Bob Peters Forecast

Warm and dry weather is likely through the end of this week, with shower chances this weekend, and early next week's weather determined by the eventual track of Hurricane Gustav.

Tuesday saw seasonably warm temperatures, light winds, and partly cloudy skies. Readings should warm a couple of degrees Wednesday through Friday as weak surface and upper air high pressure persist.

Low readings Tuesday morning were from the high 60s to middle 70s, with similar minimums forecast for Wednesday and 70-degree low temperatures for Thursday and Friday. Afternoon high readings were from near 90 to the middle 90s, with highs in the 90s through Friday.

By Friday night, a low pressure trough is expected to become a weak cold front, which will go stationary just to the north of the region.

That could bring some scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms to East Texas this weekend.

Hurricane Gustav was over Southwestern Haiti Tuesday afternoon. He was forecast to move west-northwestward over or just south of Cuba over the next couple of days, and then enter the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico this weekend.

Extrapolated model forecasts would bring Gustav ashore somewhere along the Southwest Louisiana or Southeast Texas Coast next Monday or Tuesday.

Tropical storm track prediction beyond about 72 hours is not very accurate. Thus, Gustav's eventual landfall is by no means certain. However, it does appear as if East Texas will see another good chance for rain and lower temperatures around Labor Day.

Tuesday's average relative humidity was 73 percent, with slightly lower values forecast for Wednesday and Thursday.

Tyler's high temperature of 90 came at 4:16 p.m., following the day's low of 71 at 7:10 a.m.