It has been more than 10 years since a major hurricane has made landfall on the United States coast. It was Hurricane Wilma in October of 2005. The last hurricane to affect Texas was category 2 Hurricane Ike in 2008, nearly 10 years ago. Harvey is now forecast by the National Hurricane Center to become a category 3 hurricane upon making landfall near Corpus Christi on the Texas coast. This makes Harvey a major hurricane. The latest storm information on Harvey as of 12:00 pm is:
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TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE ON AUGUST 21, 2017
Much of the United States will experience a solar eclipse on August 21, 2017, including North Texas. However, North Texas will not be in the path of totality of this eclipse, thus they will not experience the total solar eclipse. The path of totality, the area where locations will be in the center of the moon’s shadow blocking the sun, will track in a narrow 70 mile wide strip across the states of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In this area, daylight will become as dark as night time. The eclipse is expected to begin at 10:15 am PDT (12:15 pm CDT) and end at 2:48 pm EDT (1:48 pm CDT). The eclipse will take about one hour and forty minutes to cross the nation.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon, and the earth are in direct alignment. It is only viewable from earth in a rather small area. North Texas, again, will not be in that path, but will see a pretty good partial eclipse. Viewers of the solar eclipse should never look directly at the sun with the naked eye. Special viewing glasses must be worn to protect the eyes while viewing the eclipse to prevent permanent eye damage.
Please see the animation by NASA below for further details of the path of the upcoming eclipse. The next total solar eclipse viewable from the United States will occur on April 8, 2024. North Texas will be in the path of totality of the 2024 eclipse.
100 YEAR RECORD RAINFALL BROKEN YESTERDAY AND DFW OFFICIALLY REACHED 100°F FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SUMMER LAST FRIDAY
Last Friday, June 23, 2017, DFW Airport’s high temperature hit 100°F for the first time this summer, thanks to compressional warming ahead of a rather strong late season cold front. This front was responsible for the overnight intense convection that occurred Friday night. By the end of the day Saturday, June 24, 2017, DFW broke a 100 year rainfall record. 3.84 inches of rain officially fell yesterday shattering the old record of 1.76 inches set in 1917. This brings the monthly June total of rainfall for 2017 to 7.93 inches.
A COOL START TO MAY 24, 2017 AROUND THE AREA
Some of the coldest temperatures (so late in the month of May) in many years recorded across the area this morning (May 24, 2017). Officially, no record was broken at DFW Airport. The record still stands at 54°F set in 1940. The official low this morning was 58°F at DFW Airport. Below are some of the low temperatures around the forecast area this morning:
Granbury: 49°F
Decatur: 50°F
Denton: 50°F
Dallas: 56°F
Arlington: 55°F
Fort Worth: 55°F
DFW Airport: 58°F (official)
We probably will not see readings again this cool until next fall!
RECORD HIGH SET YESTERDAY, MARCH 20, 2017 AT DFW AIRPORT
A record high of 92°F was set yesterday at DFW Airport. This breaks the old record of 91°F set in 1932. The record for today, March 21st, is 100°F and will not be achieved as highs are forecasted to stay about like yesterday around 90°F.
REMINDER: WE SPRING FORWARD ONE HOUR THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 2017
A reminder that we spring forward one hour this Sunday, March 12, 2017 as Central Daylight-Savings Time begins and Central Standard Time ends. So remember to set your clocks ahead one hour.
IT’S OFFICIAL – 2016-2017 HOTTEST WINTER ON RECORD FOR DFW
Now that meteorological winter has ended (December through February), it is official that 2016-2017 is the hottest winter on record for DFW with an average temperature of 53.8°F.
February 2017 is also the hottest February on record for DFW with an average temperature of 60.6°F some 10.7°F above normal.
In addition, the winter of 2016-2017 also set a record of 80°F+ degree days in a given winter with 14 days of temperatures at or above 80°F.
Technically, we can still experience freezing temperatures through mid April, but so far 2016-2017 has the lowest number of recorded freezes in a cold season with only 11 days. Freezes are actually measured from October through April. This is 3 days fewer than the lowest prior record of 14 freezes set in several winters.
Below are the top five years of the above records:
Top 5 Hottest Winters:
- 2016-2017 – 53.8°F
- 1999-2000 – 53.1°F
- 1906-1907 – 52.9°F
- 1951-1952 – 52.8°F
- 1931-1932 – 52.0°F
Top 5 Hottest Februarys:
- 2017 – 60.6°F
- 1976 – 58.4°F
- 1930 – 57.6°F
- 2000 – 57.3°F
- 1932 – 56.8°F
Top 5 Winters with the Most 80+ Degree Days
- 2016-2017 – 14 days
- 2005-2006 – 10 days
- 1908-1909 – 10 days
- 1995-1996 – 9 days
- 1951-1952 – 8 days
Top 5 Fewest 32-Degree Days in a Cold Season:
- 2016-2017 – 11 freezes*
- 2011-2012 – 14 freezes
- 1999-2000 – 14 freezes
- 1931-32 – 14 freezes
- 1930-1931 -14 freezes
*Could still change as we can technically still reach freezing until about mid-April.
RECORD HIGH TIED YESTERDAY JANUARY 10, 2017 AT DFW
The record of 79°F set in 1995 was tied yesterday, January 10, 2017, at DFW Airport. The high temperature reached 79°F yesterday afternoon, despite a weak cold front moving through the area. That front will retreat north today putting us back in the warm sector again today. High temperatures today will be flirting in record territory. The record for January 11th is 83°F set in 1911, and the forecasted high is 81°F.
COLDEST SINCE 2011 FOR DFW THIS PAST WEEKEND
This past weekend’s Arctic air outbreak left us the coldest DFW has been since 2011. The low temperature of 14°F on Saturday, January 7, 2017 was the coldest since February 2, 2011 when the mercury hit 13°F. The high temperature of 27°F on Friday, January 6, 2017 was a record low maximum temperature for that date which broke the old record low maximum temperature of 29°F set in 1970. The cold air over the weekend was the coldest outbreak of cold air for the nation as a whole since 1996. There was 0.10 of an inch of snowfall officially recorded at DFW Airport on Friday, January 6, 2017, nearly all of which remained on the ground on Saturday, January 7, 2017.
CHRISTMAS 2016 THE HOTTEST CHRISTMAS ON RECORD AT DFW
Christmas 2016 set a new record high of 80°F, breaking the old record of 78°F set in 1934 and 1922. This 80°F reading also makes it the hottest Christmas in weather recorded history for Dallas/Fort Worth.