2011, The HOTTEST Year for Texas
September 1, 2011, Submitted by: Ken Tweet
For most of Texas, 2011 is now the hottest year on record while city after city shatter records of 100 degree days. Texas is in a severe drought, only averaging about 1 inch of rain during July, and in many areas things are becoming desperate.
Wichita Falls and San Angelo have topped 95 and 93 days of 100 degree temperatures as of the end of August. Of 13 major cities that have broken all-time records, Amarillo shatters it’s old record by nearly doubling the number of its 100F days (50). Even the average of those cities broke their old records by a 23% margin.
As of August 31, 2011,
Texas cities that have broken records of 100 degree days
Wichita Falls (95 days)
San Angelo (93 days)
Waco (79 days)
Abilene (78 days)
Austin (76 days)
Tyler (75 days)
Midland (63 days)
College Station (58 days)
Lufkin (56 days)
Amarillo (50 days)
Lubbock (48 days)
Victoria (48 days)
Houston (41 days)
The latest 100 degree 2011 data can be found here, NWS Southern Region Headquarters.
Chart List of Texas Cities Breaking Records of 100 Degree Days
The thirst quenched lands are burning nearly 10 major wildfires at this time that are consuming nearly 20,000 acres around the state. 11,000 fires during the past year have consumed three-and-a-half million acres. Lake beds have gone dry.
Crops have turned to dust. Trees that usually don’t shed their leaves until November have already turned brown and given up on this year. Cattle are being culled because there’s no hay to feed them.
If you go out at the cattle auctions, they’re having five and 10 times the number of cows for sale, because the state is emptying itself of its cattle. They’re auctioning the cattle because they can’t afford them. If you don’t have water, you will run the rubber off your tires trying to truck water in for your cattle. A bale of hay is going between $65 to $85. There’s no way to keep a large herd going if you are having to pay that much for hay. This hay is usually used in the wintertime. “We’re having to use up all of what hay we have right now. What are we going to do when February comes? That’s going to be a big problem.”
There could be a bit of good news on the horizon as a tropical storm is currently developing in the Gulf. The consensus seems to be that Louisiana and Texas could get drenched with as much as 20 inches of rain.
THIS SYSTEM HAS A HIGH CHANCE…80 PERCENT…OF BECOMING A TROPICAL
CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS IT MOVES SLOWLY NORTHWESTWARD.
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The heat has been so bad the streets are cracking and water pipes are bursting all over the city which already has water restrictions, making the water shortage worse. Heat exhaustion has become commonplace, as well as skin diseases due to the heat. That tropical storm if it comes our way will bring some welcome relief.
I looked out the kitchen window the other day and saw the neighbor mowing…….his tank. (small pond for watering cattle in Texas). A bunch of them have dried up and the cows are being sold off here in East Texas.
Can’t wait for winter.
All that warmth has heated up the Gulf of Mexico, making it RIPE for the explosive type hurricanes like Katrina and Rita that all of a sudden jump from a category 3 to a Category 6 in less than 24 hours. Category 6 would be winds of 175-180 mph. Hurricanes that run over these bathtub type temperatures grow extremely rapidly. Like earthquakes, hurricanes really do not have an upper limit, the conditions just have to be right. The conditions are right now, if some hurricane goes over this super heated water and the wind shear is not too strong, then LOOK OUT!
To say we are miserable here in this heat would be putting it mildly.The animals are suffering and that is particularly sad to see.The atmosphere feels oddly charged with a searing heat I have never felt before and I was married in the middle of the last heat wave of 1980.Nothing compares to this.If you would please kindly send prayers for rain and relief for our state.With Gratitude,Radiogirl
And here a week or so later we are back in the 100s again. I have a magnolia tree from a seedling in my mothers yard ten years ago. It is 20′ tall and I almost lost it from the heat. I have had to water it constantly. I grow a raised bed garden and have to water it two times a day to keep it from drying out. My water bill is 3x what it usually is. I was lucky, I bought hay early in the spring (first cutting) and got sq bales for $8. I use them for small animals and gardening. Makes me wonder if winter is going to be as bad in the other direction. My first winter in E. Texas (88/89) the shallow parts of Lake Palestine froze. I hope it is wet and mild!