Excellent link shared by a member at Nerdzone about our weather this week. If you are a weather nerd, you will love this video.

The violent spring weather has now passed. The month of June was extremely record breaking hot. We went through two omega blocks with a high pressure aloft that kept our temps in the 100 degree F.

This weekend, we've had the blessing of lower temps (mid 90's) and cloud cover. After awhile the sun beaming down on you everyday can get overwhelming. July is usually a very hot month though this week we are getting a break and then the heat will be back in full swing through August.

Waiting on hurricane season to kick in that can often times bring us some needed rain, though I'd rather it not because I know that means other people are suffering through severe storms and potential damage.

July has turned out to be a very hot month just like June and if you live in the south, June is supposed to be a warm up to summer and it's rare to have a hot June like we did all month. We are in another heat dome that is causing a lot of grief for so many in the south, south east and south west. The Gulf of Mexico is way hot for July and Florida is experiencing water temps in the mid 90's F, which is not normal. With severely hot temperatures, there are great threats to sea plant life and marine life. There have also been more shark attacks this summer then last summer. Most of the time when we are in an El Nino pattern, wind shear usually blows out a lot of weaker storms that are entering the Lesser and Greater Antilles into the Gulf of Mexico, however, forecasters are predicting because the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic are so hot, they expect issues with hurricane development because of the extra warm water. Unusual tonight is we are expecting strong storms in the middle of the night. Once the summer gets in full swing, the norm is getting some pop up thunderstorms on occasion and sometimes weeks can go by with out any rain and drought is a common theme. This summer not exactly so, hence my surprise of this unexpected weather coming through. I can say though, with the temperatures so high in the triple digits with the severe humidity, it's oppressive to be outside unless you are used to it in some way. Our neighbors in Arizona and Nevada have extremely record breaking dangerous temperatures over the next week. Texans can get through triple digits but Arizona and Nevada will be breaking records with substantial heat. Wishing safety to everyone. Heat map from the Weather Channel

July was miserably hot with most days in excess of 100F + temperatures. Texas has not had any rain for over a month and really before that very little rain. Severe drought is ravaging most of Texas, lake levels are near all time lows and the rest of August will also be over 100F.

Over the next several days will be the hottest days of our Summer 2023. Temperatures will exceed 108F in North Texas and in South and West Texas, temps will be worse. Our electric grid, Ercot is poised for possible rolling black outs over the weekend, though Texan's have been assured the grid is fully ready.

It's one thing to lose power in zero degree temps in the winter, you can at least layer clothing, though you are still miserable, but if temperatures get into the 90's and exceed the 100's F, and power is lost, the elderly, pets and generally everyone are at risk of heat exhaustion and when it happens it comes on very fast.

All Texans are looking forward with hope that September will give us all a break. We've been in this heat dome since early June, which June being so hot is not normal.

The Atlantic hurricane season is firing up too. The south Atlantic basin and the Gulf of Mexico are at record breaking high temperatures too. I'm hopeful, that 2023 Hurricane season will not be catastrophic.

Texas experienced a major severe storm outbreak, and I'm going to go on record saying this was unexpected because tornadoes were not in the forecast, but tornadoes did pop up in various cities along with nearly 70mph winds, driving rain, severe cloud to ground lightening and rapid flooding that impacted areas that normally flood.

https://weather.com/storms/severe/video/severe-storms-injure-multiple-people-in-texas-oklahoma

I could tell by the future radar that this wasn't going to be just a severe storm watch, but a severe storm warning and the updates were adjusted but still didn't indicate the high winds. The forecast only said, hail and wind.

This is our fall weather and how it works. Anything can happen and usually does without warning. This is why it's good to always have a plan if bad weather is on it's way.

A video taken yesterday of the winds that came through Texas.

https://weather.com/storms/severe/video/texas-severe-storms-bring-howling-winds

Storm damage reports on a local level of the Texas storm that hit, October 4th, 2023.

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article280144654.html

Unprecedented cold weather for North Texas this weekend and at the beginning of the week. We've had torrential downpours and they will continue through Sunday. Rain will move out Monday, but not before the cold front coming in brings temps to below freezing, Monday and Tuesday night, thanks to a highly powerful cold front that collided with Otis remnants while pulling a significant amount of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

We have the heat on already. Stay warm!

Texas has had an extremely mild winter so far.  I'm still in the belief that mid to end of January, maybe early February, we are going to have an unexpected cold spell, with precipitation that will rival our past three winters.  All I ask, is let us maintain our power and it would be really nice if it was just cold temperatures without the snow and ice too.

Here's a bit of an update of historic December temperatures in Texas from a local news station.

https://www.kbtx.com/2023/12/19/bah-humbug-comparing-this-years-christmas-forecast-ghosts-seasons-past/

 

Texas has maintained a very mild fall and winter, however, I believe that's about to change over the next six weeks.  We are finally going to hit below freezing temperatures and stay pretty cold throughout the day.  So far, I don't see any precipitation associated with the lower temperatures, but that can always change.  The bigger challenge is keeping power on even when other areas north of us are experiencing the bad weather and we are not.

The northern part of Texas that meets the Oklahoma border had about 3 inches of snow as part of the bigger picture of snow storm, Ember, which has been sweeping through the central prairie lands of the US and working it's way eastward.  Snow storm Finn is coming through the US now back to back after Ember.

https://www.chron.com/news/weather/article/snow-in-texas-18591071.php

North Texas did have a freeze last night and I woke up to either just remnants of frost or maybe some snow?  It was more of a frost than normal.  We just lost power for a few seconds, which prompted me to check the weather, and the Texas power outage map.

https://poweroutage.us/area/state/texas

My dh and I were just talking about loosing power this morning because we are getting into the most extreme part of Texas's winter.  Good grief.