Storm the Field

Whereabouts?

Yeah, that's the kicker. It's not extreme, record-setting hot any more, but the current long range forecast goes out to 9/15, and is basically 99/78 every day through then. Average temp range this time of year is 93/72. By two Fridays from now, it "should" be 91/71. We're going to spend the first half of September consistently 7-8 degrees above average. We typically see our first legit front that drops lows into the mid-60's for a day or two sometime between 9/20 and 10/1. At this point, just getting 4-5 degrees closer to normal temps would be a huge win. As in, some 94/74 days, which would be still be hotter than average, would be very welcome.

~40% rain chances for Greater Houston area Sunday-Wednesday. I swear, if it pours down 2 miles west or south of my house again and I barely get a drop...

Damnit, hunting season starts tomorrow, college football gets going in earnest this weekend. This is the time of year that I mentally categorize as "Fall." It sure as shit ain't gonna feel like it any time soon though.

It's the last day of the year that isn't hunting season!

This is literally the "bitch about the hot ass Texas summer" thread. You're bitching that people are bitching in the bitch thread, genius.

Aside from that maybe that one Wednesday 2 weeks ago, this was the nicest morning of the last 3 months. Felt great, and that northern air just has a different smell to it. Smelled like Fall for a few fleeting hours. Gave myself a small treat and popped into the coffee shop next to my gym and grabbed a proper coffee to drink on my back porch when I got home. Dogs just laid on the ground next to me and looked pleased as shit. It was a good morning.

76 and counting.

Some rather weird days in that chart. High of 99 on 9/24, but a front apparently passed through and dropped the low to 59 that evening. The next day was 105.

Paywalled article in Bloomberg yesterday about how retailers are finally putting stuff on sale again. Clothes, shoes, appliances..etc. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-08-27/discounts-make-a-comeback-as-shoppers-get-picky-about-spending?sref=QEebQnRf#xj4y7vzkg Anecdotally, I have noticed a lot more "40% off sitewide" deals from apparel brands lately.

Sidenote, but the scene in Arrested Development where Franklin gets bleached in the washing machine and GOB uses a proper, English accent to say "You've ruined the act, GOB" is arguably the most laugh out loud bit in the entire series.

Yes, I've been wrong before and will continue to make faulty predictions. I don't have a crystal ball and can only go on what the forecast models are showing. That's why I usually say "should."

Taking a gander at the latest 15-day forecast: Good news: I think we're just about done seeing any temps over 101. No more insane heat blasts like last Thursday or Sunday. Bad news: Apparently we'll be stuck at 100/77 in perpetuity. In a normal year, by 9/12, the average temperature range for Houston is 91/71, and the average high and low starts a steady pace of dropping 1 degree every 4.5 days. Not saying this is gonna happen, but if we continue on a pace of being consistently 8-9 degrees above average, we won't be done with highs in the 90's until around 10/18.

W #75

From SCW today. I was talking about this same thing with some friends yesterday, funnily enough during the absolute hottest part of the day before the front started rolling through overnight. The blastfurnace still has plenty of fuel left, but it seems like after 2 straight months, we may have at long last finally escaped from the extreme, unprecedented range and are back into something closer to "upper 10th percentile of a regular summer." Like, these 100/78 days ahead would usually be some of our hottest, late July/early August days in a normal summer.

NOLA just hit 104, breaking their all-time record by 2 degrees. God, can you imagine how it smells in the Quarter today?

Yeah, future radar has a patchy line of fairly strong storms popping up from San Angelo to Lufkin around 5:30. Looks like the lakes might actually get a little action this evening. Meanwhile, Houston's on pace to shatter the previous all-time high. Already at 106 and it's only 2:15. We're a couple degrees ahead of Thursday's pace. The air out in front of this front is getting superheated.

Took dogs for a walk around 7:45, actually fairly pleasant. Decent breeze and not too humid. By the end of the walk it had warmed up a good 7-8 degrees and I was pretty damn soaked in sweat. This afternoon is gonna be rough. Definitely gonna try and take advantage of much more tolerable mornings and evenings with the drier air rolling through this week.

But seriously, Denver looks like a paradise the next few weeks based on the current forecast. Enjoy it, you lucky fuckers.

Less than a week until hunting season officially begins, at least North of I-10. This time next weekend, this thread better have pics of dove laying on tailgates, dogs, and beer cans. Arguably a good thing that it's not this weekend, as there'd probably be a a bunch of heat-related hunting deaths. Old men just keeling over out in sunflower fields. I've got a big hunt coming up for South Zone opener 3 weekends from now. No current plans for Labor Day at the moment, so thinking about making a quick run to the deer lease and seeing if I can luck into some white wings on Saturday. Saw plenty while we were driving around out there 2 weekends ago, but there hasn't been water in the "watering hole" for 2 years now and there aren't really any proper fields (it's timber property, not a farm/ranch), so there's no particular spot to set up in. Would have to get lucky and catch some flying over the clearing around the camp-house area. Beats sitting at home, I guess. Just remembered I need to go swing by Academy this weekend and renew my super combo.

Good lord, Twitter blue checks might be even worse discussing weather than politics, if that's somehow worse. Post last night from Houston weatherman saying he's sorry to report a possible all-time record high on Sunday. First 3 paid, boosted replies I saw: Crazy health lady: "Sorry, but this is pathetic. I love the heat. Makes me want to sweat and detox my body." Crypto bro with NFT profile pic: "Settle down, it's been this hot before, going be ok." MAGA meme account with Tucker Carlson pic: "Sorry? Are you God and control the weather?" Bang up job, Elon!

Punishing 48 hours ahead, but I spy a couple of 99/75 days with lower humidity next week. It's a start. Beats 106/81.

^^^ *neck of the woods

Got about 2 minutes of rain last night in my neck and it's not as oppressively muggy as usual this morning. #smallvictories Today (~101) and tomorrow (~103) don't appear too extreme, but looks like Sunday will be a redux of last Sunday, just an absolute scorcher around 107 or so. After that though, I'm not seeing much above 100 on the long-range forecast (Houston area). Decent rain chances Monday afternoon and then a little front of drier air rolls in afterwards. Should still have highs about 100 but humidity/heat indices will be lower and early mornings and late evenings should be significantly more pleasant WED-FRI.