100 Degree Heat is Heading to East Texas, and Maybe a Hurricane?

Our June temperatures, so far, have been pretty close to normal across the Pineywoods. Highs around 90 and lows near 68 are right about average for the first half of June.

Record-Setting Heat on the Way?

So much for the norm. Apparently, mother nature is about to bring the heat. The temperatures across Deep East Texas will start gradually heading north on the temperature gauge.

This weekend, the high temperatures will creep closer to the mid-90s. Then, by the time we get to the middle of next week, some record-breaking heat could be infiltrating our area.

102 degrees, that's the record high for both June 15 and 16. Currently, the GFS weather model (one of the go-to models in the US) is forecasting high temperatures a few degrees above 100 for next Thursday and Friday for much of the Pineywoods.

The monthly outlook for the National Weather Service shows most of East Texas in the 'equal chances' area of experiencing somewhat normal temperatures for June. I guess mother nature didn't get the memo.

Oh Yeah...Hurricane Season is Here

With the start of June, hurricane season is now here.  It lasts until November 30. The highest frequency of hurricanes usually occurs from mid-August through early October, but there are many exceptions to the rule.

Case in point, we had Tropical Storm Arlene earlier in June. It didn't amount to much, though. It brought a lot of rain to Florida, but that was about it.

However, you might want to take a look at this map.

Hurricane Headed for Texas?

See that circular blob just off the Texas coastline?

Two words...low confidence. This GFS weather model is the forecast for June 22, still two weeks away. Whenever a weather model is forecasting something as significant as a hurricane some 14 days in the future, it comes with a major asterisk of uncertainty. In other words, don't change your plans based on this map.

Let's play 'What If'?

If this model somehow ends up being accurate, sometime around Thursday, June 22, a category two hurricane with winds near 110 mph would make landfall somewhere between Galveston and Corpus Christi.

Once again, I can't emphasize the words low confidence enough. That tropical system may never materialize. But, if it does, you heard it here first.