Believe it or not, we’re “late” getting to the heat party. We’re going on seven months since we’ve had temperatures in the 90s!
Alas, 90+ is now in the forecast this week:
RELATED: FIND A POOL HOUSTON!
These days we’re seeing that 90° mark a lot earlier than May 7th. The past five years we’ve gotten there as early as March, while April is becoming more common! We did reach 89° this past March, so it was a close call.
Five years is not a full climate data set, but thirty years certainly is. Here’s that:
So while May is still the ‘winner’ for the first 90° days over the past three decades, the heat is turning on earlier and earlier in most years.
To that end, the National Weather Service is now producing a Heat Risk map. With color-coded levels from No Risk to Minor-Moderate-Major-Extreme, you can click on each day and zoom in to see the heat risk in your area. For example, below is this coming Wednesday and you see we are all under a MODERATE Heat Risk suggesting impacts to anyone who doesn’t do well in the heat and there are a few Red areas of MAJOR risk warning for everyone without effective cooling and hydration.
You can see this Heat Risk map for yourself right here. And remember, while 90° doesn’t sound that hot to us weather-worn Houstonians, inside a closed car that 90° will soar to near 120° in just 20 minutes! Please be careful this summer as we head back into our hottest months!
Frank
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