Posted: Thu, 7 Aug 2025 12:46 PM - 16 Readers

By: Austin American-Statesman

Central Texas is experiencing the peak of summer heat as high atmospheric pressure brings abundant sunshine and temperatures close to the August average of 99 degrees. On Thursday, August 7, 2025, Austin could see its eighth 100-degree day of the year, with highs ranging from 97 to 100 degrees and a heat index of 101 to 104 due to humidity. Hazy skies from wildfires in Canada and the western U.S. are reducing air quality, but the forecast remains calm with clear mornings and sunny afternoons.

Friday will continue with similar hot and sunny conditions, featuring morning lows in the upper 70s and afternoon highs in the upper 90s. A weak atmospheric disturbance over the northern Gulf of Mexico will move west over the weekend, weakening the high pressure system and introducing more clouds and sea-breeze showers, particularly east of Interstate 35. This shift is expected to slightly cool temperatures to the mid-90s for the latter half of the weekend.

Looking ahead to next week, forecast models indicate a higher chance of rain as the high pressure ridge shifts west and weakens, allowing an atmospheric disturbance from the Great Plains to bring more unstable weather to Central Texas. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center predicts above-average temperatures through August 15, with near-normal or above-normal rainfall for parts of Northeast Texas. Despite a mostly dry August so far, isolated downpours have led to some areas receiving 1 to 2 inches of rain, triggering the blooming of Texas rain lilies.