Persistent high pressure and a strong heat ridge over the southern U.S. are driving the current hot, mostly sunny pattern across southeast Texas, with limited cloud cover and minimal rain chances allowing maximum solar heating. Official National Weather Service forecasts and recent model guidance point to afternoon highs near 98–100°F on August 21, consistent with observed readings in the upper 90s to low 100s over the prior week amid heat advisories for elevated heat indices. Houston’s typical late-August climatology features average highs around 93–95°F, but the ongoing ridge has sustained above-normal temperatures without significant steering changes or tropical moisture influx to moderate conditions. Traders appear to weigh the strong consensus around 98–101°F against the small but real potential for slight model shifts or localized urban heating effects that could push readings modestly higher or keep them at the lower end of that range.