Extreme, Unprecedented Heat Wave To Keep Texas Scorching Through At Least The Fourth Of July
By Katie Lawrence|Published June 26, 2023
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Katie Lawrence
Author
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and began writing for OnlyInYourState in 2015.
Today, Katie writes, edits, and performs several other tasks for OnlyInYourState and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on with a hot cup of coffee, practicing yoga, baking, or exploring the beautiful Lone Star State (in particular, the vast and mystical West Texas desert).
If you’re a native Texan like me, then you know that summers in the Lone Star State are always brutal – but this one is on a whole different level. Unprecedented heat is affecting much of the state, and it will continue doing so for the foreseeable future. Here is everything you need to know about the June 2023 Texas heat wave:
Scorching heat has taken hold in much of Texas, and temperatures are expected to remain at or near triple digits through the week of July 4.
This unprecedented heat wave - which is also affecting New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri, among other states - is caused by what is known as a "heat dome." Heat domes form when warm ocean air becomes trapped in the atmosphere.
South Texas is particularly hot, with heat index values in Corpus Christi exceeding 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat-related illness has become an epidemic in the city, with local hospitals seeing an influx of patients suffering from dehydration.
West Texas is also seeing extreme temperatures. In Big Bend National Park, a man and his stepson died on Friday, June 23 after hiking in 119-degree heat. Temperatures in the park are expected to remain at or above 100 degrees for the foreseeable future.
The 14-year-old stepson lost consciousness along the trail, while the stepfather crashed over an embankment.
Adding insult to injury, the heat wave came on the heels of a week of particularly bad thunderstorms, which left many without power amid rising temperatures.
Power companies have urged Texans to turn up their air conditioners during the day to alleviate strain on the grid - but that is a big ask when everyone is just looking for a reprieve from the heat.