Texas Summer 2023

[Ntxw]

https://twitter.com/Climatologist49/status/1694740110414426289?s=20

Wishful thinking here, but lets hope the El Nino-winter-long range model predictions is correct. Maybe the weather Gods will do balance and the opposite happens. Cool areas to hot and hot areas to cold.

[rwfromkansas]

There’s a house down the street from us that went with the desert, fine gravel and cactus/yucca landscaping during a recent remodel.

It looks great and they’re taking those hundreds (thousands?) of dollars in water bill savings to the bank I’m sure.

But as another poster alluded to, I fear what the temps in Dallas would be if everyone did that. Talk about heat island. We’d be Phoenix but with the occasional major street flooding from runoff after the deluges we’re sure to also get.

The problem with urban desertification is that it wipes out habitats for creatures we want around like bees, fireflies, butterflies. What's more it doesn't actually help with the environment. Simply plant native grass, native plants and trees. Once established they require little care and are so important to keeping beneficial urban wildlife. What happens to those rock/sand yards once the rain comes back? Grass and other plants will grow and what usually happens is the homeowners spray weed poison all over to kill it which in turn isn't very good. You can be water wise and still have a lovely landscaped yard focusing on natives. I encourage everyone not in the Austin area to check out The National Wildflower Center. They partner with Native American Seed co. out of Junction and you can get all sorts of seeds native to your specific region as they cover all the ecological regions.

Native American Seed and similar outfits is the way to go. Love their wildflower seeds etc. And it conserves water while looking Texan.

[tajmahal]

A few weeks ago in the middle of a blazingly hot afternoon, I used my infrared surface thermometer on 5 different surfaces. A black rock yard with no vegetation and street asphalt that was laid last spring each had a temperature of 175°. Older street asphalt was 160°. My concrete driveway was 140°. My St. Augustine grass was 115°.

[dpep4]

There’s a house down the street from us that went with the desert, fine gravel and cactus/yucca landscaping during a recent remodel.

It looks great and they’re taking those hundreds (thousands?) of dollars in water bill savings to the bank I’m sure.

But as another poster alluded to, I fear what the temps in Dallas would be if everyone did that. Talk about heat island. We’d be Phoenix but with the occasional major street flooding from runoff after the deluges we’re sure to also get.

The problem with urban desertification is that it wipes out habitats for creatures we want around like bees, fireflies, butterflies. What's more it doesn't actually help with the environment. Simply plant native grass, native plants and trees. Once established they require little care and are so important to keeping beneficial urban wildlife. What happens to those rock/sand yards once the rain comes back? Grass and other plants will grow and what usually happens is the homeowners spray weed poison all over to kill it which in turn isn't very good. You can be water wise and still have a lovely landscaped yard focusing on natives. I encourage everyone not in the Austin area to check out The National Wildflower Center. They partner with Native American Seed co. out of Junction and you can get all sorts of seeds native to your specific region as they cover all the ecological regions.

'Wipes out' is overstating, I'd go with 'has potential to reduce'. It would take widespread adoption, whole suburbs and HOA conversions, to have a significant impact. Most front and backyards lawns, like Bermuda grass, are not native, so conversion to rock type lawns is not near as impactful to the urban ecosystem that has adapted compared to when that land was developed and converted from native vegetation.

And of course you can still have all kinds of flowers, groundcover, shrubs, and trees with a rock lawn, from ornamental to extensive swaths. Still mix in flower beds, mulchscaping, etc. The kind of vegetation that attracts bees and other manner of natural fauna, few of those actual require lawn grass. Deciduous shade trees can help mitigate the warming effects of rock replacing grass.

That said, I agree that landscaping as native as practical is often the preferable way to go and you give good advice in that regard. I don't want to see subdivision regulations changed to require non-native xeriscaping. But to individuals who want to convert their grass lawns to rock, I say go for it. But recommend a light-colored theme, of coarse (SWIDT?)

[wxman57]

Just had the absolute pleasure of mowing my back yard. Grass was mostly dead, except where my neighbor's sprinklers hit along the back fence. Had so many oak tree leaves to mulch, though. The tree still has enough leaves to provide some shade, however. Fortunately, the temperature was up to 106 degrees. Didn't hardly need a jacket. Humidity 33%.

[bubba hotep]

 https://twitter.com/NWSFortWorth/status/1694829052354339161




Also, it looks like Houston might have tied their all-time high temp.

[Iceresistance]

A little storm has developed east of Dallas and is moving west

[IcyTundra]

I’m praying for a tropical storm in September at this point before the door closes on the Texas hurricane season.

[dpep4]

Scattered showers moving into Houston from the east. Same line rained on Merryville, LA, but may not be enough to prevent the town from burning. They're under mandatory evacuation, and in fact you can see a large area in an "Evacuate Immediately" box on the NWS Lake Charles office's map. Big fires threatening towns in that area for at least the 3rd day.

[Cpv17]

I’m praying for a tropical storm in September at this point before the door closes in Texas hurricane season:

I’d be fine with a 20” Cat 1 at this point.

[Tireman4]

I think Bush hit 109 today, I think

[Iceresistance]

Scattered showers moving into Houston from the east. Same line rained on Merryville, LA, but may not be enough to prevent the town from burning. They're under mandatory evacuation, and in fact you can see a large area in an "Evacuate Immediately" box on the NWS Lake Charles office's map. Big fires threatening towns in that area for at least the 3rd day.

I don't see it on the NWS map, there is a severe thunderstorm near Lake Charles.

[Cpv17]

EPAC is blowing up. At some point in fall this will work to our advantage. Just a waiting game for now.

CanSIPS has above-average rainfall in October for Texas and Oklahoma.

The model only runs on the 1st of every month, it did remarkable on predicting a very dry August for Texas
https://s11.gifyu.com/images/Sg7Xz.png
https://s11.gifyu.com/images/Sg7Xz.png

This goes in line with what I’m thinking.

[SoupBone]

I can literally see the clouds dropping rain less than a mile from my house. And it's moving away from me. That's my luck.

[Iceresistance]

I can literally see the clouds dropping rain less than a mile from my house. And it's moving away from me. That's my luck.

Heat Miser has reported Thunder

[Ntxw]

I think Bush hit 109 today, I think

IAH hit 109F today (before clouds rolled in) which ties 2000 and 2011 as the hottest temperature ever recorded for that location. Records since 1889.

[Ntxw]

The light at the end of the tunnel (if you consider it that) is not the 90s next week, but the lows. Eventually that has to cave first, given climo. Low 70s and even 60s for some, more consistently.

[SoupBone]

I can literally see the clouds dropping rain less than a mile from my house. And it's moving away from me. That's my luck.

Heat Miser has reported Thunder

Yeah, Cinco and SW Houston is getting a huge cell roll through. Everything is poofing in my area. I think me and Jason must be very close to each other.

@jason, I'm going to need you to sell your house and move away, taking your damn rain shield with you. I wish I could post the pic, my area looks like I'm in the donut hole, rain all around me. I'm bone dry.

[captainbarbossa19]

I think Bush hit 109 today, I think

IAH hit 109F today (before clouds rolled in) which ties 2000 and 2011 as the hottest temperature ever recorded for that location. Records since 1889.

Given that there have only been 2 times recorded since 1889 with such hot temperatures, I think the recurrence interval should not be very frequent. A summer like this probably has a recurrence interval of at least 50 years especially given the unusual length and intensity of heat. Last year wasn't great either, but I suspect that next year should be much better especially once ENSO begins to take over our weather pattern later this year. It would be nice if we would see a change sooner than later though because forest fires are becoming an extreme threat currently to many areas. East Texas is particularly vulnerable right now.

[tajmahal]

I think Bush hit 109 today, I think

IAH hit 109F today (before clouds rolled in) which ties 2000 and 2011 as the hottest temperature ever recorded for that location. Records since 1889.

Given that there have only been 2 times recorded since 1889 with such hot temperatures, I think the recurrence interval should not be very frequent. A summer like this probably has a recurrence interval of at least 50 years especially given the unusual length and intensity of heat. Last year wasn't great either, but I suspect that next year should be much better especially once ENSO begins to take over our weather pattern later this year. It would be nice if we would see a change sooner than later though because forest fires are becoming an extreme threat currently to many areas. East Texas is particularly vulnerable right now.

Given that this summer is not much different from 2011, the journal article about 2011 is applicable to the return period for 2023: on average, approximately every ten years.

IAH's climate record began in 1969. But the Houston Area (ThreadEx) climate record does extend back to 1889. The Port of Houston has recorded 110° temperatures three times. Houston Hooks airport as hit 111°.