HOUSTON – I hope you got a chance to enjoy the cooler weather that we’ve been experiencing over the last few weeks as we’re about to get jolted into a quick summertime pattern starting this weekend.
Yes, you heard me right, summer is about to plant an early lawn chair across the southern half of the United States courtesy of a record-setting and unusually strong ridge of high pressure across the desert southwest.
So what IS this “heat dome” and how does it affect our weather? Let’s take those questions one at a time:
What is it?
A massive “heat dome” is parked over the western United States—and it’s acting like a lid on a boiling pot.
In weather terms, think of it as a strong area of high pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere. Conversely, think of it as a giant bubble of sinking air stretching over states like California, Nevada and Arizona. That sinking air compresses and heats up as it moves downward, essentially baking the ground below day after day.
What effects will it bring?
- It traps the heat: The heat dome suppresses cloud formation, meaning relentless sunshine, dry, hot air that serves as a reinforcing convective oven. The hot air compresses to the surface, which makes more hot air with compresses to the surface ... you get the idea.
- It blocks relief: Storm systems that would normally bring cooler air are forced to track well north and detour into places like Washington and Oregon, Southern Canada.
- It builds over time: Each day adds another layer of heat, pushing temperatures into record territory—especially in cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas, which could see all-time record highs for the month of March this week and weekend
What effects will it have on Texas?
The same heat dome baking the western U.S. is expanding east into Texas, and it’s giving us an early taste of summer—just without the extreme triple-digit numbers seen out west.
Think of it as the edge of the oven, not the center—but it’s still hot. In fact, we’ll be pushing our temperatures into the upper 80s by this weekend!
While the worst of the heat stays out West, we’ll be feeling the ripple effect—an early-season heat wave that’s pushing temperatures into the 90s, shutting off rain, and giving Houston a preview of summer… in March. Buckle up, y’all ...