CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Happy Tuesday!
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Hot & muggy with a strong breeze
- 'Feels like' temps stay near (but under) heat alerts criteria
- Flood Warning along the Nueces River continues through the weekend
Hot is Hot
Temperatures aren't far off from where we normally expect them to be for this time of the year. Still, as the air temperature stays locked in the middle to upper 90s, the onshore wind will add humidity to the mix, making it feel like the triple digits for most of the afternoon. As winds become stronger, the direction becomes key: a south-southeast wind will nudge air temps up, but restrain the 'feels like' temps; an east-southeast wind will bring more oppressive humidity, tempering the air temperature, but exaggerating the 'feels like' temperature. Details aside— hot is hot! Please make sure you're practicing heat safety, looking before you lock, and checking in on kids, pets, and the elderly! Stay hydrated and take breaks in the air conditioning to cool off. Wednesday's forecast will be hot, but I expect we're going to stay just shy of heat alerts.
River Flooding
All eyes are on the Nueces River— specifically the gauge at Three Rivers. The river has begun to climb, but will not crest for several more days. The river is forecast to crest on Friday near 40.4 feet or about 19,000 cfs, which is major flood stage.
Soil moisture continues to be dry along this stretch of the Nueces River. This particular stretch is notorious for significant water loss to infiltration; dry soils will exacerbate this water loss. Because soils are dry and sandy, much of the water in the flood plain is expected to be lost to infiltration, which is when the floodwater is absorbed into the alluvium (about 30-40 feet of sandy, silty soil). In addition, the hot weather we're expecting all week will enhance evaporation along the river. There are many unknown factors, making it difficult to make a realistic estimate of how much Lake Corpus Christi will respond.
Choke Canyon appears to be leveling off, with the capacity at 24.6 percent and combined capacity is 26.7 percent as of Tuesday evening.
Have a great evening!
