ERCOT prepares for hot weekend

After a chance of rain on Thursday, May 5, the Highland Lakes will get an early taste of summer as weekend temperatures are expected to each the upper 90s. National Weather Service graphic
The Texas electric grid is ready for temperatures that could possibly reach into the upper 90s and even triple digits in the Highland Lakes over Mother’s Day weekend, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
“ERCOT will deploy all the tools available to us to manage the grid reliably,” an ERCOT spokesperson stated in an email.
The council is working with the Public Utility Commission of Texas as well as generation and transmission utilities across the state to make sure those entities are also prepared for the possibility of extreme heat.
“At this time, ERCOT projects there will be sufficient generation to meet this high demand for electricity,” according to the spokesperson’s statement.
Before the weekend arrives, however, the Highland Lakes might get much-needed rainfall following a rather hot and humid Wednesday, May 4.
Rain and thunderstorms could begin Wednesday night, rising to an 80 percent chance on Thursday, May 5, according to the National Weather Service. Estimates for the Highland Lakes are a quarter- to a half-inch of precipitation.
Temperatures will range in the mid- to upper 80s on Wednesday and Thursday followed by a period of unseasonably hot weather.
The Highland Lakes should expect temperatures in the lower 90s on Friday, May 6, with the mercury climbing into the upper 90s from Saturday-Sunday, May 7-8. Those high temperatures look as if they’ll hang around into the first part of next week. Some spots could reach 100 degrees, but that’s more likely to occur south and southwest of the Highland Lakes. Still, weather officials are keeping open the possibility of a 100-degree day this weekend.
(And just a reminder, so things don’t “heat up” at home: Mother’s Day is Sunday. Get gift ideas for every type of mom.)