Summertime Heat 

After 2011's intense summer heat, crippling drought and record breaking summer, we're a little timid to throw triple digit heat into the forecast this year, unless it is an absolute possibility.  Well friends, it looks like that time has come.  

High pressure will bulk up and center itself firmly over the center of the country as we head into this weekend.  That being said, the heavy downpours and seasonable 90s that we've been experiencing for the past couple of days look to leave the forecast and will be replaced with a string of 100° or better weather.

With the ridge at it's max by Sunday afternoon, we'll introduce 100° as the high to wrap up the weekend and start next week with a possible high of 101° by Monday and Tuesday.  As this area of high pressure breaks down by the middle of next week, afternoon temperatures should fall back down below 100° by Wednesday.  Here's a look ahead:

Trouble in the Gulf?

Lots of eyes are turning to the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico today, as a broad area of low pressure has quickly been showing signs that it has been eating it's spinach and possibly wants to grow into something more.

As of Thursday night, the National Hurricane Center has placed a 70% chance of development into something tropical -- most likely a depression -- on this area of clouds / thunderstorms centered near the Yucatan Peninsula:

As with any tropical system before it gains depression or tropical storm strength, computer models are having a hard time figuring out where and how this storm will go and fall.  Normally it takes a storm gaining strength and better orientation before computer models can come up with more reasonable forecast solutions.  For now, most of those tropical models drift this storm (slowly) into the Central and Eastern Gulf of Mexico. (Each line below represents a different forecast model)

With the area of high pressure responsible for our upcoming triple digit heat overhead, it is hard believe that this area of interest would come near the Texas Coast.  However, the Canadian and Japanese Forecast Models have both done just that over the past several model runs.  This will be a storm to watch and wait on.  For now, the National Hurricane Center has a reconnaissance plane scheduled to investigate this area of low pressure Friday afternoon.  

More details as they come in on the possible birth of Debby in the Gulf of Mexico.