Updated at noon Saturday
OK, so we haven't hit the 100-degree mark just yet, but don't tell that to the heat index, which has soared into the triple-digits this week. And Saturday was expected to be the hottest day of the week yet before a (slight) cool-down Sunday.
Is the scorching weather here too soon? Kind of.
If we hit 100 degrees Saturday, that would still be nearly a month sooner than July 1, our average first triple-digit day. But it's been here much earlier over the years.
In 1911, North Texas hit 100 degrees on March 9 (!), and then, five years later, hit 100 on March 21. For reference, the record low on March 9 was 40 degrees in 1932. The most recent early scorcher came in 2006, when we hit 101 degrees on April 17.
What might be more concerning about this week's heat wave is what it means for the rest of the summer.
North Texas averages 18 100-degree days per year, most of those coming in July and August. Now, by the end of the first week in June, we could already have a handful toward our annual total, with a high-pressure ridge fueling more heat and humidity.
It could give flashbacks to the summer of 2011, when there were a record 71 days of triple-digit temperatures, including a stretch of 40 straight 100-degree days.
As the Star-Telegram reported, the first 100-degree day that year? June 13.