Austin Ties Breaks Extends Record for Consecutive 100° Days Update: Waco Ties Breaks Extends Record

Image (click to enlarge): Total number of days with temperatures of 100° or higher to date at Austin, Texas, CapitalClimate chart from National Weather Service data

For the latest record annual total update, see:
Texas Toasted: Austin Ties Breaks Annual 100° Day Record

Aug. 22, 7 PM CDT Update: The Austin high today was a daily record-tying 105°, last seen in 1925.

Waco has now extended its record annual total by a week, with 70 days through today.

Aug. 22, 3 PM CDT Update: The Austin temperature has reached 102°, tying 2009 with 68 total days so far this year. This is just one short of the record.

Aug. 15, 4 PM CDT Update: With 102° yesterday and at least 105° today, Waco has tied its annual record of 63 days with temperatures of 100° or higher. The 105° also ties the record for the date.

Aug. 15, 2 PM CDT Update: [Posting and updating delayed by Comcast's second multi-hour outage in 6 days.] After hitting 105° again yesterday, Austin is back to 100° this afternoon, bringing the annual total to 61.

Aug. 13, 6 PM CDT Update: The high today of 97° at Austin ends the streak at 27 days, breaking the old record by 6 days.

Aug. 12, 4 PM CDT Update: The current 102° at Austin extends the record streak of 100° temperatures to 27 days and the annual total to 59.

Dallas has tied its 4th highest annual total with 48 days, and Waco has tied its 2nd highest total with 61. The record streak at Waco is extended to 44 days.

Aug. 11, 8 PM CDT Update: Dallas ended its streak at 40 days with a high of 97°. The high at Waco was 104°.

Aug. 11, 4 PM CDT Update: Waco has broken its record streak with at least 102° and a 43rd consecutive day, but clouds have knocked Dallas back into the 80s, probably ending the streak there.

Aug. 11, 3 PM CDT Update: Austin is 101° at 3 pm. The record streak is 26 days and the annual total to date is 58 [chart updated].

Aug. 10, 3 PM CDT Update: Austin's temperature of 102° at 3 pm extends the record streak to 25 consecutive days and the yearly count to 57.

Waco has now tied its record with 42 consecutive days, equal to the streak of June 23 to Aug. 3, 1980. The 40th consecutive day at Dallas is still 2 short of the record.

Aug. 9, 3 PM CDT Update: The Austin temperature reached 100° by 2 pm for the 24th consecutive day and the 56th day so far this year.

Aug. 8, 4:30 PM CDT Update: The National Weather Service reports:

AUSTIN MABRY HAS HAD 23 CONSECUTIVE 100 DEGREE DAYS FROM JULY 17TH

THROUGH AUGUST 8TH.  THIS BROKE THE RECORD FROM 1898 TO 2010 OF 21

DAYS FROM JULY 12 TO AUGUST 1...2001.  AUSTIN BERGSTROM HAS HAD 10

CONSECUTIVE 100 DEGREE DAYS FROM JULY 30TH TO AUGUST 8TH...2011.

DEL RIO HAD 11 CONSECUTIVE 100 DEGREE DAYS FROM JULY 12TH TO

JULY 22ND...2011.  SAN ANTONIO HAS HAD 8 CONSECUTIVE 100 DEGREE

DAYS FROM AUGUST 1ST TO AUGUST 8TH...2011.



THE TABLE BELOW SHOWS THE NUMBER OF 100 DEGREE DAYS SO FAR THIS YEAR

AT AUSTIN...DEL RIO...HONDO...NEW BRAUNFELS...AND SAN ANTONIO THROUGH

AUGUST 8TH.



LOCATION                100 DEGREE DAYS

                          AS OF AUG 8



DEL RIO                        61

NEW BRAUNFELS                  40

AUSTIN MABRY                   55

AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AP       42

SAN ANTONIO INTL AP            31

SAN ANTONIO STINSON            57

HONDO                          49   

Aug. 8, 1 PM CDT Update: With a current Austin temperature of 100°, this is now the record-breaking 23rd consecutive day of 100° readings and the 55th so far this year.

Aug. 7, 3 PM CDT Update: The Austin temperature of 102° at the current hour breaks the record for consecutive days with 100° temperatures. This is the 22nd consecutive day and the 54th so far this year [chart updated].

From the Austin Statesman police blotter:
Nude sunbather goes to hospital for second-degree burns

Aug. 7, 1 PM CDT Update: Right on schedule, Austin's temperature is up 4° in the last hour to 98°, so the record for consecutive days with 100° is likely to fall in the next hour or 2.

5 PM CDT Update: The high so far today was 104°, just 1° below the record originally set in 1923 and tied in 2009.

Original post:
With a report of 100° as of 3 pm CDT, this is now the 21st consecutive day with temperatures of 100° or higher at Austin, Texas. That ties the record set from July 12 to August 1, 2001. It is also the 53rd 100°+ day so far this year, well ahead of the near-record pace in 2009. At this point in 2009, the total was 47. The record annual total is 69 in 1925.

Highs of at least 103° are forecast for the next 7 days as well, which would bring the total to 60.

Big Wind Ducks the Issue

Aasif Mandvi is on the case of wind turbines vs. ducks (Daily Show, Aug. 2) :

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Fowl Wind
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

Dallas Hits All-Time High Minimum Temperature 2nd 3rd Time This Year; New Record at Waco

Image (click to enlarge): Record high temperatures in north-central Texas forecast for August 4, 2011, from National Weather Service

See Record Heat for the latest updates.

Aug. 4, Midnight CDT Update: With the Dallas temperature still 92° at midnight daylight time, this morning's low of 86° is virtually guaranteed to tie the new high minimum record for the second day in a row.

Original post:
Breaking an all-time high minimum temperature record by 3° is remarkable enough, but after setting the record with a low of 86° on July 26, Dallas tied that record again yesterday. Waco also broke its all-time record. With a temperature of 101° as of noon CDT, this is now the 34th consecutive 100° day at Dallas. It will be the 36th consecutive day at Waco.

From the National Weather Service:

ON WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3RD...DALLAS/FORT WORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT   
RECORDED A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 109 DEGREES AND A LOW TEMPERATURE OF   
86 DEGREES.   
  
THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 109 BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 107 SET IN   
1998.  
  
THE LOW TEMPERATURE OF 86 TIES THE ALL-TIME WARMEST MINIMUM   
TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED AT DALLAS/FORT WORTH WHICH ALSO OCCURRED   
JULY 26TH OF THIS YEAR. THE PREVIOUS DAILY RECORD WARMEST MINIMUM   
WAS 83 WAS SET IN 1910 AND 1980.   

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE YESTERDAY...AUGUST 3RD AT WACO REGIONAL AIRPORT   
WAS 108 DEGREES. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH OF 107 DEGREES   
SET IN 1998.  
  
THE LOW TEMPERATURE YESTERDAY...AUGUST 3RD AT WACO REGIONAL AIRPORT   
WAS 83 DEGREES. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD WARMEST MINIMUM FOR   
THE DATE OF 82 DEGREES SET IN 1910...1914...1930...AND 1932.   

All-Time Hottest Temperatures in Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma; Update: New Ft. Smith, Little Rock All-Time Highs

Image (click to enlarge): Temperature and humidity at Ft. Smith, Arkansas for 5 days ending Aug. 3, 2011, showing all-time record hottest temperature of 114° 115°.

Midnight CDT Update: Long-term daily records for August 3 blown away by as much as 5° in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, from National Weather Service:

LOCATION       OLD RECORD      NEW RECORD         YEARS OF DATA  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
SHREVEPORT LA  104 IN 2008     109 IN 2011      RECORDS SINCE 1874  
MONROE LA      105 IN 2010     107 IN 2011      RECORDS SINCE 1930  
TEXARKANA AR   108 IN 1896     111 IN 2011      RECORDS SINCE 1896  
EL DORADO AR   104 IN 2008     108 IN 2011      RECORDS SINCE 1907  
TYLER TX       107 IN 1998     110 IN 2011      RECORDS SINCE 1896  
LONGVIEW TX    105 IN 1937     110 IN 2011      RECORDS SINCE 1902  
LUFKIN TX      105 IN 1998     106 IN 2011      RECORDS SINCE 1906   
------------------------------------------------------------------  

6 PM CDT Update: Fayetteville has also tied its all-time record, blasting away the daily record by 8°:

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 110 DEGREES WAS SET AT FAYETTEVILLE   
ARKANSAS TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 102 SET IN 1964. THIS   
READING ALSO TIES THE ALL TIME HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD PREVIOUSLY   
SET IN JULY 1954.  

5 PM CDT Update: After holding at 114° for 2 hours, Ft. Smith has risen another degree to a new all-time high temperature record of 115°. [Image updated]

3 PM CDT Update: The high temperature of 113° at Ft. Smith yesterday tied the all-time record set on Aug. 10, 1936, according to NCDC. This would indicate that the earlier NWS report of a tie on Aug. 1 was incorrect. In any case, that record has just been broken with a current reading of 114°F (45.6°C). Ft. Smith climate records began in 1882.

Little Rock also broke its all-time record:

..ALL-TIME HOTTEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED IN LITTLE ROCK  
  
AT 240 PM CDT...THE TEMPERATURE AT ADAMS FIELD IN LITTLE ROCK   
REACHED 114 DEGREES...SETTING A NEW RECORD FOR THE ALL-TIME HOTTEST   
TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED IN THE CITY. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 112   
DEGREES ON JULY 31ST 1986.  
  
THE READING OF 114 EASILY BROKE THE RECORD FOR AUGUST 3RD. THE   
PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 107 IN 2010.   

Little Rock climate records began in 1877.

Original post:
The National Climatic Data Center reports that in the first 2 days of August alone, 4 all-time record high temperatures have been set:

Location    Temperature  Old Record  Date
Harrison AR   109°       107°    1986-07-29
Topkea KS     112°       110°    1984-08-29
Emporia KS    109°       108°    1984-08-30
Tyler TX      110°       109°    2011-08-01 

The record at Topeka crushed the previous daily record for Aug. 2, set just last year, by 6°. Topeka climate records began in 1887.

In addition, all-time high temperature records have also been tied at Tyler, Ft. Hood, and Longview in Texas, Ft. Smith in Arkansas, and Tulsa in Oklahoma.

From the National Weather Service:

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 111 DEGREES WAS SET AT FORT SMITH,   
ARKANSAS YESTERDAY, AUGUST 1. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 106   
DEGREES SET IN 1896.  
  
THIS ALSO TIES THE ALL TIME RECORD HIGH OF 111 DEGREES AT FORT SMITH   
SET IN 1954.  

Tulsa also set a record for all-time highest minimum temperature in August and tied the all-time record for any month. From the National Weather Service:

THE LOW TEMPERATURE THIS MORNING AT THE TULSA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT   
WAS 87 DEGREES. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 84 DEGREES SET IN   
1980. THIS READING ALSO BREAKS THE ALL TIME HIGHEST MINIMUM   
TEMPERATURE FOR AUGUST OF 86 DEGREES WHICH OCCURRED AUGUST 1, 2011   
AND AUGUST 16 OF 1909. IN ADDITION...THIS READING WILL TIE THE ALL   
TIME HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE IN TULSA OF 87 DEGREES...WHICH   
OCCURRED JULY 16, 1980.  

Oklahoma's Hottest Month on Record, 4th Driest July

Image (click to enlarge): Total number of days with temperatures of 100° or higher through July 31, 2011, from Oklahoma Mesonet; U.S. Drought Monitor for Oklahoma, July 29, 2011

The Oklahoma Mesonet reports that July was the hottest month on record for the state of Oklahoma. The statewide average of 89.1° broke the old record by 1°. Breaking a monthly record at a single location by as much as 1° is remarkable, and doing so for the average of an entire state is even more impressive.

Fueled by exceptional drought and a seemingly impenetrable heat-dome, July roared through Oklahoma’s legendary heat waves of the past to become the state’s hottest calendar month on record. According to data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the July statewide average temperature finished 7.5 degrees above normal at 89.1 degrees, smashing the previous record of 88.1 degrees set back in July 1954. Statewide averages date back to 1895. The news was equally grim on the rainfall side of the ledger. The statewide average rainfall total was 0.70 inches, more than 2 inches below normal and the fourth driest July on record. Combined, the 2011 June-July period was the hottest and driest on record statewide, an ominous achievement with another month of summer yet to go. Through seven months, 2011 ranked as the eighth warmest and second driest on record.

Oklahoma City’s average temperature of 89.2 degrees topped the previous record of 88.7 degrees from August 1936 to become its warmest month since those records began in 1890. Oklahoma City experienced 27 days in July with a high temperature of at least 100 degrees, once again the most for any month in its history. Oklahoma City’s average high temperature of 102.5 degrees beat July 1980’s previous mark of 102.4 degrees to set another milestone. Similar records were matched at many locations throughout drought-ravaged western Oklahoma. Grandfield was the warmest spot in the state with an average July temperature of 93 degrees and an average high of 107 degrees. Grandfield continued to lead the state with 68 days at or above 100 degrees in 2011. The record stands at 86 days, set by Hollis in 1956. That site and three others have seen triple-digit highs for 40 consecutive days through July 31. Kenton’s July average of 81.6 degrees marked it as the coolest spot in the state. The highest temperature of the month, 114 degrees, was recorded at Alva and Freedom on July 9.

Of the 120 Oklahoma Mesonet stations, 93 recorded less than an inch of rainfall for the month. Walters and Burneyville recorded no precipitation for the entire month. Newkirk and Kenton led the way with 5.58 inches and 3.66 inches, respectively. Only five stations recorded more than 2 inches of rainfall. Southwestern Oklahoma received less than a quarter-inch of rainfall, on average. An average of 16.41 inches of precipitation has fallen across the state since October 1, 2010, nearly 14 inches below normal and the driest such period on record. Boise City received a scant 3.8 inches of rainfall over that time while Grandfield measured 5.6 inches. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map released on July 28 indicates more than half of Oklahoma is experiencing exceptional drought, the worst designation possible.

Record Hottest July at Raleigh, 2nd Hottest Month All-Time

Image (click to enlarge): Temperature and departure from average for 30 days ending Aug. 1, 2011 at Raleigh NC, from Climate Prediction Center/NWS

See Record Heat for the latest updates.

The Southeast Regional Climate Center(SERCC) reports:

Raleigh Durham(RDU) had the Warmest July On Record with 83.7°(Previous Record was 82.5 in 1993) and 2nd Warmest Month on Record(84.1 in 2007 is the Record). (Records go back to 1887)

Raleigh had 24 days in July with temperatures of 90° or higher and 9 days with 100° or higher, including a record 5 consecutive days. Record high temperatures were tied or broken on 7 days.

Summer Temperature Update: Heat Records Increase Lead Over Cold Records to 8.4 to 1

See Record Heat for the latest updates.

7 PM Update: Added chart of ratios from previous decades for comparison.

Original post:
As previously reported, U.S. daily high temperature records were dominating cold records in July by a ratio of over 5 to 1, based on preliminary data from the National Climatic Data Center. A surge of heat records in the final week of the month has pushed the total ratio to 6.1 to 1. For the summer as a whole (June and July combined), the ratio has increased to 8.4 to 1. This also increases the year-to-date ratio to 2.7 to 1.

Out of the 1601 daily high temperature records broken in July, 49 were all-time records for any day of any month. Combined with the updated count of 20 all-time records in June, this gives a total of 69 so far this summer. In comparison, only 8 all-time cold records were set in all 3 months of last winter combined.

Preliminary data from ESRL/NOAA shows that nearly all of the U.S. east of the Rockies was above average (1981-2010 baseline) with the most extreme temperature values from northern Texas through Oklahoma and Kansas.

Images (click to enlarge):
- Monthly ratios of daily high temperature to low temperature records set in the U.S. for July 2010 through July 2011. Data from NOAA National Climatic Data Center, background image © Kevin Ambrose (www.weatherbook.com). Includes historical daily observations archived in NCDC's Cooperative Summary of the Day data set and preliminary reports from Cooperative Observers and First Order National Weather Service stations. All stations have a Period of Record of at least 30 years.
- Decadal average ratios of heat records to cold records, from University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
- Preliminary July 2011 U.S. temperature departure from 1981-2010 average from ESRL.