A Break from the Summer
BIGGEST RAIN IN 52 DAYS
LOWEST TEMPERATURES SINCE JULY 1ST
COOLEST DAY THIS SUMMER
Through the early morning hours storms moved in from the north and across most of our area. As the storms subsided around daybreak the rain lingered across the first quarter of the day. It turned into a the best gift of all for these parched lands, best described as a farmer's rain. For most the morning it fell at a rate that allowed for a deep soaking in these clay soils producing the minimum run-off. Not only did it fall in the early morning, clouds stayed around all day so to minimize evaporation.
By late morning the tallies started coming in showing the best rain in 52 days. The western half soaked the best: Mineral Wells 2.73", Breckenridge 2.33", Stephenville 2.04". Fort Worth got its share: the Nature Center logged 1.80", Alliance 1.19", JRB 1.07". The rain was much less in the eastern half and hardly any at all in the southeast corner.
The rain broke the heat. It produced the coolest day we've had this summer. Not only did it NOT hit 100° this afternoon it didn't even hit 90°! The official high today at DFW was 89°, the last time highs stayed in the 80's was back on May 26th. The low this morning was only 76°, the lowest temperature we've registered since July 1st. All this was tempered a bit by very high humidity.
The rain has dealt a blow to the high pressure ridge that had dominated our weather pattern for the last 60 days. It'll build back in: we are expecting a run fo 100 degree weather starting Monday and going into next weekend. Dry weather returns at well, as it looks right now there are only very small chances of rain this coming week. We'll have a slight chance on Thursday.
Regardless, it was a lovely break from the heat, a reminder to us that drought and heat waves do end. Even it only for a couple of days.
THREE DAY FORECAST:
Sunday: Mostly Sunny, 99°, SE-5-10. An ORANGE ALERT is in effect for Air Quaility
Monday: Mostly Sunny, 102° A Heat Advisory is Likely
Tuesday: Mostly Sunny, 103°
