HARLINGEN — Record high temperatures for the date came tumbling down in Brownsville and McAllen on Sunday.
In Brownsville, a 92-degree reading bested the 91-degree mark of 1963, and McAllen’s 95 degrees broke its record of 93 set in 1983. The marks are unofficial until confirmed by the National Weather Service.
Harlingen recorded a temperature of 92 degrees on Sunday, well short of the 97 degrees recorded on Nov. 5 in 1988
McAllen also tied its record for the date yesterday with a high of 96 which also was recorded in 1996.
“November definitely started out a lot warmer than we typically expect,” said Rob Frye, a meteorologist with NWS in Brownsville.
The weather in November is a continuation of an unusually hot year. By the end of October, for example, McAllen was three 100-degree days short of tying its 2016 all-time record by the start of October, NWS meteorologists say.
By the end of September, nearly all Lower and Middle Valley cities had recorded temperatures between one-half and one full degree above prior records for the first nine months of the calendar year, meteorologists said.
That pattern will remain in effect today, with temperatures ranging from 90 on the coast to 96 higher up the Valley.
But that’s where the hot weather will end, at least temporarily.
“I did mention that there was relief, right?” Frye said. “A cold front will be making its way down by mid-week, probably by the end of the day on Wednesday.
“This will possibly increase our rainfall potential, not by much, maybe up to 50 percent either going into late Wednesday and early Thursday is what we’ve got going in the forecast,” he added.
Temperatures will moderate later in the week, with highs Thursday between 67 and 73 across the Valley and lows between 53 and 62.
“What we’re looking for is the temperatures that are in the nineties to go crashing down, right?” Frye said. “On Thursday, we’ve got mostly low to mid-70s across the Valley here. And, believe it or not, the northern ranchlands around Hebbronville may not get out of the 60s on Thursday.
“That’s going to be nice and refreshing,” he added.
On Friday, the forecast is for highs from 74 to 79 with lows from 55 to 64, and on Veterans Day, highs will be back up between 80 and 84.
