Bob Peters Forecast

Triple-digit temperatures returned to East Texas Friday, and they are likely to continue into early next week. Tyler’s high temperature of 101 came at 4:56 p.m., and marks the fourth time this week the mercury has reached or exceeded 100 degrees.

Heat index values were also high, with Gilmer and Mount Pleasant reporting maximum afternoon heat index values of 107. An excessive heat advisory is displayed for the entire area.

East of a Paris-Centerville line, it expires at 8 p.m. CDT Sunday. To the west of that line, it continues through 7:00 p.m. CDT Monday.

High readings Saturday through Monday should exceed 100 degrees in the entire region, with Sunday likely the hottest day. Upper air high pressure built back into the area from the west on Friday.

This, along with high temperatures in the bottom few thousand feet of the atmosphere and soil temperatures near 90 degrees, is responsible for the high daytime readings. In addition, nighttime readings will continue quite warm.

Friday morning saw low temperatures again running from the middle 70s to near 80. Similar low readings are likely Saturday through Monday morning.

Friday’s temperatures averaged a degree or so warmer than Thursday’s, and about 6 degrees above normal. There were a few showers over the northwest Friday morning and a couple of isolated showers Friday afternoon between Emory and Shreveport.

Otherwise, skies were clear overnight and Friday morning, and partly cloudy with fair-weather cumulus Friday afternoon. Winds on Friday were southerly at 10-15 mph. Light and variable winds are forecast for the weekend.

Tyler’s highest sustaining wind Friday was southwesterly at 14 mph with a peak gust of 18 mph, and an average velocity of 9.2 mph. Thursday’s average wind velocity was 10.7 mph.

Friday’s average relative humidity was 56 percent, with lower values likely this weekend. Thursday’s average was 56 percent. Tyler’s low temperature of 78 came at 7:03 a.m.