If you’ve stepped outside in the past month, you know it’s hot outside. Like, miserably, hopelessly hot.
A ferocious heat wave settled over Dallas-Fort Worth and much of Texas, sending people scrambling indoors for air conditioning or trying to have a little fun with things by, say, baking chocolate chip cookies inside their cars.
As the National Weather Service issued almost-daily excessive heat warnings, here are five things to know about the heat wave:
1. How many 100-degree days has Dallas-Fort Worth seen?
So far, North Texas has recorded 38 days of at least 100 degrees, beating the typical summer, which sees roughly 20 days with 100-degree temperatures. But it doesn’t come close to the record, when 2011 saw a whopping 71 days of 100 degrees or more, said Sarah Barnes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
Dallas-Fort Worth recorded a streak of 21 consecutive 100-degree days, which ended earlier this week when highs dropped into the 90s. That marked the 6th longest streak on record, tying with last year. The record was set in 1980, when North Texas recorded 42 consecutive 100-degree days.
2. When will it cool down?
Unfortunately, no relief is in sight. Thursday’s high hit 109 degrees, the hottest day so far this year.
The high Friday is expected to be 110 in Dallas and 111 in Fort Worth, according to the weather service. The heat index could rise to 112 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the weather service’s forecast showed.
On average, North Texas gets its first solid cold front of the season in the second half of September, with lows typically dipping to 60 degrees by Sept. 17, according to the weather service. The average first freeze comes Nov. 22.
3. Is Dallas-Fort Worth the hottest region in Texas?
Dallas will top Houston, where the highs this weekend are expected to reach 102 degrees, and the heat index could hit 106. The forecast calls for Austin to hit 106 degrees and San Antonio, 103. Brownsville will be a brisk 98 degrees.
4. What is the highest temperature ever recorded in Dallas-Fort Worth?
The highest temperature ever recorded in Dallas-Fort Worth came in 1980, according to the weather service. On June 26 and 27 that year, the temperature reached 113 degrees.
5. Want to escape?
Texas is roasting, but there are some cooler spots in the U.S. Highs in Portland, Maine are hovering in the 70s. A nonstop flight on American Airlines will run you $353, which is beginning to sound like a bargain.
