Dangerous heat and humidity here to stay for the rest of the holiday weekend

Dangerously hot conditions were found outside across Central Texas kicking off this Memorial Day Weekend. Models are also showing the possibility of a few more showers and storms moving in from the west after 2 AM and attempting to travel southeast, but should dissipate before sunrise Sunday. The overnight rain chances are not guaranteed, as we have to see if the storms can hold on and actually make it into Central Texas. Thankfully we’re not expecting severe storms in Central Texas overnight, but some lightning and gusty winds could be possible. While most will remain storm-free for the rest of your Saturday, it’s important to remain weather aware in case a strong storm moves into your area. The National Weather Service has extended the Heat Advisory for areas south and east of Waco and Killeen through 8 PM Sunday. We’ll see another repeat of dangerously hot and humid conditions for the day Sunday. Sunday morning will start out with some clouds with temperatures down into the mid-70s. For the afternoon, sunshine is expected area-wide as drier air moves in from the west. That drier air will help limit storm development in our area, but it’ll boost temperatures for the afternoon. Temperatures Sunday afternoon will vary across Central Texas all because of the wind direction. Southwest winds are forecast for areas near and west of I-35, which will send highs in the mid 90s to around 100°, but humidity will be much lower due to the drier air in place, so heat-index values are not forecast to be as high. Now, areas near and east of I-35 actual air temperature may not reach as high, in the low to mid 90s, but the excessive humidity could have heat index values approaching between 105° to 109°! We’ll have to monitor our far northeastern areas for a stray late day storm, but the better chance for severe weather Sunday will remain northeast of Central Texas. Our biggest concern Sunday will be the dangerous heat, so as a reminder: NEVER leave children or pets unattended in a car that is turned off - Find some A/C whenever you can, and try to find some shade if you’re spending long periods of time outdoors - Make sure you are staying hydrated by drinking lots of water- And wear loose fitting and light colored clothing to help keep you cooler!

Memorial Day Monday is looking to see a repeat of the extremely hot and muggy conditions. We could see the Heat Advisory get extended for another day as we could see heat index values back up between 105°or hotter for the afternoon. A weak cold front is set to slide through the area on Monday, which may help our temperatures and humidity come down ever so slightly, but little to no relief is expected for the holiday. With the cold front moving in and all the heat and humidity in place, there will be the chance for a few late day showers and storms, especially to the south and east of Waco. Across our southern and southeastern areas there’s a Level 1 risk for severe storms with large hail and gusty winds being the concern in any stronger storm that develops or moves in. The month of May has been extremely wet and stormy across Central Texas and that same weather pattern looks to stick around for the rest of the month and even into the beginning of June. Right now, there are chances for showers and storms in the forecast every single day next week. Right now, it’s still a bit too early to nail down specifics on our severe weather potential, but with all the heat and humidity in place, we’re not ruling out the chance for severe storms. With the rain and cloud cover around, we could see highs stay in the mid 80s to around 90° everyday next week with morning lows down into the low to mid 70s… But with all the humidity in place, our feels-like temperatures may be around the low to mid 90s! Rain totals look like they could be anywhere from 1″ to 3″ over the next week! Make sure to stay up to date with the forecast.

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