East Texas continues to experience persistent late-summer-into-early-fall heat, following a first half of September that set new records for warmth. Tyler recorded its warmest first half of September on record, while Longview registered its second-warmest during the same period. This trend of elevated temperatures is expected to continue across the region through the end of the current week.
Looking ahead, a cold front is anticipated to move through East Texas early next week. Despite this front's arrival, high temperatures are forecast to remain in the 90s across the region. While not bringing a significant drop in temperatures, the front is projected to introduce a chance for showers and thunderstorms. These precipitation chances are currently forecast for Monday and Tuesday, with the possibility of scattered rain and storms extending into Wednesday.
The sustained high temperatures observed during the initial weeks of September represent a notable deviation from typical autumnal patterns for the area. The consistent warmth has marked this period as one of the hottest beginnings to September on record for significant East Texas cities. Even as the calendar progresses further into fall, the region continues to contend with conditions more characteristic of the late summer season. The expectation that temperatures will persist in the 90s, even after the arrival of a cold front, underscores the uncommon nature of this extended warm spell.
On a historical note, weather records reveal that September 16, 1928, was the date when the “San Felipe” hurricane made landfall on Florida’s East Coast. This powerful storm, classified as a Category 4, had previously devastated Puerto Rico. Upon its arrival in Florida, the hurricane caused Lake Okeechobee to overflow, resulting in storm surges as high as 20 feet that inundated surrounding communities. The human cost of this natural disaster was severe, with at least 2,500 fatalities reported across the United States. This historical account is provided courtesy of the Southeast Regional Climate Center.
In the realm of meteorological definitions, this week highlights the term “tofan.” Also recognized by alternate spellings such as “tufon” or “tufan,” this word describes a violent spring storm. Such storms are particularly common in the mountainous regions of Indonesia. The definition of “tofan” is attributed to the American Meteorological Society’s Glossary of Meteorology, published in 2026.
As East Texans look toward the coming days, the primary weather developments will revolve around the anticipated cold front and its associated chances for showers and thunderstorms early next week, alongside the continued presence of high temperatures in the 90s.
