U.S. heat wave to last at least another week

An unusually intense, widespread, and long-lasting heat wave over the majority of the U.S. continues to set numerous daily record highs. The latest long-range forecasts from the GFS and ECMWF models predict that the ridge of high pressure entrenched over the country responsible for the heat wave will move little over the coming week, and the heat wave should continue for all but the Pacific Northwest through July 23. The GFS model does show that the ridge will break down some during the period 10 - 16 days from now, but such long range forecasts have low skill, and the heat wave could easily remain entrenched over the country through the rest of July. I'll present a more detailed look at the heat wave next week.

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1846

Temps up in the 90s, heat index over 100.

:thumbsdown:

You guys can have it! It's been so hot for so long here in Texas, I was thinkin of buyin a camel! The 10 day forecast shows 100+ highs and 80 degree lows....and it seems to never change. It hasn't rained in months, everything is burned up, dried up and shrivelled up. It looks on course to beat the 1980 record of 69 days over 100 degrees. WHEN YOU HOT, YOU HOT!

...we're fucked for a least another six-months unless we get something tropical to mix things up.

http://www.aos.wisc.edu/~sco/clim-history/stations/WI_STA-TX-EX.html

Meanwhile, here on the west coast, we're still waiting for summer temperatures to show up.

It was MUCH cooler than usual here. It got up to 85 in the valley today (which is 10+ degrees cooler than normal), but up in the hills I thought it might rain.

It's 75 right now, and it should go down to 65 tonight.

YUCK.

We spent the day in La Crosse, WI today and the heat index there reached 113 today. (Temp was 96, dewpoint must have been about 78). Pretty damn yucky too.