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Houston Weather: Dust followed by heat wave

Brooks's Blog ... Hazy skies leading to a heat wave!
A commerical airline pilot sent this picture to KHOU 11, on final approach to Houston Bush IAH. The Hardy Tollway is on the left. A ceiling of African dust is being illuminated from below as Saharan air passes through our region.

HOUSTON — While the dust has become a common sight from the ground, a view of the dust from the air has been much less common. A KHOU 11 viewer and pilot for a major airline shared his view of Houston from above last night, while on final approach to Bush IAH airport, where he observed dust so thick it was illuminated by street lights below. This Saharan dust is going to dissipate and become less visible tomorrow, but the extra sunshine reaching the ground (not reflected by the dust back into space from where it came) combined with building high pressure will lead to a heat wave.

The heat will become an increasingly impactful feature through the weekend and into early next week, when actual air temperatures will likely reach 100°. Combined with the Gulf humidity, it'll feel like 110° which means folks who don't use extra caution may face physical pain or worse.

Severe heat for so long may put strain on the electric grid. ERCOT expects record usage. That said, ERCOT was careful to state, "Despite the retirement of three big coal plants in early 2018, ERCOT said it expects to have sufficient operational tools to manage tight reserves and maintain system reliability this summer." To reduce strain to the grid during the peak hours of 3pm to 7pm, it's recommended that AC is set to 78°F or warmer -- and avoid using taxing electronics like hair dryers and laundry.

Don't you love summertime in Texas? Stay cool!

-Brooks

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