110 today and 111 tomorrow

[pinkytoe]

I can't even describe how awful it feels...or how sad it is to see everything around us dying from the heat and lack of rain. How ironic that all the rain falling elsewhere never makes it here.

[winterberry]

Where are you?

[Rosemary]

I know how awful that feels - I lived in AZ for 10 years. Hope you get some rain soon!

[AustinKat]

It's the same here in Austin. Smaller trees are dying, and even large trees are very sparsely-leaved compared to previous years. Our lawn has literally become straw. I've been watching the Irene reports and thinking, "Wow, look at all that rain..."

[pinkytoe]

Austin here too. I fear if someone throws a cigarette in my front yard, that it will ignite the straw.

[janharker]

I read today that spontaneous combustion is starting to happen in Austin. Keep the water hose available.

[AustinKat]

I read today that spontaneous combustion is starting to happen in Austin. Keep the water hose available.
Wow, I hadn't heard about that. Apparently it was a compost heap that caught fire. There's a rumor of rain and slightly lower temperatures later this week, so things may start to improve or at least become less dangerous.

[puglogic]

Is it normally cooler and/or wetter this time of year in Texas?

[AustinKat]

Not much cooler, but the problem this year is the intensity and duration of the drought. We've had maybe six inches of rain in 2011, a little over a third of what we normally get. This (http://www.pewclimate.org/blog/huberd/2011-texas-drought-historical-context) is a good summary.

[puglogic]

Oh gosh. Sending best wishes to my dry friends in Texas. Hopefully our monsoon moisture (Colo) will dip down your way soon.

[pinkytoe]

What part of Colorado are you in? Looking forward to our trip there in late September as no doubt it will still be hot here.

[puglogic]

We're about 30 mins west of Denver in the foothills. Today it was sprinkling at in the high 70's, tomorrow slightly warmer. By the time you come, the nights will be very cool but the days should be amazing.

We've been lucky this summer. Some summers are just parched, and we live in constant fear of wildfires.

[AustinKat]

Here (http://photoblog.statesman.com/dry-season-the-texas-drought-of-2011) is a photo-essay about the Texas drought. Scary stuff.

[jania]

While we usually expect a hot summer, this August has been miserable. 117 on one day last week and we've been over 110 for I don't know how many days in a row....this is a little extreme for this time of year. While other parts of the state have seen rainfall metro Phoenix has seen little, but plenty of dust storms. It is an eerie feeling to look outside and not be able to see the house across the street because of all the dust, though the light become a pretty pinkish-tan. Maybe we will fare better in our winter rains.

[pinkytoe]

I think this summer has taught us how life might be if/when global warming is real.
We would not survive without AC and the diminishing water supply would render us helpless too. We are seriously investigating other places to live in the future.

[folkypoet]

Just moved from the Austin area (Cedar Park) to Wichita Falls (north of Dallas but south of Oklahoma). I thought Austin was bad. Oh, my. I'll be so glad when I get that first whiff of autumn....

[poetry_writer]

I am a native Texan and have never seen such hideous heat. Our trees are dying...it almost looks like autumn. Its been over 100 for over 70 days here (with temps ranging around 105...highest was 113). Its been miserable and farmers are devastated with financial loss. We are expecting a break in this weather pattern next week. How sweet it will be when autumn rushes in, as it does here, with a raging storm and we wake up to cool temps ! This is the worst drought and heat in recorded history for Texas.

[Florence]

I live just outside Houston and we reached 109.7 on my shady back porch. The heat and drought are breaking all records here.

[razz]

i won't complain when the temp gets into the 90's anymore after reading this thread. It seems unbelievable temps to live with.

[Alan]

i won't complain when the temp gets into the 90's anymore after reading this thread. It seems unbelievable temps to live with.
Same here, we spent some time in the Dallas area a few weeks ago with temps averaging about 108 each day. Returned home to an 85 degree day and felt almost chilled.

[pinkytoe]

At dusk, I went into the backyard to hand water my dying plants, and the screech owls did not even attempt to fly away. They let me walk right up to them as they huddled on the limb of a bush. There are no bugs, mice or toads left for them to eat. I think they are starving to death. They wait for me each night to fill their water bowl. It is all very weird.

[jania]

wow pinkytoe, sounds weird and sad too.

[folkypoet]

Those fires at Possum Kingdom are making the air around my house smell like a fireplace. :o(