Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
Temperatures and heat indices of 100 or more are expected for the San Antonio area for most of this week as an upper-level ridge stays centered over New Mexico, according to the National Weather Service.
A heat advisory remains in effect for the area until at least Wednesday, meaning residents will need to make efforts to remain cool to prevent heat related illnesses. Sunday may go down as one of the hottest days of the year, for the Alamo City, hitting a high of 103, just shy of the record of 104 for the date.
The ridge may shift a little by mid-week to allow the jet stream to dip to the south, increasing cloud cover, which will help lower temperatures by a few degrees into next weekend, forecasters said.
The long-term forecast for September calls for the average chance of showers the month usually offers, but it also calls for slightly warmer than average temperatures. Temperatures in the upper 80s are historically likely the last week of September in the Alamo City. But the first significant cold front does not usually blow in until around Halloween, and the first freeze is more likely after Thanksgiving.
The heat wave has caused the water level in the Edwards Aquifer to drop about a foot a day. It stood at 643 feet on Monday, or about 14 feet below its average level for this time of year, according to the Edwards Aquifer Authority. Still, it's much higher than it was a year ago for the same date at 629 feet. The aquifer is a key source of water for cities across the region and for agricultural and ranching interests.
The U.S. Drought Monitor reports the heat wave has caused the northern half of Bexar County to lose some of the drought recovery gained from July rains. All of Bexar County, north of Loop 410, is now considered abnormally dry, while the rest of the county is experiencing moderate drought conditions.
San Antonio is still clinging to a slight rainfall surplus for the year at San Antonio International Airport. Nearly 25 inches of rain have fallen at the airport since Jan.1, nearly 5 inches above the year-to-date average for the city.
