The Labor Day forecast is steamy
We’ll end this weekend with more heat and humidity, but a slightly better chance of much-needed rain. Many areas are receiving some rain over the weekend, but there are still plenty of properties that have remained very dry. For most of the summer, we’ve had a stubborn dome of high pressure over the central part of the country, but today there’s a low overhead over North Texas.
CATK
This pulls more moisture out of the Gulf, and with more unstable air, afternoon storms will continue to occur. This upper low will open as today’s low before moving east later this week. Today appears to be the best chance for widespread rain coverage, although most of the rain will be concentrated during the peak afternoon heat hours. So, if you have outdoor Labor Day plans, the earlier in the day, the better.
CATK
Temperatures are expected to reach the mid to upper 90s with heat index values between 105-108. Temperatures will cool down with scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. The winds will be generally light, coming from the southeast. More of the same is expected on Tuesday as the trough passes east. A ridge of high pressure is then expected to rebuild in the middle and latter part of the week, so rain chances will decrease and highs will approach 100 degrees again Wednesday into Friday.
CATK
Next weekend could bring more rain on Saturday as a trough digs across the eastern half of the country. Then Sunday’s drier air pushes into next week. This will allow nighttime temperatures to drop into the lower 70s, although highs will still reach the mid-90s during the day.
CATK
Tropical weather has been more active over the past two weeks, as expected given that peak hurricane season activity typically occurs this week and next. Tropical Storm Geert will continue to weaken in the central Atlantic, while Tropical Depression Katia struggles in the eastern Atlantic.
CATK
Another tropical wave off the coast of Africa is expected to become a tropical storm, and eventually Hurricane Lee. Watch for this as it drifts westward into the northern Caribbean Sea.
CATK
It now appears that drilling in the eastern half of the United States this weekend will lead Lee away from the Gulf of Mexico, but the US East Coast will need to be watched closely next week. Many models predict a severe hurricane, but any landfall in the continental United States is uncertain.
