LUBBOCK, Texas — KAMC Meteorologist Jacob Riley has your Saturday evening weather forecast. Sponsored by J Ferg Pros.
We officially have our 4th named tropical system of the season! Tropical Storm Dorian reached tropical storm status earlier on Saturday! This storm is still over the Atlantic, but it is expected to impact Puerto Rico as early as Tuesday night as a category 1 Hurricane! Just a heads up if you have travel plans, or know of anyone who lives in the Caribbean!
Back closer to home, we are much drier. The isolated showers and storms that we have seen over the past several evenings will not be as widespread Saturday night. We could still have one or two before midnight. Overnight, winds will remain breezy out of the south, gusting upwards of 15 MPH at times. Overnight lows will be a little warmer than last night, only getting down into the lower and middle 70s.
Record-breaking heat returns to the forecast for both Sunday and Monday. The shortwave trough that has been providing us with afternoon showers and storms will shift further to the east, allowing for high pressure to inch it’s way back into the South Plains. Due to the position of the ridge, our winds on Sunday will primarily be out of the west-southwest. This is called a downslope wind. Downslope winds bring much drier and warmer air to the South Plains. This will be the primary reason as to why record-high temperatures will be possible. Highs will range from 102-110 degrees on both days, with a sunny sky and a rain chance of 0%.
Please remember to practice sun and heat safety. Wear lighter colored clothes to help you stay cool. Drink plenty of fluids to keep you hydrated. Take frequent breaks in the AC to help you stay cool. ALWAYS check your vehicle before you lock your doors. Also remember to keep your furry friends in the grass and off of the concrete!
Late Monday night into Tuesday morning, a cold front will move from north to south through the South Plains. This will help cool us off a good 10-15 degrees. Highs on Tuesday will only top out in the lower 90s under a partly cloudy sky. By Tuesday evening, we could see a few isolated showers and storms across northern portions of the area. Overnight lows on Tuesday will drop down into the middle and upper 60s, with isolated rain chances remaining a possibility.
It looks like we could see some much needed rainfall across the area on Wednesday. Thanks to our cold front, showers and storms will be more likely across the region. Rainfall totals should vary between 0.25″ and 0.50″ with some locations seeing higher totals. This will definitely be beneficial for our ongoing drought conditions. Thanks to the rain and increased cloud coverage, highs on Wednesday will only top out in the upper 80s.
Thursday and Friday will be warmer with high temperatures in the middle 90s. Afternoon shower and storm chances will remain possible on both days. Late Friday night into Saturday, another cold front will begin to move into the area. This will bring even heavier rainfall to the region, with many areas seeing over 0.50″ of rain. This front will also drop our high temperatures down into the middle 80s. Saturday is also the first football game for Texas Tech, so we will definitely continue to monitor this situation.
Have a great evening!
-Jacob
Facebook: Meteorologist Jacob Riley
Twitter: @jrileywx
