Category Archives: Climate

NOVEMBER 2024 THE NINTH HOTTEST ON RECORD / FALL 2024 THE THIRD HOTTEST ON RECORD FOR DFW

November 2024 ended up being the ninth hottest November on record for DFW with an average temperature of 61.7°F.

The fall of 2024 is the third hottest on record for DFW with an average temperature of 72.2°F. Only 2016 (the hottest fall on record) and 1931 surpass 2024 with warmer average fall temperatures in DFW.

It should be noted that both the winters of 1931-1932 and 2016-2017 were top ten hottest winters on record. In fact, the winter of 2016-2017 was the hottest winter on record for DFW. For those wanting to know, if we can glean anything from past data, we could be looking at a very warm winter ahead.

OCTOBER 2024 IS THE HOTTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD FOR DFW

October 2024 turned out to be the hottest October on record for Dallas/Fort Worth. Officially at DFW Airport, the average temperature for the month was 75.7°F. That is 8 degrees above our average October temperature. The top five hottest Octobers for DFW are as follows:

  1. October 2024 – 75.7°F Avg temp
  2. October 2016 – 74.1°F
  3. October 1963 – 73.5°F
  4. October 1947 – 73.2°F
  5. October 1934 – 73.2°F

We were on target to be the driest October on record, but we ended up getting 0.21 inches of rain on Halloween. That saved us from being the driest October on record. The driest October on record is still 1975 with only a trace of precipitation recorded for the whole month. Our average rainfall for October is 4.37 inches.

DFW OFFICIALLY HITS 110°F FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 12 YEARS WHICH IS EXCEPTIONALLY RARE

Yesterday, the temperature at DFW Airport climbed to a whopping 110°F. The last time this happened was during the hot summer of 2011. Before that, you have to go back to the summer of 2000. This is exceptionally rare, and conditions have to be just right for it to occur. Out of 124 years of weather records, we have only hit the 110°F mark or greater 12 other times. Five of those times occurred during the record breaking summer of 1980. Statistically, this is about a once in a decade occurrence. The hottest DFW has ever been was during June of 1980 when the mercury hit 113°F. Below is table of all the occurrences of temperatures of 110°F or greater in the DFW weather records:

UPDATE: The summer of 2023 now becomes the second year to have more than one day with a temperature at or above 110°F. Yesterday, August 26, 2023 DFW Airport set a record high of 110°F which also broke the daily record. The only other year to have multiple days at or above 110°F was the summer of 1980 (which had 5), as you can see below. This also pushes our tally of a total of 14 – 110°F degree days over our entire weather records history.

DATETEMP IN °F
6/26/1980113
6/27/1980 113
8/11/1936112
8/18/1909112
6/28/1980112
9/4/2000111
8/2/2011110
8/10/1936110
8/16/1943110
8/25/2023110
7/12/1998110
7/2/1980110
7/18/1980110
8/26/2023110

HOURS BELOW FREEZING LAST WEEK

During last week’s wintry weather, some locations remained at or below freezing for more than 100 hours. Hearne rose above freezing during each day of the event, but Granbury remained at or below freezing from late Sunday (January 29) until early Friday (February 3), a total of 111 consecutive hours. Officially at DFW Airport, the total number of consecutive hours below freezing was 88 hours. The all time record number of consecutive hours spent below freezing for the DFW Metroplex is 295 hours from 7:00 am December 18, 1983 to 2:00 pm December 30, 1983.

RECORD HEAT AT DFW YESTERDAY AND TODAY

The official high yesterday was 83°F at DFW Airport. This broke the old record of 79°F set in 2017.

Expect similar conditions again today as temperatures soar into the lower 80s ahead of a rather strong cold front. Tomorrow temperatures will be some 25 degrees cooler. Thus the record high of 83°F set in 1911 will be in jeopardy of being tied or broken.

UPDATE: The record of 83°F set in 1911 for January 11th was in fact broken yesterday as the temperature officially hit 85°F at DFW Airport.

The hottest January temperature ever recorded was 93°F set on January 31, 1911.

SUMMER 2022 THE 4TH HOTTEST ON RECORD FOR DFW

Summer 2022 came in as the fourth hottest on record officially for DFW. The average temperature was 88.2°F for the three month period beginning June 1st through August 31st. We had a total of 47 days of 100°F heat. 21 of those days were consecutive from July 16th through August 5th. The first 100-degree day of the summer was 103°F on June 11th. The last 100-degree day was 102°F on August 17th. The average number of 100-degree days per summer season is about 16. The hottest temperature of the summer was 109°F that occurred three consecutive days on July 18th through the 20th. The coolest temperature of the summer was 65°F on June 2nd.

The top five hottest summers on record for DFW with their average temperature are as follows:

  1. 2011 90.5°F with 71 100-degree days
  2. 1980 89.2°F with 69 100-degree days
  3. 1998 88.3°F with 56 100-degree days
  4. 2022 88.2°F with 47 100-degree days
  5. 1954 87.7°F with 52 100-degree days

AUGUST 2022 THE WETTEST AUGUST ON RECORD FOR DFW

The extraordinary rain event we have had this week has broken many records for DFW. Officially, we are now the wettest August ever recorded at DFW Airport with 10.38 inches of rain so far this month. This breaks the old monthly record of 10.33 inches set in August of 1915.

The daily rain record for both August 21st and 22nd were shattered. We recorded 3.53 inches of rain on August 21st, which broke the old daily record of 2.25 inches set in 1919. For August 22nd, we officially recorded 5.66 inches of rain, which broke the old record of 2.47 inches set in 1916.

The 24-hour period of rain that we received beginning on August 21st and ending August 22nd was the second rainiest 24-hour period on record with a total of 9.19 inches of rain. The most rain ever received in a 24-hour period was 9.57 inches of rain on September 4th and 5th of 1932.

SUMMER 2022 RECORD HEAT AT DFW

DFW set a record high yesterday, July 20, 2022 and also tied the maximum low temperature record for that date. DFW also set a record high temperature on July 19, 2022 and also tied the maximum low temperature record for that date. DFW also tied the all-time maximum low temperature record for July 18, 2022 while also breaking the daily record for that date.

The temperature yesterday reached a high of 109°F, for the third consecutive day, which broke the old record of 108°F set in 2018. DFW tied the low temperature maximum of 82°F set in 1954.

The temperature on July 19, 2022 reached a high of 109°F which broke the old record of 108°F set in 2018. DFW tied the low temperature maximum of 84°F set in 1980.

The low temperature on July 18, 2022 was only 86°F. This tied the all-time lowest maximum low temperature ever recorded at DFW set several times, but most recently in 2018. This also broke the daily maximum low temperature record of 83°F set in 2018.

DFW temperature records are observed at Dallas/Fort Worth Interantional Airport weather station, station ID, KDFW.

DFW RECORDS ITS FIRST 100°F DEGREE DAY FOR SUMMER 2022

Yesterday the high temperature was 103°F at DFW Airport. This tied the record yesterday set back in 1911. It also marks the first time this summer we officially hit 100°F. This is the hottest DFW has been in nearly two years. You have to go all the way back to August 29, 2020 when the mercury hit 106°F.

In addition, yesterday DFW set a new maximum low temperature of 79°F. The old record was 78°F set in 2018.

The intese heat wave we have been experiencing is going to continue through tomorrow. A record high is likely to be set again today as temperatures across the area are expected to climb to or exceed 105°F. A Heat Advisory remains in effect for the entire area.

DECEMBER 2021 IS THE HOTTEST ON RECORD BY A WIDE MARGIN

December 2021 has gone down in the records as the hottest December on record for DFW by a wide margin. The average temperature was a whopping 13°F degrees above normal. That is 7 plus degrees hotter than the old record hottest December set in 1933. In fact, December 2021 was so hot compared to averages that no other calendar month in our weather history has an average temperatue of 13 degrees above normal. December 2021 also produced the hottest Christmas on record of 82°F. The old record was 80°F set in 2016. The hottest temperature of the month was 83°F on December 10th. The coldest temperature was 32°F on December 12th. That is the first and only freeze at DFW Airport so far this winter season. The top 5 hottest Decembers for DFW are:

  1. December 2021
  2. December 1933
  3. December 2015
  4. December 1970
  5. December 1965