This Weekend’s Weather Is Perfect To Just Stay Home

We’re going to see see absolutely beautiful weather to stay home this long weekend. Whether it’s storms in the northern Plains or hot and humid conditions down by the Gulf, it all matters just about the same since we shouldn’t be out anywhere right now.

Everyone but the Pacific Northwest will see a dose of summertime heat this weekend. A big dome of high pressure covering the middle of the country will allow a muggy heat to build from the Rockies to the Atlantic.

An isolated storm or two could bring a welcome relief from the rain. Occasional pop-up thunderstorms are possible in that muggy airmass where updrafts get going fast enough to break through the cap. Some of the storms in the northern Plains and northern Gulf Coast could produce localized flooding.

Royal blue skies will greet the West Coast this weekend, where typical Pacific mildness will greet most beaches from Washington to California. Many southern California beaches and beach parking facilities across the state are closed, of course. Temperatures will get quite toasty in desert areas and California’s Central Valley, but it’ll be tranquil otherwise.

Austin could notch its first triple-digit reading of the year on Saturday. The greatest heat will build over Texas on July 4, where confirmed coronavirus cases are increasing exponentially and Houston-area intensive care units reach capacity as a result of the surge in infections. There’s no real reason for any of us to gather with friends or family or go on vacations or out to eat this weekend since slowing the spread of the virus is the only way we’re ever going to return to normal in the next couple of years. Temperatures will reach the low 100s across most of the state on Saturday. Try to stay cool!

Muggy is pretty much the baseline in Florida. You break out into a sweat as soon as you walk outside and it just doesn’t relent. The thick, putrid air is especially tough right now since Florida’s lax gathering and travel restrictions—and even more casual relationship with wearing masks—has allowed coronavirus cases to soar and put serious strain on hospitals across the state. 

An isolated instance of flash flooding is possible on the northern Gulf Coast and northern Florida this weekend in any of the thunderstorms that pop up. Storms will have a deep reservoir of atmospheric moisture to tap into and some could produce rainfall rates heavy enough to overwhelm drainage systems.

Severe thunderstorms are possible across much of the Plains and portions of the northern Rockies and Upper Midwest this weekend. That shouldn’t put a damper on any big cookouts, though, since large family gatherings and parties continue to be major spreader events that are seeding accelerated outbreaks in communities across the country. Severe storms could produce damaging wind gusts in excess of 60 MPH, hail the size of quarters or larger, and possibly an isolated tornado or two.

Keep safe!

[Satellite: NOAA]