BurtonFitzsimmons.com

Umbrellas may be getting a workout again today! Rain chances hold at 30% through the first day of July, typically our 2nd driest and 2nd hottest month of the year. A few storms might also rumble through the area with a brief downpour. Keep an eye on the radar…

Some 24 hour totals:
1.97″ Lady Bird Lk@Longhorn Dam
1.20″ Elgin
0.73″ Waco
0.61″ Barton Creek @ 360
0.57″ Thorndale
0.39″ Austin-Mabry
0.37″ Austin-Bergstrom
0.31″ Marble Falls

Today’s strongest storms could deliver damaging hail and lightning, though most will simply offer rain. We expect less than 1/4″ in most areas though a few may add on another 1/2″.

Fairly cloudy skies and moist grounds yield low to mid 90s today at the warmest. A few showers may linger into early Thursday (a <20% chance) but we anticipate sunshine beaming back our way, sending us right back into the heat wave as high pressure again strengthens over Texas through the end of the week.

Holiday Forecast… Hot, dry weather looms ahead for the Independence Day weekend with rain chances appearing ultra low. Make sure you have something cool planned! A weather system moving through the Central Plains will cause southerly winds to become breezy here by Sunday.

Next Week… The heat ridge holds strong through the middle of next week before easing north, possibly opening the gate for tropical weather from the Gulf to move in. Check back for updates on the 8-day forecast.

Summer Stats… July’s typically our second hottest and second driest month of the year with, 1.97″ coming during five rainy days, on average. The 30 year climate records indicate 95 as an average high and 73 as an average low. Find out more summer statistics in our newest edition of the Weather Observer newsletter. A likely warmer than normal July ‘09 may or may not turn out to be wetter than the past 30 days, according to NOAA.

Enjoy your Thursday.
Meteorologist
Burton Fitzsimmons

Outdoor grilling takes on a whole new meaning these days! Dangerous temps in the low 100s combine with just a bit of humidity to make the afternoons feel like 105-115, and low temps won’t drop much below 80 at night. A HEAT ADVISORY is now in effect for all of Central Texas until 7pm Saturday.

Yesterday’s new records:
106 Waco (104/1933)
105 Camp Mabry (101/1994)
104 ABIA (101/1990)

Wednesday felt like:
114 Austin-Downtown
112 Taylor
109 Fort Hood
108 Waco
107 Temple
106 Austin-Mabry
105 Austin-Bergstrom
105 Killeen

We made it to 100 during the noon hour at some of our weather stations, maybe as hot as 104-106 in metro areas with a heat index rising to near 112 through the afternoon. Records to beat today: 102 Mabry, 100 ABIA, 105 Waco. Simply avoid the outdoors if possible, and make sure you and your pets keep hydrated.

What’s that green we see on Futurecast? A bit of rainfall?? Yes! There’s a very slim 10% chance for a brief, isolated shower this afternoon coming from the east. Then we’ll watch for seabreeze showers to develop this weekend though most won’t make it up this far north of the coast.

Pattern Shift?… A slow diminish in the heat wave comes as the strong high pressure cell aloft over the Plains weakens through Sunday, moving towards the desert southwest early next week. That may allow a northerly wind flow aloft to carry a rare June cold front at least to the Red River Valley by Tuesday. We have hope for at least a few spotty showers and storms early next week.

It may not be by much, but you’ll at least find fewer triple digits on the 8-day forecast. Be sure to check back with us here at on ‘Weather on the Eights’ for updates.

Enjoy your Thursday.

Meteorologist
Burton Fitzsimmons