (June 27th), it showed 103 degrees. My garden is wilting. I've lost all my squash, most of my beans and several perennials, not so much to lack of water, but just the heat. I hate to see what my water bill will be! I use rain barrels (7-55 gal plastic drums), and a quarter to a half inch rain will fill them. They have been dry for weeks! P.S. A 1500 sq ft home will have about 700 gallons of runoff in a quarter inch rain! Posted by: gary Location: clifton It happens with all channels that I am able to get. that is breakup with an increase in temp. Posted by: Anonymous Jimmy, the automated weather stations (ASOS and AWOS) have the temperature probe at 2 meters above ground (6.6. feet). Before the modern automated platforms, the NWS standard was a "cotton region" shelter. http://www.novalynx.com/380-605.html To get an accurate, representative temperature you want the thermometer shaded from direct sun, away from structures or trees that can obstruct air circulation, and approximately 6 feet above ground. That's not an easy order to fill, is it? Posted by: JW Griffith Location: Evesham Worcestershire United Kingdom HOT HOT HOT.. We are experiencing a heat wave here in the UK as well. Today (Saturday 27-06-09) it is going to get to 82f.. humidity is a killer here. Posted by: FORMER FARMER I really feel sorry for the farmers trying to raise corn this year. Corn must be kept wet or at least moist while in tassel to make good ears. Since there is little or no irrigation in Central Texas, that corn you see from the road isn't worth stopping for, because there are no 'roastin' ears' this year. Even cutting it for ensilage is a poor alternative. Posted by: Jimmy Location: Belton Lon, where is the ideal location for a thermometer. I always heard it should be at four feet, out of the sun. Posted by: hot in limestone co. Location: kosse we hit 117 here today Posted by: Anonymous Melissa, the problem with having a thermometer on the porch of a house is that air circulation is often restricted by the structure. Official temperature readings are made away from structures, so that air circulation is maximized. That doesn't mean that it wasn't 106 on the porch, but it does mean that the temperature there may not have been representative of the air temperature in a well-ventilated, shaded area. Posted by: Christine Location: Marlin Thanks Lon! You are an awesome weather man! Posted by: melissa Location: Gatesville,Texas Today at my parents House in Flat, Texas on the porch in the shade my dad's themomater read 106 degrees. Posted by: Concerned Location: McLennan Co Is there any hope for fireworks to be banned in McLennan County this year?? Come on commissioners-get off your hot seats and do so in the interest of danger of fires instead of bowing to the vendors and sellers of these things! Volunteer fire depts are pushed to the limits during these hot days ahead without that unnecessary added danger! Posted by: Lon Location: KWTX Christine, we don't see much chance for significant rainfall in the next 7 to 10 days. I can't rule out an isolated shower during peak afternoon heating but any rain that falls will be very light and very isolated. Posted by: Christine Location: Marlin Will we see any rain soon? I hope? Posted by: Lon Location: KWTX Does this happen with reception of other channels? Posted by: gary Location: clifton Why is it as the temperature goes up your TV signal goes down and breaks up? The signal is fine below 90. |
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