Good Morning from KRBC Meteorologist Chris Whited...* Another very warm and humid morning across West Central Texas to start our Friday. An upper level system will work north and eastward out of Mexico across West Central Texas into the day today. The dryline will sharpen to our west into the afternoon. The disturbance will provide some lift and some storms this afternoon. The system will also help storms develop along the dryline. Another factor will be high dewpoints and of course the afternoon heating. A few storms could go severe briefly but organized severe weather not expected and the SPC as of this morning has taken our area out of the 'Slight Risk' category. The best chances for rain will be across the western half of the Big Country but still a slight chance of a storm in the late afternoon and evening across the rest of the area. Highs today east of U.S. 277 will range from the lower to middle 90s while west of U.S. 277 highs will be in the middle to upper 90s. A few storms are still possible this evening with overnight lows into the lower to middle 70s.
* Weekend: Partly cloudy, warm and still humid with highs in the lower to middle 90s and overnight lows in the lower to middle 70s. There is a slight chance for a few thunderstorms mainly across the far western half of the Big Country on Sunday near the dryline.
* Next Week: Models are bringing a frontal boundary into the Big Country early next week and stalling that front in our area. There are chances for thunderstorms on Monday and Tuesday. Highs will be cooler into the upper 80s and the lower 90s with overnight lows into the upper 60s. The weather looks dry for Wednesday.
* Hot Weather Safety: Medical experts remind everyone to be extremely careful when outside in the very hot weather. Some safety tips recommended include drinking plenty of water and taking frequent breaks in a cool spot. Also be sure to check on the elderly and your pets. You should also wear light colored clothing and don't forget to apply the sunscreen regularly. If you can you should up off your outdoor activities until early in the morning and into the evening to avoid the peak heating hours. An average of 175 Americans succumb to hot weather during the summer months across the country.
* Summer Climate Outlook: The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting slightly below average temperatures during the next three months across most of the northern part of the state including the Big Country. There are equal chances that we could be above average or below average on rainfall this summer.
* Drought Information: Most of West Central Texas remains well above normal on rainfall this year so no drought issues here locally at the present time. We are starting to see "abnormally dry conditions' returning to parts of the Heartland and Central Texas. For the latest drought information for the state of Texas please visit the U.S Drought Monitor website by clicking here. The data is updated by the government every Thursday morning around 7:30 AM local time.
* KRBC has you covered with the latest news and weather information this morning on Abilene Today at 6:00 A.M. and later this morning on Abilene Midday at 11:30 A.M. Our news and weather coverage continues this afternoon at 5:00 and tonight 6:00 and 10:00 P.M. You can always get news information anytime on our website at BigCountryHomepage.Com.
* KRBC on Twitter: You can follow us on twitter anytime for quick weather updates, especially during severe weather and winter weather events affecting the Big Country by visiting the KRBC Weather Twitter. News updates from KRBC and our website BigCountryHomepage.Com are available via twitter also by visiting the Big Country Homepage Twitter.
Have a great weekend...
