Hot and generally dry conditions will prevail through the end of the week. While very low chances for rain are in the forecast, most of East Texas will stay dry for the next 7 to 10 days. Over the next few days, wind speeds will pick up into the 10 to 15 mph range - this will contribute to a High or Very High fire danger for nearly the entire area. Many counties are under burn bans, but not all counties in East Texas. High temperatures will continue to run above normal through the end of the week and into next. Heat Advisories have been issued and are likely to continue with a heat index forecast to be around 105° for the rest of the week. Towards the middle to end of next week, chances for rain look to increase slightly, but the chances are still low-end. Additionally, the Climate Prediction Center continues to expect warmer and drier than normal conditions for East Texas into the end of the month. New today, Tropical Storm Cristobal formed in the Atlantic. Cristobal will be what we call a "fish storm," meaning, it will stay out over the open ocean and only be a "concern" for the fish. The National Hurricane Center does continue to monitor other areas with medium to high chances of development in the coming days. It is possible Tropical Storm Dolly could form as soon as tonight or tomorrow.
Today in weather history... On August 12, 1981, Indio, California (located northwest of the Salton Sea), was impacted by a powerful downburst. Winds as high as 100 mph derailed 20 railroad cars, snapped power poles, downed trees, and destroyed two mobile homes. At least one person was injured. The daily weather history segments come to us courtesy of the Southeast Regional Climate Center.
This week's weather word is "sonora." A sonora is a summer thunderstorm in the mountains and deserts of southern California and Baja California, Mexico. This definition comes from the American Meteorological Society's Glossary of Meteorology (2026).
Also on today's show, an update on yesterday's derecho in the Midwest and the reason why severe weather warnings were delayed. In closing, our satellite imagery of the day showing the formation of Tropical Storm Cristobal and a solar eclipse, courtesy of the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere.
