Weather Eye: Next weekend could see a return to 100-degree highs

Summer keeps rolling along, my friends, and in good fashion. Our average mean temperature is running only 1.7 degrees above normal. Our warmest July high temperature so far, as of early Saturday afternoon, was 88 degrees. And we are almost through July, the hottest month of the year. Quite unusual. June was quite unusual in the opposite way.

But hold on, folks. Yep, warmer weather is on the way. We may have touched 90 degrees here or there around the county Saturday before I wrote this column, but please read on about the hot stuff.

This week promises more summer-like weather, with highs between 85 and 90 each day. Next weekend will be interesting. We have discussed the hot high pressure over the Four Corners region for some time now. Well, some forecast models hint that it will move westward toward us.

If so, we could see highs reaching 100 degrees again next weekend, but not like back in June, for sure. This is our usual way of getting hot weather and temperatures of 100 degrees plus. It shouldn’t last long, but keep an eye on the daily forecasts.

That excessive June heat wave was high pressure forming over southern British Columbia and building a hot dome well north of the usual Southwest desert heat. We shouldn’t see that again in our lifetimes.

For now, I’ll go with highs in the mid- to upper 90s Friday through Sunday, and as the week wears on, we will adjust accordingly.

Keep things well watered to avoid heat stress on plants and shrubs. Some shrubs around the yard one wouldn’t even think about watering through the summer, but not this year. They need all the moisture they can get.

Each summer, we usually tally about 15 days at or above 90 degrees. So far this year, we have recorded only nine days above 90 degrees, and all of those were in June. We will add a couple more 90-degree highs this month, for sure, and then see what August has to bring. Right now, it appears more of the same: warm and extremely dry weather.

Take good care, and we will chat on Tuesday.

Related Stories