Unforgiving heat brings highest temps of the year to South Central US
A blistering high temp of 115 on Tuesday had one Texas city almost as hot as Death Valley. Meanwhile, to the north in Oklahoma, one spot's all-time high temperature for the month of July was shattered.
A brutal heat wave brought some of the highest temperatures of 2022 to areas across the southern Plains this week. More than 100 million people have been affected by the punishing heat, and numerous temperature records have been broken, with the mercury rising as high as 115 degrees in one Texas city -- and not much relief is in sight.
AccuWeather meteorologists began warning late last week that some of the year's highest temperatures were expected across the southern Plains.
The worst of the heat was centered over the south-central United States, specifically Oklahoma and northern Texas, where high temperatures resembled those of Death Valley, California, which is known for being one of the hottest places on Earth.
In Oklahoma City, the long-standing daily high-temperature record of 109 degrees Fahrenheit, which dates back to 1936, was broken, and the all-time high-temperature record for July was tied on Tuesday when temperatures reached 110 F, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The high temperature has climbed to 110 F or above only 11 times in Oklahoma City since November 1890.
And it wasn't just Oklahoma City that felt the heat on Tuesday. All 120 Oklahoma Mesonet sites hit at least 103 F on Tuesday, with at least 24 of the sites breaking their all-time records.
A worker replaces shingles on a roof Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Oklahoma City, before the heat of the day sets in. Temperatures are expected to be in the triple digits in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Just south of Oklahoma, in Wichita Falls, Texas, a daily high-temperature record of 112 F from 2018 was broken when the mercury surged to a blistering 115 F on Tuesday. This triple-digit reading also broke the all-time record high for July at Wichita Falls, replacing the old record of 114 F from 42 years ago.
Temperatures in Wichita Falls, Texas, resembled those recorded in Death Valley which is one of the hottest and driest places on the planet. On Tuesday, the temperature in Death Valley was 120 F, a mere 5 degrees higher than Tuesday's temperature in Wichita Falls.
On Tuesday, many areas surpassed the century mark in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and New Mexico.
Wednesday brought more record daily highs in Texas areas like Abilene, Austin and San Antonio; with daily highs being broken in Austin again on Thursday.
Much of Texas has experienced above-normal heat since the start of June, and, according to an AccuWeather analysis, temperatures in many areas are at least 4 degrees above normal.
On top of temperatures well above average for this time of year, many areas across the South Central states have not recorded any measurable rainfall in more than a month. Measurable rainfall is equal to or greater than 0.01 of an inch of rain within a 12-hour period.
As of midweek, Oklahoma City was on the cusp of cracking 40 consecutive days since the last measurable rain fell in the city.
The dry spell is even longer in Dallas, which this week surpassed 45 consecutive days since the last measurable rain fell. This is the most significant stretch of dry weather since 2000 when the city endured an 85-day stretch without measurable rainfall.
The lack of precipitation has resulted in much of the southern Plains being in a drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Most of the Lone Star State is considered to be in a severe drought, and at least 20% of the state is within an exceptional drought.
The heat and drought have taken a toll on many farmers across the Lone Star State. Dr. Mark Welch, a grain economist for the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University, explained to ArgiLife on Tuesday that grain crops are producing far lower yields this year compared to last.
Welch noted that the below-average production of grain and other crops due to the drought and heat will likely impact short- and long-term prices.
The parched land in Texas combined with the record-breaking temperatures has been ideal for fire development. As of July 20, there were at least 85 wildfires burning across 13 states, which resulted in more than 3.1 million acres of land burned.
In a press release on Wednesday, officials with the National Interagency Fire Center said that at least five new large fires were reported, two of which were in Oklahoma along with one each in Idaho, Montana and Texas. One fire in Kimble County, northwest of San Antonio, burned until 100% containment in the early evening hours Wednesday. The fire scorched a total of 3,262 acres.
As for the power companies, the unforgiving and prolonged heat across the South Central states has put a strain on power suppliers. In Texas, ERCOT, the state-run agency that maintains the power grid, sent out multiple push alerts to Texans' phones urging them to conserve electricity and limit AC use when the extreme heat started in early July.
But as temperatures continued to surpass the century mark, blackouts were reported in the Houston area last week. One TV station lost power as a meteorologist delivered the weather report last week.
ERCOT is asking people to turn their AC temperature up in an effort to relieve the stress on the power grid, but this relentless heat and high humidity have put a strain on the health of many Americans.
Older individuals, young children, outdoor workers and people who have been experiencing homelessness have been especially hard hit across the southern Plains during this record heat.
AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell said this is the busiest summer medics in Oklahoma have seen in a decade.
"We're trending about six weeks ahead of where we would expect to be in terms of heat-related illness calls," Adam Paluka, the chief public affairs officer for Oklahoma's Emergency Medical Services Authority, told Wadell. "The majority of our calls for heat-related illness are between 20 years old and 45 years old."
Paluka added that some people may think they're "invincible" and believe they have nothing to worry about because they've survived hot Oklahoma summers before and the hot weather is not going to hurt them if they go outside.
Health officials told Wadell that people should "be smart" when spending time outdoors in the extreme heat. This includes finding shady areas and drinking plenty of fluids.
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