Eric Berger

Houston’s temperature hit 100 degrees for the first time in a year on Sunday, reaching 100 exactly at Bush Intercontinental Airport. However, of more note have been the “low” temperatures overnight, which on the last four nights have only fallen to 80 degrees. This has set or tied a “high minimum temperature” record for each of the last four days. This only adds additional stress to the region’s ecosystem—not to mention people who live without air conditioning—on top of the already high daytime temperatures. Fortunately we only have one more extremely hot day before the heat breaks slightly.

Monday

A heat advisory remains in effect for today, until 9pm, as high pressure will lead again to mostly sunny skies and high temperatures of about 100 degrees across the region. By now, you know the drill, as today will be a lot like Saturday and Sunday. Areas to the northwest of Houston, including the Bryan-College Station region, are under an “excessive heat warning” because high temperatures could reach into 105-degree range for some areas.

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We’ve been talking about the heat this week, and upcoming weekend, for quite a while and unfortunately it will be as bad or worse than expected. The heat is especially extreme in the northern half of Texas, where high temperatures may reach 110 degrees, and areas such as Dallas and Fort Worth will see some of the worst heat since 2011. Heat advisories have been issued for the northern half of Texas, as well as some more extreme heat warnings for DFW and surrounding areas.

Additionally, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, reported on Wednesday that it set a new, all-time systemwide peak demand record during the afternoon, reaching 72,192 MW between 4 and 5 p.m. Electricity usage will only get higher this weekend as it gets slightly hotter than now, and you can help by conserving electricity (see how at the end of this post).

Thursday

Houston, with its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, won’t bake quite as much as northern Texas due to high pressures. But it will still be hot and sunny. Expect highs in the upper 90s with lows tonight near 80 degrees.

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Houston last officially recorded a 100-degree temperature on July 29, 2017—hitting 100 degrees right on the nose. This was, in fact, the only 100-degree day during all of last year. Perhaps we will get that lucky again this year with a paucity of very hot days, but some of the higher resolution models indicate the mercury will get to the century mark later this week, perhaps by Friday or Saturday. If this occurs, it should not come as too great of a surprise, as the average first date of Houston’s first 100-degree day is July 24th during the calendar year.

Typically, Houston records about five 100-degree days in a given year, although inland areas (further away from the Gulf waters in the 80s) typically record more, and areas south of Interstate 10 fewer.

Tuesday

Now we come to the actual forecast. Which is pretty easy. Expect sunny and hot conditions, with highs in the upper 90s. Overnight lows will only fall slightly below 80 degrees. The Saharan dust that was so prominent on Monday should begin to fade a bit.

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