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.
Category Archives: Climate
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.
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.
DFW SETS ANOTHER RECORD HIGH YESTERDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017 / 2017 HOTTEST FEBRUARY / 2016-17 HOTTEST WINTER
DFW high temperature yesterday, officially at DFW Airport, was 88°F. This breaks the old record of 86°F set in 1933.
This also adds to the record number of 80+ degree days set in any winter. 2016-2017 is the winter with the most 80+ degree days currently at 12. The old record was 10 set in the 2005-2006 and 1908-1909 winter seasons.
*February, with only 4 days left in the month, is on target to be the hottest February in DFW history with an average mean temperature so far of 60.7°F. This shatters the old record of 58.4°F set in 1976.
*The winter of 2016-2017 is also set to be the hottest winter on record for DFW (as measured December 1st through February 28th) with a mean average temperature of 53.9°F. This breaks the old record of 53.1°F set in the 1999-2000 winter.
* Given the forecast through the end of February, these statistics will likely hold, but the final averages may change slightly.
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.
2016 IS THE HOTTEST NOVEMBER ON RECORD AT DFW
The unprecedented heat continues with November 2016 being the hottest November on record at DFW Airport. The mean average temperature is 63.6°F breaking the old record of 63.2°F set in 1909. Interestingly, December 1909 was anything but warm and is one the top coldest Decembers on record for DFW. I wonder if 2016 will follow a similar pattern?
DFW OFFICIALLY SETS A RECORD HIGH FOR NOVEMBER 16, 2016
DFW sets a new record high for November 16, 2016. The mercury hit 87°F breaking the old record of 86°F set in 1921 for that date.
COLD AIR TO FINALLY ARRIVE IN NORTH TEXAS
So far this fall it has been exceptionally warm, but things are about to change as a major cold front is expected by Thursday night. For those wondering where all the cold air has been, some of it is about to arrive as the coldest air so far this season invades North Texas. The cold air has been locked up on the other side of the globe across much of Russia and Europe. In parts of Russia, temperature departures have been running as much as 50 below normal. Global signals have been pointing to a northern hemispheric pattern change for about the last ten days or so and the beginning will be occurring later this week.
Until the cold air arrives, near record breaking heat will be possible, especially tomorrow where temperatures may sore into the mid and upper 80s for highs. As a strong upper storm system digs along the west coast, southwesterly flow aloft and southerly flow at the surface will help bring up Gulf moisture into the area beginning tomorrow into Thursday. As the storm system begins pushing out onto the Plains, height falls will overspread North Texas allowing the pressure gradient to tighten making for a very windy day Thursday with gusts up to 35 mph possible. A strong cold front will push southward on Thursday night. As it does so, an initial EML will give way some scattered showers and thunderstorm development along the boundary as it pushes through the area Thursday night into early Friday morning. Not everyone will get rain, and the further east one goes across the forecast area, the better the rain chances.
Behind the cold front, expect much cooler/colder air will invade the area. Friday will see the high temperatures probably earlier in the day with near steady to slowly falling temperatures throughout the day. Lows by Saturday morning will for sure fall into the 40s area wide and highs on Saturday will struggle to reach 60°F, even under full insolation. By Sunday morning, the high pressure cell will build directly overhead into North Texas allowing for clear skies and an excellent radiational cooling setup. Lows should drop into the 30s area wide with some of the colder spots reaching freezing. The first frost of the season looks like a good bet for much of the area on Sunday morning.