Heat advisories extended across North Texas with heat index values nearing 108 degrees

DALLAS - North Texas woke up to an oppressive start on Sunday as temperatures hovered near record-high minimums, fueled by a stubborn dome of high pressure and thick tropical moisture.

The low at DFW Airport sat at 82 degrees early Sunday, threatening the record-high minimum for the date of 78 degrees set in 2013. Normal morning lows for this time of year typically hover around 70 degrees.

The sweltering start was statewide. Lubbock reported a warm 81 degrees, San Antonio hit 80, Corpus Christi sat at 82, and Brownsville reached 85 degrees. High dew points—ranging from the 60s in western parts of the state to a muggy 80 degrees in Corpus Christi—pushed heat index values rapidly upward.

Heat Advisories and Triple-Digit Forecasts

What we know:

Heat advisories remain in effect until 8 p.m. Sunday for North Texas and a large portion of the eastern half of the state.

While the forecast high for Sunday afternoon is 101 degrees, high humidity will make it feel closer to 105 to 108 degrees. High pressure remains firmly entrenched overhead, locking in the punishing weather pattern for the next 72 hours with no immediate signs of breaking.

A tight pressure gradient will introduce breezy south-southwest winds at 10 to 20 mph early in the week, creating more of a "blow dryer" effect rather than relief. Midweek morning lows may barely slip below 80 degrees, though afternoon temperatures will return straight back to the century mark under high humidity.

Looking Ahead to Autumn and the Tropics

With the official start of autumn just around the corner on September 22, historical trends suggest sweater weather remains a distant memory for North Texas. Over the past five years, the start of fall has brought temperatures ranging from 95 degrees last year up to a brutal 101 degrees in 2023. The only exception in recent history was 2021, which saw a comfortable high of 83 degrees on the first day of the season.

In the tropics, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring a single disturbance far out in the open waters of the Atlantic. The system currently holds a low, 20% chance of development over the next seven days and poses no immediate threat to Texas, though any potential moisture source would be welcome to combat the ongoing dry conditions.

For now, residents should prepare for a continuation of the late-summer heatwave, with triple-digit afternoon temperatures and heat indices exceeding 105 degrees persisting through the week.

7-Day Forecast