SAN ANTONIO – After 22 consecutive days with temperatures above 100 degrees, Monday could be number 23, as a tropical wave in the Gulf of Mexico culminates that streak.
Unfortunately, the relief will be short-lived and summer temperatures promise to return by the end of this week.
Whether it’s a depression or a storm, the impact of this system and its future path are highly defined by many factors. In the first instance, the heat wave is going to keep the track of the high pressure system in our area south of San Antonio.
The affected area should be near Brownsville. In the case of precipitation, because it is a small and fast-moving system, the expectation of rain and wind over San Antonio is relatively low compared to the border region.
Accumulations on the border will vary from 1 to 2 inches, with less than 1 inch expected in San Antonio. In fact, this region needs rain as it experiences level 1 and 2 droughts.
In San Antonio and the I-35 corridor, the expectation is that the exceptional drought will continue to increase as this system will not provide significant accumulation to mitigate the conditions we are currently experiencing.
You can find more about drought in our region in this report:
Drought affects natural areas, including important rivers and water bodies that serve as refuges for endangered species.
However, Rio Grande Valley accumulations could exceed 3 inches, meaning flash flooding and extreme tropical storm force winds of 39 miles per hour or more.
If this system withdraws, a change in wind direction will bring temperatures back up to 100 to 104 degrees late next week.
If you have light items that can easily be blown away by the wind, it is recommended that you secure them well before Tuesday. Winds in San Antonio are forecast to reach 35 mph.
The Texas coast from Port O’Connor to the Mexican border remains under a tropical storm warning.