Dallas-Fort Worth's hot, dry fall
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Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Sweater weather may have flirted with Dallas-Fort Worth last week, but this month is the hottest October on record for North Texas, according to the National Weather Service.
Why it matters: Drought conditions are worsening in North Texas and across the state, with more than half of Texans living in a drought area, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
- Hot, dry weather has pushed much of the region back into moderate drought. Overall, the month is about 5 degrees warmer than normal.
Threat level: There has been no recorded precipitation this month, and there is no rain in the forecast for the next week. On average, it rains more than 4 inches in October in North Texas.
- Moderate drought conditions stretch east and north of Dallas. Most of Tarrant County is labeled "abnormally dry," a step below moderate drought.
Yes, but: North Texas has recorded more rain than usual this year with nearly 34 inches through Tuesday.
- D-FW typically records just shy of 32 inches through October.
Between the lines: Climate change is causing greater swings in the weather, bringing heavy downpours followed by dry spells.
- It rained about half of May, bringing 3 more inches than normal to D-FW. But it rained much less than normal in July, August and September.
By the numbers: River and lake levels have dropped across North Texas.
- The Trinity River in Dallas is hovering just above its low threshold. It's currently shy of 12 feet, about half as high as it was in early June.
- In Fort Worth, the Trinity is about 8 feet deep, below its low threshold.
- Lake Grapevine is at about 533 feet above sea level, above the low threshold but below its normal depth.
What's next: D-FW will stay in a warming trend through the end of the week when a "cold front" brings temperatures into the 80s.
- The current 10-day forecast shows it's likely Halloween will be a warm one.
The bottom line: Typically, temperatures should be in the mid-70s this late in October, not the mid- to upper 80s.