Will Dallas-Fort Worth have a sweltering summer after getting record hot days this early?
Two months into the new year and Dallas-Fort Worth has had to sweat out record hot days. But does this portend a sweltering summer season?
Not quite, said Jennifer Dunn, warning coordination meteorologist at the NWS Fort Worth office, explaining that a direct correlation can’t be made between the early arrival of 90-degree days and how hot the summer might be,
“History and climatology shows us that however early we do reach that 90 degree, it doesn’t necessarily back up with what we’ll look like over the summer,” Dunn told the Star-Telegram.
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What the NWS can forecast for North Texas this summer is weather that will more than likely top 100 degrees, she said.
“Now, how hot [is it going to be]? Are we going to have a stream of 100-degree days? It’s possible,” she added.
But knowing for certain will take time. In the weeks and months leading up to summer, the weather service will have a better sense of how hot it’ll be.
“Hopefully it’s good news for us since we know that there isn’t a direct correlation,” Dunn said.
Monday (February 26) is expected to be our first 90-degree day of the year. DFW and Killeen are forecast to hit around 90, with Waco close behind at 88. How will this first 90-degree day stack up among the earliest 90-degree day occurrences? #dfwwx #txwx #ctxwx pic.twitter.com/gR720Hbk3n
— NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) February 26, 2024
What’s the earliest Dallas-Fort Worth has seen 90 degrees?
North Texas recorded 94 degrees on Monday, which is good for seventh all-time on the weather service historical database.
The earliest Dallas-Fort Worth has recorded 90 degrees is on Jan. 31, which occurred in 1911 when the temperature hit 93 degrees. Here’s when Dallas-Fort Worth saw the earliest 90-degree day in Fe:
February 21, 2023 at 90 degrees
February 21, 1996 at 95 degrees
February 24, 1918 at 93 degrees
February 25, 1917 at 93 degrees
February 25, 1904 at 96 degrees
February 26, 2024 at 94 degrees
How do those years compare in number of 100-degree days?
Like Dunn said, there isn’t a direct correlation between how early in a year the region records a 90-degree day and how hot the summer will be.
By looking at Dallas-Fort Worth weather data, here’s how the same years mentioned above fared when it comes to number of 100 degree days in a year:
1911- 27 days
2023- 55 days
1996- 13 days
1918- 20 days
1917- 15 days
1904- 1 day
In comparison, here’s the greatest annual list of 100-degree days in a year:
71 days- 2011
69 days- 1980
56 days- 1998
55 days- 2023
52 days- 1954
48 days- 1956
47 days- 2022
46 days- 2000
44 days- 1952
43 days- 2006
