Weather Is Cycles

In July in France, cycles mean Tour de France bicycle race.  In weather, it usually refers to too rainy, too dry, too hot or too cold .   Sometimes cycles last a few weeks, sometimes a few months.  This summer has seen a wet cycle return to the central & southern plains.  Once soils are soaked, it seems to promote more rain as we have seen from Texas to the Ohio Valley.  Add in the moisture from Tropical Storm Bill back in June and it’s no wonder the Mississippi River is approaching 14 feet at the Carrollton gage.   NWS has increased the crest to 15.5 feet and delayed the timing until July 19^th.  We really don’t want a high river in August or September as tropical systems bring surges that can back river water up over the levees.   Right now, the high river water & fast current is only a problem for shipping& boat traffic. Let’s hope the rains up north start to diminish as usual during the summer so our Mighty Mississippi can get down before the heart of hurricane season.

 

In the short term, only a few spotty PM storms will bring relief from the July heat.  As an upper high builds over us Friday thru Sunday, rain chances go to near zero with highs creeping into the mid to upper 90s, Yikes!   Too hot for even me.   But it won’t last as another east coast trough forms next week increasing our shower chances making us less hot.   Stay tuned!