HOT...HOT...HOT!!!

It has been way too long since I last made a post on here. It seems like that's how I start off every post lately because I go through these lazy periods I guess. HAHA...Let's get straight to the forecast though.

It's not even summer yet and we're already dealing with highs in the mid and upper 90s. The Summer Solstice (beginning of summer) is Monday, June 21 at 6:28am CDT.

We are currently under a ridge of high pressure and it's only going to get stronger over the next few days. This image below is the 500mb chart (about 18,000ft above our heads). What does this chart really show? Well, I'm glad you asked because it is one of my favorite maps to look at. Here is a brief description: Basically it shows the current wind and heights at 500mb. The 500 mb level is often referred to as the steering level as most weather systems and precipitation follow the winds at this level.

Ok, so now that we got that meteorology lesson out of the way, back to the forecast. This is the 500mb chart below for Tuesday afternoon and it shows a 594dm ridge of high pressure over our area.

The heights can also be used to estimate surface temperatures since height of a pressure surface is related to the mean temperature of the air below it. Generally speaking, the higher the heights the warmer the temperatures.

So add that with lower soil moisture and slightly drier air on Tuesday and triple digits are possible. I have highs around 100° for Monday and 101° for Tuesday. We may see temperatures come down slightly by the middle and end of next week, but it will still be well above average (89°). 

Most of Region 8 is under a heat advisory until 8pm Monday. Feels like temperatures will range from 105° to 109° at times so please be careful if you have to be outside. During extreme heat drink plenty of water, avoid long periods of time outside, and keep an eye on your pets and elderly.

A backdoor cold front enters the area Thursday into Friday and could actually bring a few isolated showers/storms.  We are approaching 6inches below normal in the yearly rainfall category. So lets hope we see some rain during this time.

You can find my 7-day and latest video forecast here. Thanks for stopping by the blog and Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.