Temperatures will be scorching this time of year, particularly in the southwest, from Texas to California. Highs in many areas will be in the triple digits and are 10-15 degrees above average. Nighttime temperatures will also be warmer than usual. The heat dome will expand starting this weekend into the lower 48.
For the State of Texas, it will be the first time temperatures have been above 100 so far this year. The drought, of course, will be an issue as no rainfall is currently in sight.
June is supposed to be a wet month for the Lone Star state. It's not, and July is historically a dry month. As a result, the drought will cause incredible heat temperatures this summer, warns Texas A&M University Department of Atmospheric Sciences climate specialist John Nielsen-Gammon.
Luke Henkhaus writes the presser:
Currently, the National Weather Service is projecting triple-digit temperatures across the majority of the state starting Friday through at least Monday.
"The heat will be accompanied by little to no precipitation, guaranteeing that the first half of June will also see below-normal precipitation across the state," Nielsen-Gammon said.
According to U.S. Drought Monitor data, early-June drought conditions haven't been this bad in Texas since 2013. In particular, the Southern High Plains, Trans Pecos, Hill Country and San Antonio areas are experiencing exceptional drought conditions. Extreme drought covers over 40% of the state. And while some other parts of the state have managed to escape these harsh conditions so far, Nielsen-Gammon said that's starting to change.
"Drought-free areas include parts of North-Central and Northeast Texas within 50 miles or so of the Red River, much of east Southeast Texas, and far South Texas," he said. "Of those areas, East and Southeast Texas have mostly missed out on recent rains and are rapidly drying out."
One thing to be aware of as summer looms, Nielsen-Gammon said, is these trends can create a sort of feedback loop: Hot weather allows the ground to dry out more quickly, which in turn leads to even higher temperatures down the line.
"It takes energy from the sun to evaporate water from the ground and from plants," Nielsen-Gammon said. "If there's no water left, all of the absorbed energy goes into heating the ground and driving up temperatures during the day. So the dry conditions right now are a harbinger of heat for much of the summer."
Nielsen-Gammon noted that the active tropical storm season predicted by NOAA this summer could bring heavy rain to coastal possible Texas landfalls. With climate change interfering with precipitation patterns, too much rain may fall in some areas while drought continues in the rest of the state.
So far, the drought is affecting the agricultural sector. Nielsen-Gammon urges water conservation as the drought might last into the following year. Texas has experienced wildfires and drought recently. The heat will once again test the energy grid of the state.