Climate of Dallas

Summers are very hot and rather humid.Heat waves can be severe and prolonged, usually coinciding with severe drought.The city's all-time recorded high temperature is {{convert|113|°F|°C|0|lk=on}} during the Heat Wave of 1980. In July and August, the average high temperature is near {{convert|96|°F|°C|0|lk=on}}, while the average nighttime low temperature is around {{convert|77|°F|°C|0|lk=on}}. Days with temperatures exceeding 100 °F (38 °C) happen at least several times during the summer every year. Especially hot and dry summers occurred in 1980, 2011, 2022 and 2023.

Spring and autumn bring warm weather to the area. Vibrant wildflowers (such as the bluebonnet, Indian paintbrush and other flora) bloom in spring and are planted around the highways throughout Texas.[http://www.dot.state.tx.us TXDOT] - [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/travel/flora_conditions.htm Wildflower and Fall Foliage] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408190352/http://www.dot.state.tx.us/travel/flora_conditions.htm |date=April 8, 2007 }}. Retrieved on 17 April 2007. Springtime weather can be quite volatile, but temperatures themselves are warm on average. The weather in Dallas is also generally pleasant between late October and early December, and unlike springtime, major storms rarely form in the area.

Image:Kidd Springs Park 2.jpg park]]

In the spring, cool fronts moving south from Canada collide with warm, humid air streaming in from the Gulf Coast. When these fronts meet over north central Texas, severe thunderstorms are generated with spectacular lightning shows, torrents of rain, hail, and occasionally, tornadoes (Dallas is located at the lower-end of the Tornado Alley).

During the winter months of December to March, daytime highs as high as {{convert|76.7-85.9|°F|1}} are not unusual during warm spells. On the other hand, a Blue Norther can occur, bringing sudden and possibly-large temperature drops. During cold spells, high temperatures can lower to the 30s F., with low temperatures in the 10-20 F. range, rarely lower than that, for several days. A couple of times each year, warm and humid air from the south overrides cold, dry air, leading to freezing rain, which often causes major disruptions in the city if the roads and highways become slick. On average, even the coldest month of January is generally mild, with an average high of {{convert|57.7|°F|1}} and low of {{convert|37.9|°F|1}}. Based on 1991-2020 climate data, the average coldest temperature for an entire year is about {{convert|19.1|°F|1}}, placing Dallas in USDA zone 8b. The all-time recorded low is {{convert|-3|°F|°C|0|lk=on}} on January 18, 1930.

{{Dallas weatherbox}}

{{Graph:Weather monthly history

| table=ncei.noaa.gov/weather/Dallas.tab

| title=Dallas monthly weather statistics

}}

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|collapsed = yes

|single line = yes

|location = Redbird Airport, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1998–present

|Jan record high F = 84

|Feb record high F = 90

|Mar record high F = 92

|Apr record high F = 98

|May record high F = 101

|Jun record high F = 107

|Jul record high F = 111

|Aug record high F = 111

|Sep record high F = 109

|Oct record high F = 97

|Nov record high F = 92

|Dec record high F = 88

|Jan avg record high F = 77.7

|Feb avg record high F = 81.5

|Mar avg record high F = 85.5

|Apr avg record high F = 88.6

|May avg record high F = 92.9

|Jun avg record high F = 99.3

|Jul avg record high F = 103.3

|Aug avg record high F = 104.7

|Sep avg record high F = 99.1

|Oct avg record high F = 92.3

|Nov avg record high F = 84.1

|Dec avg record high F = 78.9

|year avg record high F = 105.7

|Jan high F = 57.4

|Feb high F = 61.5

|Mar high F = 69.0

|Apr high F = 76.2

|May high F = 83.6

|Jun high F = 91.4

|Jul high F = 95.9

|Aug high F = 96.4

|Sep high F = 89.3

|Oct high F = 78.8

|Nov high F = 67.3

|Dec high F = 58.8

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 47.6

|Feb mean F = 51.3

|Mar mean F = 58.7

|Apr mean F = 65.7

|May mean F = 73.9

|Jun mean F = 81.7

|Jul mean F = 85.6

|Aug mean F = 85.7

|Sep mean F = 78.7

|Oct mean F = 68.1

|Nov mean F = 57.2

|Dec mean F = 49.1

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 37.8

|Feb low F = 41.1

|Mar low F = 48.3

|Apr low F = 55.2

|May low F = 64.2

|Jun low F = 72.0

|Jul low F = 75.4

|Aug low F = 75.0

|Sep low F = 68.2

|Oct low F = 57.5

|Nov low F = 47.1

|Dec low F = 39.3

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 21.3

|Feb avg record low F = 25.1

|Mar avg record low F = 29.9

|Apr avg record low F = 39.8

|May avg record low F = 49.9

|Jun avg record low F = 63.4

|Jul avg record low F = 69.1

|Aug avg record low F = 68.0

|Sep avg record low F = 56.5

|Oct avg record low F = 40.5

|Nov avg record low F = 30.6

|Dec avg record low F = 24.3

|year avg record low F = 17.4

|Jan record low F = 11

|Feb record low F = -1

|Mar record low F = 16

|Apr record low F = 32

|May record low F = 39

|Jun record low F = 56

|Jul record low F = 63

|Aug record low F = 60

|Sep record low F = 44

|Oct record low F = 29

|Nov record low F = 22

|Dec record low F = 10

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 2.55

|Feb precipitation inch = 2.57

|Mar precipitation inch = 3.57

|Apr precipitation inch = 3.70

|May precipitation inch = 4.34

|Jun precipitation inch = 3.87

|Jul precipitation inch = 1.91

|Aug precipitation inch = 1.80

|Sep precipitation inch = 2.95

|Oct precipitation inch = 4.54

|Nov precipitation inch = 2.78

|Dec precipitation inch = 3.08

|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 6.0

|Feb precipitation days = 7.1

|Mar precipitation days = 9.2

|Apr precipitation days = 7.9

|May precipitation days = 10.0

|Jun precipitation days = 7.5

|Jul precipitation days = 4.7

|Aug precipitation days = 5.6

|Sep precipitation days = 5.6

|Oct precipitation days = 7.1

|Nov precipitation days = 7.0

|Dec precipitation days = 6.8

|Jan snow inch =

|Feb snow inch =

|Mar snow inch =

|Apr snow inch =

|May snow inch =

|Jun snow inch =

|Jul snow inch =

|Aug snow inch =

|Sep snow inch =

|Oct snow inch =

|Nov snow inch =

|Dec snow inch =

|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days =

|Feb snow days =

|Mar snow days =

|Apr snow days =

|May snow days =

|Jun snow days =

|Jul snow days =

|Aug snow days =

|Sep snow days =

|Oct snow days =

|Nov snow days =

|Dec snow days =

|Jan snow depth inch =

|Feb snow depth inch =

|Mar snow depth inch =

|Apr snow depth inch =

|May snow depth inch =

|Jun snow depth inch =

|Jul snow depth inch =

|Aug snow depth inch =

|Sep snow depth inch =

|Oct snow depth inch =

|Nov snow depth inch =

|Dec snow depth inch =

|year snow depth inch =

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00003971&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Dallas Redbird AP, TX

|access-date = June 20, 2024

}}

|source 2 = National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006–2020)

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=fwd

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Dallas

|access-date = June 20, 2024

}}

}}

There are two to three days with hail per year, but snowfall is rare.National Weather Service. https://www.weather.gov/fwd/dnarrative Based on records from 1898 to 2019, the average snowfall is 2.6 inches per year.National Weather Service. DFW - Monthly and Seasonal Snowfall https://www.weather.gov/fwd/dmosnow It has snowed twice during Thanksgiving day NFL football games at Texas Stadium, in 1993 and 2007, which is comparatively early.Jesus Jimenez. “Snow at a Cowboys Thanksgiving game? It’s happened before,” The Dallas Morning News. Nov 22, 2018. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/weather/2018/11/22/snow-at-a-cowboys-thanksgiving-game-its-happened-before/ Retrieved on 17 April 2020. The month with the highest snowfall is typically February, with an average of 0.6 inches falling. While the month with the highest number of days with snow falling is typically January, with an average of 0.5 days of snow.Weather Atlas. https://www.weather-us.com/en/texas-usa/dallas-climate#snowfall The record snowfall was recorded in February 2010, when 12.5 inches of snow fell over two days at the Dallas-Fort Worth International airport.{{Cite news|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2010/02/13/dallas-area-forecasters-tell-how-they-miscalled-the-snowstorm-of-the-century/|title=Dallas area forecasters tell how they miscalled the Snowstorm of the Century|date=Feb 13, 2010|work=The Dallas Morning News|access-date=April 17, 2020}}

Image:1957 Dallas multi-vortex 1 edited.JPG outside of Dallas, Texas on April 2, 1957.]]

Since Dallas lies at the lower end of the "Tornado Alley", tornadoes have on occasion been a threat to the city. Most tornadoes hit the city during the months of April and May.{{Cite web|url=https://www.weather.gov/fwd/dallas-tor|title=Dallas County Tornado Climatology Page|date=March 23, 2020|website=National Weather Service|access-date=April 17, 2020}} Dallas was hit by a powerful tornado on April 2, 1957; the tornado was later rated F3.[http://www.stormtrack.org Stormtrack.org] - [http://www.stormtrack.org/library/historic/dal57.htm APRIL 2, 1957: DALLAS'S DATE WITH DISASTER] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230233234/http://www.stormtrack.org/library/historic/dal57.htm |date=December 30, 2013 }}. Retrieved on April 17, 2006. On March 28, 2000, the “Fort Worth Tornado” impacted Dallas's neighbor Fort Worth's downtown, and a tornado in Arlington, Texas also occurred that day damaging some homes. Four people died in Fort Worth as a result of the tornado.{{Cite news|last=Malone|first=Dan|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0ED8221768750AC5|title=4 die as tornado hits FW - Downtown closed this morning; Arlington also hit|date=March 29, 2000|work=The Dallas Morning News|access-date=April 17, 2020|url-access=subscription}} That day was the Metroplex's most damaging tornado outbreak since the 1957 event. Another widespread tornado outbreak struck the area in the Dallas tornado outbreak of April 3, 2012, slightly damaging Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and damaging some planes and grounding the others at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field, heavily damaging an elementary school, and destroying semis in a facility. On December 26, 2015, a rare winter tornado outbreak led to the spawning of several tornadoes, including an EF4 tornado near the city of Garland and Rowlett that caused 10 deaths. On October 21, 2019, 10 tornadoes touched down in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, including an EF3 tornado that devastated areas from North Dallas to Richardson.{{Cite news|last=Branham|first=Dana|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/weather/2019/10/22/4th-tornado-confirmed-as-power-gets-restored-to-thousands-across-dallas-fort-worth/|title=Weather service confirms 10 total tornadoes hit Dallas-Fort Worth; power restored to thousands|date=October 22, 2019|work=The Dallas Morning News|access-date=April 17, 2020}}

Major flooding occurred on the Trinity River in the years 1844, 1866, 1871, and 1890, but a major event in the spring of 1908 set in motion the harnessing of the river. On 26 May 1908, the Trinity River reached a depth of {{convert|52.6|ft|m|2}} and a width of {{convert|1.5|mi|km|1}}.{{cite book |last=Payne |first=Darwin |title= Dallas, an illustrated history |year=1982 |publisher=Windsor Publications |location=Woodland Hills, California |isbn= 0-89781-034-1 |pages=119–155 |chapter= Chapter V: A New Century, A New Dallas}} Five people died, 4,000 were left homeless, and property damages were estimated at $2.5 million.

{{cquote|Now the wreckage of a shed or outhouse would move by, followed by a drowned swine or other livestock. The construction forces of the Texas & Pacific worked feverishly to safeguard the long trestle carrying their tracks across the stream. Suddenly this whole structure turned on its side down-stream, broke loose from the rest of the track at one end and swung out into the middle of the current and began breaking up, first into large sections and then into smaller pieces, rushing madly along to some uncertain destination. [Approximately half a dozen of the workmen fell into the torrent at this point; exaggerated reports of their drowning swept the city.]|4=C.L. Moss|5=

}}

Dallas was without power for three days, all telephone and telegraph service was down, and rail service was canceled. The only way to reach Oak Cliff was by boat.[http://www.dallashistory.org/ Dallas Historical Society] - [http://www.dallashistory.org/history/dallas/dallas_history.htm Dallas History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060422183559/http://www.dallashistory.org/history/dallas/dallas_history.htm |date=2006-04-22 }}. Retrieved 20 April 2006. West Dallas was hit harder than any other part of the city—the Dallas Times Herald said "indescribable suffering" plagued the area. Much to the horror of residents, thousands of livestock drowned in the flood and some became lodged in the tops of trees—the stench of their decay hung over the city as the water subsided.

Image:Dallas, Texas Trinity Flood 1908.jpg

After the disastrous flood, the city wanted to find a way to control the reckless Trinity and to build a bridge linking Oak Cliff and Dallas. The immediate reaction was citizens and the city clamoring to build an indestructible, all-weather crossing over the Trinity. This had already been tried following the 1890 flood—the result was the "Long Wooden Bridge" that connected Jefferson Boulevard in Oak Cliff and Cadiz in Dallas, but the resulting unstable bridge was easily washed away by the 1908 flood. George B. Dealey, publisher of the Dallas Morning News, proposed a {{convert|1.5|mi|km|1}} concrete bridge based on a bridge crossing the Missouri River in Kansas City. Ultimately a US$650,000 bond election was approved and in 1912, the Oak Cliff viaduct (now the Houston Street Viaduct) was opened among festivities drawing 58,000 spectators. The bridge, at the time, was the longest concrete structure in the world.

In May 2015, the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport received a record-shattering 16.96 inches of rainfall, in a month that obliterated heavy-rainfall records virtually throughout the Southern Plains (Texas and Oklahoma, especially).{{Cite news|last=Jimenez|first=Jesus|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/weather/2019/12/26/these-are-8-of-the-most-memorable-dallas-fort-worth-weather-events-of-the-2010s/|title=These are 8 of the most memorable Dallas-Fort Worth weather events of the 2010s|date=December 26, 2019|work=Dallas Morning News|access-date=April 17, 2020}} Strangely enough, a very hot, dry summer followed, resulting in some parts of Texas returning to abnormally dry conditions as early as July 2015, soon after the record May rains erased years-long drought conditions over the area.

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) determines for the most part what the winter and spring months are like in Dallas. During the warm phase (El Niño), winter and spring are colder and receive more snow than usual. Under the cold phase (La Niña), winter and spring are warmer and receive less snow.

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{ClimateUS|state=expanded}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Climate Of Dallas}}

Category:Dallas

Dallas

Category:Climate of Texas