Will this be another August like 2022?
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- This morning when putting together the forecast there was one map that I looked at that gave me a glimmer of hope that Central Texas may soon break out of this relentless heat that has gripped the area since July 8.
The Climate Prediction Center has teased us before with a Wetter Than Normal forecast. It's happened a few isolated times during this heat wave.
This time, there may be something to the CPC's second-week forecast (August 13th to 19th) where they show much of the state, and all of our region, in a Wetter Than Normal outlook.
Why this time?
Thinking back first to July--July 2022 was the hottest July ever until this past July when the average temperature was 90.8°.
August 2022 started with several triple-digit highs but saw fewer of them during the second half of the month. The last high at or above 100° was on the 20th.
A cold front, often rare for August, had settled in the DFW area on the 17th sending cirrus clouds into the area. The front stalled allowing for increasing moisture locally so that, finally, on the 18th, .66" of rain was recorded at Camp Mabry. It was the first measured rain of the month (outside of a trace on the 6th, 10th, 12th, and 15th. More rain fell the next day with another .31" added.
Two more days of trace amounts followed. Then, on Monday, August 22, a squall line of thunderstorms came across during the late afternoon. The storms crossed over the entire area leaving the first significant rain of the summer season. At Camp Mabry, 2.96" of rain was measured in just an hour (4 to 5 p.m.) as part of a record-setting 3.73" for the calendar day.
That day will also be remembered as Shoal Creek at 16.37 feet. the fourth-highest crest ever. The flood stage is seven feet.
The rest of the month was wetter than normal, with an additional 1.02" added between the 27th and 31st. Isolated heavy rains on the 27th left 7.52" measured at a gauge in Cedar Park.
The final total for August 2022? 5.72", 2,98" above normal. It's interesting to note that August 2021's rain total was also above normal with 3.60" measured.
So, the question remains if July 2023 and 2022 nearly mirrored each other, could the same thing happen this month that happened in August 2022? After all, we are in an El Niño, which could spell good news for much-needed rain.
It will be interesting to watch and hope.