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Bright sunshine will mix with only a few scattered clouds through the weekend as a summer high pressure strengthens over Texas, delivering a hot finish to this warmer-than-normal May.

Scattered low clouds developed just before sunrise, with morning temps rising from near 70 now to low and mid 90s again by afternoon as the clouds part. South winds gradually increase humidity levels again, providing a heat index three to five degrees above our forecast highs for the next several days.

Very little change will occur under this bubble of sinking air, which continues to act as a “storm squasher” in much of the Lone Star State. It’s a totally different scenario than last May, if you recall, where more than seven inches of rain fell during the month! The El Nino of ’07 provided a very wet spring and early summer, but the La Nina pattern that started last fall has kept us relatively dry since. A May rain deficit greater than three inches proves the point.

According to the record books, it’s officially been the sixth hottest May in Austin’s history with an average temperature of 79.4 degrees so far. We’ve set six new high temperature records in the city these last two weeks, with the hottest back on May 20 at 101.

And temps may climb into that territory again by early next week! Expect no decent rain in our area for maybe another seven days or so when a west coast storm tries to come our way. Check back for updates on the 8-day forecast.

TD Alma… Yesterday, the birth of the first tropical cyclone of the eastern north Pacific hurricane season included the death of one Central American due to electrocution amidst a deluge of rain and wind. Tropical Storm Alma hit the coast of Nicaragua and has since diminished to tropical depression status (satellite loop), moving NNW at 12mph from over Honduras this morning generally toward Belize tonight and the Yucatan tomorrow.

Storm Report… Although severe weather (and rain in general) avoided our area much of this week, deadly storms erupted elsewhere in the country. A total of 195 tornadoes were reported in the last seven days, making this one of the most active tornado years in recent memory. As many as 110 lives have been claimed, a 10 year high and the 7th deadlist tornado year since 1950.

Enjoy your Friday and have a cool weekend!

Meteorologist
Burton Fitzsimmons

We’re closing out the month with more summerlike heat and a deficit of rainfall. Not the scenario we like to talk about when summer hasn’t even officially arrived! Some area thermometers may hit 100 again this weekend.

Scattered clouds returned overnight to mix with a bit of morning sunshine before turning partly sunny again today. Expect high temps in the low to mid 90s, with a few spots popping briefly into the upper 90s today and tomorrow afternoon. As southeast winds reel in more Gulf air our humidity levels will rise, too, offering a feel of upper 90s to low 100s again.

Almost all weather indicators point to the Sonoran and Bermuda high pressure cells we see dominating the southern U.S. grow stronger this weekend. The jet stream will lift further north, maintaining this unseasonably warm and dry pattern for at least the next two weeks.

It’s a long shot, but the next best chance for organized rain on the 8-day forecast appears next Thursday. The dog days may have arrived way too early this year.

May Perspective… The National Climate Data Center reports an Austin 30-year May high temperature average of 84.8 degrees. During May 2008, we’ve seen an average high of 90 — in the running for the 6th warmest May in our city’s history. The ongoing deficit of rainfall, now near three inches in Austin this month alone, has southern parts of our areas in an abnormally dry situation. Overall year-to-date deficits run near two inches around Waco to nearly eight inches for San Marcos and Lockhart.

Enjoy your Thursday.

Meteorologist
Burton Fitzsimmons