Fire danger is Extreme today across a big stretch of Texas, and burn bans have jumped to 157 of our 254 counties. 107 to 109 across North Texas. It’s your Texas Weather Roundup for Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
EXTREME FIRE DANGER TODAY
157 Texas counties are now under a burn ban, up nine from yesterday, and that number will keep climbing.
Extreme fire danger covers the eastern Texas Panhandle, West Texas, North Texas, Northeast Texas and into the Piney Woods of East Texas. Any fire that gets going has the potential to spread rapidly and out of control. We’ve seen that over the past week, and we’ll probably see more fires today.
Wednesday brings Very High to Extreme fire danger across the majority of the state. Thursday, High to Extreme continues, with the highest-end conditions during peak afternoon heating.
WHY SUMMER FIRES BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY
Our summer fires are plume-driven — powered by daytime heat rather than the wind that drives a fall or early spring cold front event. That means they typically lay down fairly quickly after sunset. But fire behavior has been showing a real uptick with very dry, receptive fuels that support high-end intensity burning.
THE HEAT DOME
The heat dome sitting over us today stays put for the next five to seven days with no indication of change. If anything, it may intensify toward the weekend, especially across the western half of Texas.
If you’re expecting widespread rain anytime soon, you’re not going to win that bet. A few isolated sea breeze showers are possible near the Gulf Coast. Maybe — maybe — a few showers filter into the northern and western Panhandle and West Texas out of New Mexico and Oklahoma. I wouldn’t bet on it, but a little rain is better than none.
TODAY’S HIGHS
107 to 109 across North Texas including DFW, Wichita Falls and Paris. 109 in Childress. 102 in Amarillo, Dalhart, Pampa, Plainview and Lubbock. 100 in Midland, 96 in El Paso. 102 in Del Rio, 104 from Austin to Waco, 100 in San Antonio, 102 in McAllen. 98 in Houston with triple digits just north of town, and 104 in Lufkin, Tyler and Texarkana.
Tonight, upper 70s to low 80s statewide, mid 80s in the urban heat islands, upper 60s in the Davis Mountains and around Dalhart.
Wednesday goes near 110 from Childress to Wichita Falls, 105 to 108 across DFW and North Texas, and triple digits for most of the state including Houston, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Bryan-College Station, Texarkana, Tyler and McAllen.
If your high is only in the 90s, that’s because your humidity is higher — it’ll still feel like triple digits.
South winds gust 10 to 20 mph in the afternoons, but no widespread high-impact wind events are expected this week that would make the fire danger worse than it already is.
LONG RANGE
The Climate Prediction Center has August 23rd through 27th running a high probability of above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall across Texas. More triple digits.
We’ll be watching for new fires today and posting hotspots detected on satellite as we get them.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Hot and Dry for the Next Week
0:43 Heat Dome Locks In, May Intensify
1:06 Where Any Rain Falls
1:41 157 Burn Bans, Extreme Fire Danger
2:45 Summer Fire Behavior Explained
3:31 Temperatures: 107 to 109 Today
5:21 Long-Range Outlook
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