Category Archives: Climate

SEPTEMBER 2019 THE HOTTEST AND DRIEST ON RECORD FOR DFW

September 2019 is the hottest and driest on record for DFW as officially recorded at DFW Airport. Records date all the way back to September 1898 (121 years). The average temperature for September 2019 was 86°F. The normal average temperature for September should be around 78°F. We had the most 95°F and 90°F days than any September on record (23 and 29 days respectively). This is the only September where no low temperature below 70°F was recorded. To put that in perspective, 60% of Septembers should see at least one low temp below 60°F with about 25% seeing a low of 50°F or below. When the low temperature stays 60°F or above, that is a bit of a benchmark for a warm September.

Additionally, September 2019 is the only September on record not recording any measurable rainfall, making it the driest on record. What a difference a year makes! September 2018 was the wettest on record for DFW where 12.69 inches of rain fell.

Below are the top 5 hottest and coldest Septembers for DFW and their respective average temperatures.

HOTTEST:

  1. 2019 – 86°F
  2. 2005 – 84°F
  3. 1939 – 84°F
  4. 1998 – 84°F
  5. 2015 – 83°F

COLDEST:

  1. 1974 – 71°F
  2. 1902 – 73°F
  3. 1918 – 73°F
  4. 1913 – 73°F
  5. 1935 – 74°F

DFW REACHES 100°F OFFICIALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SUMMER SEASON

Yesterday, July 30, 2019, the high temperature hit 100°F. This marks the first official 100 degree day for the 2019 summer season at DFW. By no means a record late first 100 degree day (that is in Septemeber), but it is quite rare for us to go all of June and most of July without hitting 100°F. There are only two years on record where we did not hit 100°F at all, that is the summers of 1906 and 1973.

2018 SECOND WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD FOR DFW

2018 closed out as officially being the second wettest year on record for Dallas/Fort Worth as recorded at DFW Airport. Out of 120 years of weather records, 2015 and 2018 are the wettest on record. In addition, 2018 produced three months that recorded all time rain records, February (11.31 inches), September (12.69 inches), and October (15.66 inches). A statistic like that will likely never occur again your lifetime. Below are the top five wettest years for DFW:

  1. 2015 – 62.61 inches
  2. 2018 – 55.97 inches
  3. 1991 – 53.54 inches
  4. 1932 – 51.03 inches
  5. 1973 – 50.62 inches.

For reference, the average annual rainfall at DFW is 36.14 inches.

DFW RECORDS ITS EARLIEST FIRST FREEZE SINCE 1992

DFW Airport officially reached the freezing mark for the first time this season (11/10/2018 – 32°F). This is the earliest first freeze on record since November 5, 1992 (31°F), 26 years ago. The average first freeze for a given cold season is about November 22nd. On November 14, 2014 (31°F) was the last earliest first freeze of recent record.

OCTOBER 2018 THE WETTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD FOR DFW

Out of 120 years of weather records, it is official that with yesterday’s 2.21 inches of rain, October 2018 is the wettest October on record for DFW. Officially, we have received 14.51 inches of rain so far this month. This breaks the prior record of 14.18 inches set in 1981. This makes 3 months total in 2018 of breaking the all time monthly records for rainfall, February, September, and October. That is truly an exceptional statistic! In addition, 2018 is shaping up to be one of the wettest year’s on record. Through today October 25, 2018, we are ranking 7th wettest year on record with an accumulated total of 49.41 inches of rainfall. Below are the wettest Octobers and wettest years on record:

Wettest Octobers on Record

  1. 2018 – 14.51 inches
  2. 1981 – 14.18 inches
  3. 2015 – 9.82 inches
  4. 1919 – 9.44 inches
  5. 1991 – 9.32 inches

Wettest Years on Record through October 25, 2018

  1. 2015 – 62.61 inches
  2. 1991 – 53.54 inches
  3. 1932 – 51.03 inches
  4. 1973 – 50.62 inches
  5. 1957 – 50.49 inches

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2018: RECORD COLD TEMPERATURES AND RECORD RAINFALL AT DFW

Monday, October 15, 2018:         Low: 41°F             High: 49°F            Rain: 2.93 in

DFW set a new record low temperature of 41°F. The previous record was 42°F set in 1922. This is the first record low at DFW since July 2014.

DFW also set a record low maximum temperature of 49°F. The previous record was 60°F set in 1923. This is the earliest ever recorded of a high temperature remaining below 50°F. The previous earliest record of temperatures this cold was October 22, 1936.

DFW also set a daily record rainfall of 2.93 inches. The previous record was 1.93 inches set in 2007.

RAIN RECORDS SHATTERED OVER WEEKEND – SEPTEMBER 2018 WETTEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD FOR DFW

The rain records were shattered with this past weekend’s rain event. On September 21, 2018, DFW picked up 5.85 inches of rain, just shy of the record of 6.38 inches of rain set in 1900 on that date. We picked up an additional 2.31 inches of rain on September 22, 2018 shattering the old record of 1.47 inches of rain set in 1914. The 24-hour period between 8pm and noon September 21-22, 2018 was the greatest 24-hour precipitation ever recorded for September at DFW with a torrential 8.16 inches. This breaks the old record of 7.74 inches set in 1932 for the month.  This brings the month of September 2018 to a whopping 11.49 inches of accumulated rain. This shatters the old record of 10.82 inches of rain set in 1932 for the month of September. The average annual rainfall for September at DFW is 2.55 inches, thus we are well above normal for the month. Through the end of September, DFW should average 26.66 inches of rainfall for the year. We are currently sitting at 33.70 inches, a good 7 inches above normal for the year. We are just 3 inches shy of reaching our annual average rainfall of 36.16 inches.

SURPRISE – DFW BREAKS ANOTHER HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD YESTERDAY

The record high of 106°F set in 1974 for yesterday, July 22nd was broken at DFW Airport. The high temperature recorded for yesterday was 109°F. Temperatures today will not be near as hot as they have been the last several days, but will still be hot. Expect temperatures to hover in the low 100s over the next week before a stronger cold front arrives next Sunday/Monday brining our temperatures back to more seasonal levels in the mid 90s (or possibly cooler, depending on cloud cover and rain chances). Normal high temperature for this time of year is 97°F.