It’s mid August of 2016, and wow has it been an interesting summer! Here in North Texas, we started the summer a bit cooler. It seemed to stay in the 90 degree range which is "cooler" for us North Texans. Even the Fourth of July wasn’t too hot and the temperature didn't reach 100 degrees. August then hit, and the 100 degree days started-up again as it usually does. I’m not quite sure how many consecutive 100+ degree days we’ve had, but it lasted at least a couple weeks with an average of 35-40% humidity which can make it tough to be outside.
When you work outside for a living with the types of temperatures and humidity we have here in North Texas, you learn a few things. The expert team at McFall Masonry & Construction always takes the necessary precautions when working in high heat:
- Do not work full speed. With construction work like pouring concrete for example, the extreme weather can make you get sick, vomit, and even pass out.
- Stay hydrated. Drinking a lot of fluids is important when working outside in the heat, even when we’re not thirsty. Heat stroke, sun stroke and more can happen quickly and unexpectedly, so you must stay hydrated before the heat gets to you.
- Take it slow. Most days we must pace ourselves, pushing away the temptation to work harder and full-speed early in the morning. This will wear a person out very quickly when the heat of mid-morning hits. It's always best to start a bit slower and try to keep that pace through the day.
Today is Wednesday, August 17th 2016. Last Friday, the temperature in the afternoon was 108 degrees - the hottest of the summer so far. With humidity being a factor, the real feel was about 115 degrees. Luckily, we have some kind of weather pattern beginning to hit us from Louisiana causing the temperatures to drop dramatically. Four days ago it was 108 degrees, yesterday it was 84 degrees, allowing us to turn off our air conditioners at night and opening the windows. This is unheard of here in North Texas for August, but we are loving it! The humidity is very high, but we’ll take it. We also had some rain yesterday and will have more rain the next several days. The grass will be green again, and plants and flowers will get water other than from the hose.