A new record low temperature and a new record low max temperature was observed at DFW Airport on February 15, 2021. A low of 4°F breaks the old record of 15°F set in 1909. A high of 14°F breaks the old low max high temperature for that date of 31°F set in 1909. It is also the third coldest high temperature in DFW history. The record is 12°F set on February 12, 1899.
Category Archives: Climate
VALENTINE’S DAY 2021 WEATHER RECORDS SET
A new daily low temperature of 9°F was set yesterday replacing the old record of 15°F set in 1936.
A new daily maximum low high temperature of 22°F was set yesterday replacing the old record of 27°F set in 1951.
A new daily maximum snow record of 4.00 inches was set replacing the old record of 3.00 inches set in 1951.
Yesterday’s snow officially breaks the near 6-year long snow drought. The longest in DFW history of not receiving significant snowfall.
Yesterday’s temperature of 9°F also ends the 25 year long streak of not ever falling below 10°F. The longest in DFW history. Climatology says we should be getting below 10°F every 5 years.
We will have official snow totals a bit a later.
WINTER STORM WARNING – HISTORIC WINTER STORM – DANGEROUSLY SEVERE COLD
Key Messages:
- Winter Storm Warning in effect until Monday for the entire forecast area
- Snow accumulations 3 to 7 inches with possible higher snow drifts
- Temps plunging to near all-time record cold temps on Tuesday with lows near 0°F
- Windchill values 10 to 20 below zero
- Hypothermia and frostbite can set in quickly in this type of dangerous/severe cold
- This will be the coldest in 30 plus years!
- This will be a prolonged cold snap
- Temps will not get above freezing until next Saturday
- Blowing and drifting snow
- Near Blizzard conditions at times Sunday night
- Whiteout conditions possible Sunday night
- Travel becoming treacherous to impossible for all of the coming week
- Major damage to infrastructure and agriculture from the cold
- Another major winter storm expected Tuesday night into Thursday
- Governor Abbott has declared all of Texas as a disaster area
Folks—we cannot stress this enough—you are about to witness a historic winter weather event. It cannot possibly get any more severe than this. This will rival the great cold air outbreaks of December 1989, December 1983, January 1930, and yes the king of them all February 1899. This will be a protracted cold snap. DFW Airport has already spent the last 72 hours below freezing and counting. We are not expected to rise above freezing until next Saturday afternoon at the earliest. This will make for the longest stretch of subfreezing conditions at DFW since December 1983. Major agricultural and infrastructure damage will result from such cold. Governor Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for all of the state of Texas. You have narrow window today to do final preparations before things deteriorate rapidly.
Areas of freezing drizzle this morning are coating surfaces, including roadways with a thin glaze of ice. Motorists are urged to exercise extreme caution this morning if traveling. The freezing drizzle should end this afternoon, with a lull before the next precipitation starts this evening as the main shortwave trough approaches Texas. Areas of freezing drizzle and sleet will begin tonight and ramp up significantly after sunrise on Sunday. The ground surface is frozen after 72 hours and going on 96 hours of subfreezing temperatures at DFW Airport. This means precipitation will stick instantly as it falls to the ground causing roads to deteriorate rapidly on onset. Snow will become widespread and heavy Sunday night. Because of the powdery nature of the snow, much like you would find at a ski resort, it will easily be blown around. Winds are expected to be near 30 mph at times causing blowing and drifting of snow and near blizzard conditions at times. Visibilities will be reduced to near 0 at times causing whiteout conditions. It is strongly recommended that no one travel during this time. Snow ratios may be 15:1 to 20:1 as opposed to our typical 10:1 because of the extreme cold. Total accumulations expected are 3 to 7 inches. Snow drifts could easily exceed 7 inches. It must be stressed that not everyone will see 7 inches and some places could exceed 7 inches, and some places could be a little less than 3 inches. However, everyone should see at least 2 inches of snow.
On top of all of this a frigid Arctic airmass will continue to be advected south. We are dealing with, as stated above, the coldest weather DFW has seen in 30+ years. Temperatures will be close to 0°F by Tuesday morning. Breaking the daily low temperature record and getting near the all-time low temperature record for DFW of -8°F set on February 12, 1899, though that should be safe. We have already gone 72 hours at DFW Airport below freezing. We are not expected to rise above freezing until next Saturday afternoon at the earliest. This will be the second longest stretch of subfreezing conditions ever recorded. The record is December 1983 with 12 days of subfreezing conditions. This is life-threatening cold we are talking about. Frostbite and hypothermia can set in quickly in this type of cold. Hard Freeze Warnings and Wind Chill Warnings will likely be necessary.
Precautions should be completed today to protect people, pets, livestock, and exposed pipes. This type of prolonged cold will cause extensive damage to infrastructure and agriculture locally and across the state. Pipes can freeze and burst in such extreme cold.
MAJOR COLD AIR OUTBREAK (POSSIBLE SEVERE COLD) THIS WEEKEND AT DFW
A massive Arctic airmass has been building in Canada and has been the focus for the last several days in the weather community. The question was when and if it would move south. The models have come into nearly unanimous agreement this air will move south this week. The worst and core of the cold may move over Texas this weekend bringing some of the coldest temperatures in years to DFW (at least since January 2018, but maybe longer if the models are to be believed). A cursory glance shows most of the central and western Canadian prairies well below zero (-40°F+ in some areas). With an upper low tightening up in the Great Lakes, the flow around this will be enough to give the airmass the nudge to move south rapidly in waves by the weekend.
The leading edge of this massive Arctic air is actually going to move into the area tomorrow, kind of like pancake batter, moving south based on its own density. This is a very shallow leading edge of the Arctic airmass and really not all that cold yet. Our temperatures will gradually turn colder throughout the week with the coldest arriving Friday evening and may last into early next week.
Severe cold is defined at DFW as being a low temperature at or below 10°F or a high at or below 20°F. This is definitely on the table with several models showing that kind of cold. While we are not confident, yet, in cold getting that extreme, we are confident it will turn very, very cold. Temps will likely drop into the teens, if not colder, and wind chills may dip below zero at times. This is also likely to be a protracted cold spell much like Super Bowl week of February 2011. We could see more than a day of subfreezing temperatures.
What is not quite as clear is the prospects of precipitation in the cold air. Experience tells us moisture may be hard to realize in such deep intrusions of cold air. However, it does not take much lift or moisture to cause it to precipitate in that kind of cold air, and their will be some perturbations that move across the cold air. Of course any precipitation in this cold would be frozen and could potentially impact travel. More on this as we get a better handle on the latest data.
Residents of DFW should prepare now to insulate exposed outdoor pipes from the cold. If this cold is realized to its full potential, it would be more than enough to freeze and burst pipes that are exposed.
SEPTEMBER 2020 THE 13TH COOLEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD FOR DFW
September 2020 turned out to be the 13th coolest September on record for DFW with an average monthly temperature of 75°F. We were 3.3°F below normal for the month. The coolest temperature of 50°F was recorded on September 29th, only 10°F above the all-time coldest monthly low of 40°F. Pretty impressive considering that only last year, September 2019, was the all-time hottest September on record for DFW. Weather records date back 122 years to September 1898 for the DFW area.
DFW HAS ITS FIRST 100 DEGREE DAY YESTERDAY
DFW Airport recorded its first official 100 degree day yesterday, July 12, 2020. This is the first time the entire 2020 season DFW reached 100 degrees, and probably not the last. It is very much on par with average, nothing exceptional. Welcome to summer in North Texas!
RECORD HEAT AT DFW YESTERDAY AND TODAY
DFW Airport shattered the high temperature record for April 8, 2020. The high temperature of 97°F breaks the old record high of 93°F set in 1991. In addition, the low temperature this morning, April 9, 2020, was 71°F breaking the old low maximum temperature of 70°F set in 2001.
RECORD COLD CLOSES OUT OCTOBER 2019 AT DFW
The coldest Halloween in 26 years just occurred at DFW. It was 1993 when we had a cold blast of similar magnitude to the one that just happened. In fact, the cold blast of 1993 was actually a little colder and produced snow flurries on the 29th. On Halloween 1993, we reached a low of 29°F. This year we missed that record by one degree with the low on Halloween reaching 30°F. We tied the record low of 31°F set in 1906 for November 1st. 2019 was only one of five years where we had back-to-back consecutive freezes so early in the season. Other years with back-to-back freezes so early in the season include, 1913, 1925, 1957, 1993, and 2019. October 2019 ended up being 2 degrees below normal for the month. This joins the myriad of cooler than normal months of 2019, with September 2019 being the notable exception because it was the hottest September on record.
DFW SETS A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE YESTERDAY, OCTOBER 6TH
A record high temperature of 97°F was set at DFW Airport yesterday, October 6th. This breaks the old record of 96°F set in 1956.
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:
- 2019 – 86°F
- 2005 – 84°F
- 1939 – 84°F
- 1998 – 84°F
- 2015 – 83°F
COLDEST:
- 1974 – 71°F
- 1902 – 73°F
- 1918 – 73°F
- 1913 – 73°F
- 1935 – 74°F