ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Thanks to a cold front plus a round of showers and thunderstorms over the weekend, we are starting a new week with slightly more comfortable weather conditions in Abilene and the surrounding area.

Winds have been steady around 10 to 15 miles per hour out of the north, which makes it a tad cooler as opposed to warm southerly winds from the gulf. However, all good things must come to an end.

The next few days will be similar to Monday, with highs in the mid to upper 90’s and northerly winds. Thursday could be the start to another unbearable heat wave. Temperatures will return to the triple digits, and more than likely, remain there for the beginning of September.

An upper-level ridge will begin to slowly shift eastward across the southwestern US this early this week, and settling into West Central Texas by the later part of the week and into part of the
weekend.

That system is expected to linger through the heart of the US and will impact millions of Americans for an extended time. Here are the temperature outlooks for the weeks to come:

As seen above, the Big Country is included in the bullseye for highest chance possible for above normal temperatures. The center of that upper-level ridge system is expected to be in the central plains region and, unfortunately, settle down there for an extended period of time.

Models show this trend continuing until at least September 10. Below is the latest temperature trend through that period:

We are still in the bullseye of the hottest conditions in the country. The zone isn’t expected to shift much, but instead, expand. 90% of the country will be under above normal temperatures. Only the Pacific states will have temperatures near or below normal.

Most of the country will be under dry conditions. The precipitation outlook corresponds well with the temperature outlooks. Drought conditions are not expected to improve anytime soon, with excessive heat conditions already in the forecast for the first week of September.

This is bizarre to see for this time of year, especially with the Fall Solstice now less than a month out. For now, it seems like there will be a pause on the fall, but not a bummer for the summer. Enjoy these conditions while they are here!