C/S TX Weather: Seasonal with some rains

[Portastorm]

Rainfall amounts on Tuesday ranged from a third of an inch to about an inch close to the downtown core.

Today, we had a lovely lunch-time shower that must have dropped at least a third to a half inch of rain. This is good! And two days in a row below 100 ... we're living large now!!

[Shoshana]

But it didn't last... it was 103 at Mabry, 104 at AUS and 106 at our house.

We got .6" the first day it rained, just a trace the second. We're going to try to soak the yard before July 4 and the crazy neighbors setting off (illegal) fireworks...

[Portastorm]

No ... it did not. We're on our third consecutive day of 100-degree-plus high temperatures. Geez, can't get much of a break. Allegedly the High Pressure Ridge of Death is supposed to erode enough early this next week that we might see some shower/storm action for a few days. We can only hope.

[Shoshana]

We packed us and the dog up and spent the entire day at our friend's pool in P'ville... if the heat keeps up they may see us way more often then they expected! Even the water in the pool was getting warm - they had to put shades up to keep the pool tolerable. And they're talking about dumping ice in...

1980 Dallas, people all over were were buying big blocks of ice for their pools....

[Portastorm]

Yeah, our neighborhood pool last weekend felt like bath water it was so warm. That's kinda nasty!

We set a record yesterday for the warmest July Fourth in Austin recorded history: 104 degrees. Pardon me if this news does not excite me.

[Portastorm]

Record-setting heatwave continues in the capital of Texas on the day after the Fourth. We hit record highs at both Camp Mabry (104) and Bergstrom airport (102).

I wasn't here for the 1980 heatwave ... but I gotta say this is the most brutal start to summer that I can recall seeing here in Austin since 1984 (when I moved here).

[CajunMama]

Any break in the heat forecasted for y'all anytime soon?

[Shoshana]

Currently 105 at AUS, 103 @ Mabry. 107 at our house.

They say it's not humid, but it feels humid even at 105.

And as far as a break, the high tomorrow is supposed to be mid 90's. Then back in the oven...

[Portastorm]

Well, we can thank a dying mesoscale convective system for keeping our temps down today. Not much rain to speak of but the clouds help. We won't hit 100 or higher today.

[Shoshana]

Yup, it's practically cool today at 97 here at the house 95 at AUS. The a/c is even keeping up!

When it gets over 105, our A/C struggles for the 2 hours the outside compressor is in the sun...

[Shoshana]

From News8 Austin (TWC news channel)

Austin set a record Wednesday with a high of 106 at Camp Mabry, breaking the record of 105 set in 1939. The high of 105 at Austin Bergstrom International Airport broke the record of 102 set in 1956.

================================

I saw 108 at our house. It's still over 90 at 11:30 pm.

It's also 22 100+ days so far this year.

Last year was around the same number of 100+ days, but there wasn't so many 103-107 days....

Avg number of 100+ days... 12.

Oh the a/c guy came out yesterday and said our 8 year old compressor and fan are wearing out...

[Portastorm]

Your A/C system isn't the only thing wearing out ... I heard where the Texas energy grid set an all-time demand record yesterday.

No end in sight to the heat wave/drought.

[lrak]

Corpus Christi is really hurting, my grass is barely alive and I water it each day for 45min around 7pm and its still burnt

No relief? Any estimates, October cold front maybe

[Shoshana]

Our backyard is still green in the shaded parts - under the trees and near the house and fencelines. But the middle? Straw. And the earth is so dry it's already cracking.

The front yard is the same - but since there's more shade there's a smaller yellow white crunchy area.

We have a sprinkler system but with the drought we can only water twice a week - for us it's Thursday and Sunday.

I'm thinking about getting a couple of hose end sprinklers just for the really bad places.

ERCOT has already said that Texans need to cut back on electric use today - to not use big appliances between 3-7 (like we want to use the dryer or stove and heat the house up???) and turn the a/c to 80....

I can do everything but the 80 thermostat. I don't have a problem outside when it's 80, but inside it just feels too warm... even with fans ... unless I just sit like a lump and don't vacuum or dust or mop or clean or (before 3 pm) do laundry....

[A1A]

Any longer range forecast on when the H is going to leave?

[A1A]

Corpus Christi is really hurting, my grass is barely alive and I water it each day for 45min around 7pm and its still burnt

No relief? Any estimates, October cold front maybe

Give up on the grass and save the trees! That's what I'm trying to do!

[A1A]

Someone told me El Nina was responsible for the drought conditions. Now I'm reading that El Nino is back. Is there really a significance for our weather - should we expect wetter conditions soon?

[Portastorm]

I believe that La Nina has been responsible for much of the drought conditions we have seen since 2007, when it started. However, the developing El Nino along with a negative Arctic Oscillation means hot and dry for Texas.

Saw an interesting post on the Eastern forum that showed these signals in analog years and how July and August also ended up hot and dry for Texas. I'm not too optimistic until this fall ... and hopefully the El Nino will place a stormtrack right over us so we can start replenishing the scorched earth around here!

[lrak]

Corpus Christi is really hurting, my grass is barely alive and I water it each day for 45min around 7pm and its still burnt

No relief? Any estimates, October cold front maybe

Give up on the grass and save the trees! That's what I'm trying to do!

If you can believe it one of our mesquite trees bit the dust. I've never seen one die like that, I remember clearing mesquites to make extra cash way back when, and they are some hardy trees.

[lrak]

I believe that La Nina has been responsible for much of the drought conditions we have seen since 2007, when it started. However, the developing El Nino along with a negative Arctic Oscillation means hot and dry for Texas.

Saw an interesting post on the Eastern forum that showed these signals in analog years and how July and August also ended up hot and dry for Texas. I'm not too optimistic until this fall ... and hopefully the El Nino will place a stormtrack right over us so we can start replenishing the scorched earth around here!

Well let that storm track between Corpus and Brownsville then track right over you