Excessive Heat in Inland Kenedy County, Texas

One of the hottest feels-like days in modern history occurred on June 18th across inland Kenedy County, as searing heat combined with remnant high humidity from early week's rain to produce extreme heat of 116F or higher for an estimated 8 to 10 hours. Peak values exceeded 120 for a few hours in the mid to late afternoon, with an absolute peak of 131.48F at 156 PM CDT at Kingsville/NAS (Kleberg, 16 miles north of the county line), with Brooks Co. Airport (about 12 miles west of the county line) over 120F at the same time. Peak heat index is assume to be around 123F in inland Kenedy. There were no known heat-related fatalities, though data will be researched in the future. Ambient temperatures were around 100 during the time of peak heating.

As developing Tropical Storm Arthur moved along the middle Texas coast (June 17) and as a degenerated low pressure system along the Louisiana Coast (June 18), very hot air descended on the southern tip of Texas, with record extreme heat index, or feels-like, temperatures for the entire region on the 18th. The high heat index values held on into June 19th, before unsettled weather brought slightly lower temperatures and pockets of rain by the 20th, which ended the short but brutal window of extreme heat.