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October 2004 Weather in Review

 

October 2004 was much wetter and also much warmer than usual for South Central Texas. October has been historically a month of rainfall extremes, as February has been one of temperature extremes. Based on 1971 to 2000 average rainfall at both Austin Mabry and Austin Bergstrom, October is the 2nd wettest month of the year, after May. The 1971 to 2000 average October rainfall also shows San Antonio as the 3rd wettest month of the year, and the 5th wettest of the year for Del Rio. This years October definitely fell into the wet part of the extremes, ending up one of the wetter Octobers since the 19th century. The trend for a rainy month began early in the month, on October 2nd, when heavy rains came to the area, associated with a cold front. October 2004 was the 4th wettest of record for San Antonio and the 10th wettest of record for Austin Bergstrom. Even though it was wet, it also turned out to be one of the warmer Octobers of record. After a moderated summer for the area and a period when cold fronts began early in August and part of September, October 2004 ended up much warmer than usual. October 2004 tied with October 1956 for the 2nd warmest of record at Austin Bergstrom. October 2004 was the 2nd warmest of record at San Antonio and the 3rd warmest of record at Austin Mabry.

A few statistics on October 2004 follow, in regard to how wet and warm it was. 


...WET AND WARM OCTOBER IN 2004...

THE 6.76 INCHES OF RAIN IN OCTOBER 2004 AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM 
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MADE OCTOBER 2004 THE 10TH WETTEST 
OCTOBER OF RECORD AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

THE 10 WETTEST OCTOBERS AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM...OCT. 1942 TO OCT. 2004

1. 13.08 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1960
2. 12.73 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1998
3. 10.40 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1973
4.  9.30 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1984
5.  9.11 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1986 AND 2002
6.  9.00 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1957
7.  7.79 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1994
8.  6.99 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1976
9.  6.94 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1959
10. 6.76 INCHES IN OCTOBER 2004

THE 9.74 INCHES OF RAIN IN OCTOBER AT SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL 
AIRPORT MADE OCTOBER 2004 THE 4TH WETTEST OCTOBER OF RECORD AT
SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. 

THE 10 WETTEST OCTOBERS AT SAN ANTONIO...1871 TO OCT. 2004

1. 18.07 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1998
2.  9.74 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1994
3.  9.56 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1942
4.  9.47 INCHES IN OCTOBER 2004
5.  8.86 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1913
6.  8.66 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1919
7.  8.61 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1981
8.  8.48 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1976
9.  7.84 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1960
10. 7.64 INCHES IN OCTOBER 2002

AT AUSTIN MABRY 4.62 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN OCTOBER 2004.
THIS WAS NOT IN THE TOP 10 WETTEST OCTOBERS FOR AUSTIN MABRY.  

THE 10 WETTEST OCTOBERS AT AUSTIN MABRY...1856 TO OCT. 2004

1. 12.63 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1925
2. 12.54 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1870
3. 12.39 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1998
4. 12.30 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1960
5. 11.11 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1973
6. 10.92 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1919
7. 10.34 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1984
8.  9.25 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1923
9.  8.92 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1913
10. 8.79 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1957

AT DEL RIO 4.57 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN OCTOBER 2004.  THIS WAS
NOT IN THE TOP 10 WETTEST OCTOBERS OF RECORD FOR DEL RIO.

THE 10 WETTEST OCTOBERS AT DEL RIO...DECEMBER 1905 TO OCT. 2004

1. 11.69 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1930
2. 11.33 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1969
3.  7.40 INCHES IN OCTOBER 2002
4.  7.21 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1941
5.  6.67 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1914
6.  6.64 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1981
7.  6.50 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1944
8.  6.09 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1907
9.  5.66 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1926
10. 5.44 INCHES IN OCTOBER 1986

IN ADDITION TO BEING WETTER THAN USUAL...OCTOBER 2004 WAS ALSO
WARMER THAN NORMAL. 

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT AUSTIN MABRY IN OCTOBER 2004 WAS
75.9 DEGREES MAKING OCTOBER 2004 THE 3RD WARMEST OCTOBER OF RECORD.
THE WARMEST OCTOBER WAS IN 1931 WHEN THE AVERAGE WAS 77.
THE COOLEST OCTOBER OF RECORD WAS OCTOBER 1863...WHEN
THE AVERAGE WAS 60.3

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM IN OCTOBER 2004 WAS 
75.0.  THIS MADE OCTOBER 2004 TIE WITH OCTOBER 1956 FOR THE
2ND WARMEST OCTOBER OF RECORD.  THE WARMEST OCTOBER WAS IN 1947 WHEN 
THE AVERAGE WAS 75.3.  THE COOLEST OCTOBER AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM WAS 
OCTOBER 1976...WHEN THE AVERAGE WAS 61.4. 
 
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT SAN ANTONIO IN OCTOBER 2004 WAS 76.9
DEGREES.  THIS MADE OCTOBER 2004 THE 2ND WARMEST OF RECORD.
THE WARMEST OCTOBER WAS IN 1931 WHEN THE AVERAGE WAS 78.
THE COOLEST OCTOBER OF RECORD WAS IN OCTOBER 1976 WHEN THE
AVERAGE WAS 61.1. 

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT DEL RIO IN OCTOBER 2004 WAS 73.7. 
ALTHOUGH THIS IS ABOVE NORMAL FOR DEL RIO...OCTOBER 2004 WAS NOT IN 
THE TOP 10 WARMEST OCTOBERS OF RECORD FOR DEL RIO.  THE 10TH WARMEST 
OCTOBER AT DEL RIO WAS IN 1992 WHEN THE AVERAGE WAS 74...AND THE 
WARMEST OCTOBER OF RECORD WAS IN 1931 AND 1947 WHEN THE AVERAGE WAS 
77.3.  THE COOLEST OCTOBER OF RECORD WAS IN OCTOBER 1976...WHEN
THE AVERAGE WAS 63.

On the 1st day of the month warm, summer like conditions prevailed, followed by the passage of a cool front October 2nd. This cold front brought with it a round of heavy rains and flooding on the 2nd. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches came with this wet spell. Skies only cleared to partly cloudy the 3rd and 4th, before clouds rolled in late the 4th. Cloudy days came the 5th, as Del Rio had a round of heavy rains, and flooding. Clouds lingered the 6th and 7th. After mostly cloudy conditions on Friday the 8th, more sun came in the day on the 9th, 10th and 11th, over the Columbus Day Weekend. Clouds increased again on the 13th ahead of a strong rain maker, and its associated cold front. This system came through the area the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th, bringing showers and thunderstorms, and more locally heavy rains. The cold front of the 14th was strong relative to the time of year, like the September 6th and August 12th/13th cold fronts.

A few clear days followed the October 14th cold front, and then around the 17th, warm summer like conditions returned, and stayed around through the end of the month. Many warm nights with lows in the 70s prevailed. On the weekend of the 23rd and 24th, rain affected the area, especially on the 24th. On the 24th rain began the morning around Del Rio and spread east in the afternoon to east of Llano to Uvlade to Pearsall. Storms grew in the afternoon and exploded in the late afternoon, leaving heavy rains and localized flooding around San Antonio to New Braunfels. 2 to 4 inches of rain fell in a short period of time, in the late afternoon and evening around San Antonio.

More stable conditions came the 25th, except near Del Rio where showers and thunderstorms caused locally heavy rains in Val Verde County. From Monday the 25th to Friday the 29th warm summer like conditions prevailed. Widely scattered thunderstorms showed up the afternoon of the 28th around San Antonio to New Braunfels to Segiun. More stable conditions came the 29th and 30th. On the last day of the month, showers and thunderstorms formed over the west part of the area earlier in the day and further east in the afternoon, and increased during the evening hours. In the final hours of the month, a line of showers and thunderstorms moved across the area, causing periods of heavy rain, that extended into the early morning hours of Monday, November 1st. On October 31st, the month ended with warm afternoon highs, except over the west part of the area, where clouds and rain kept daytime highs in the 70s.

October 2004 Weather in Review


AUSTIN...

Austin/Bergstrom International Airport:

The average October temperature was 75.0 degrees, 4.2 degrees above normal. October 2004 tied October 1956 for the 2nd warmest of record at Austin/Bergstrom. The average high was 85.1, and the average low was 64.9. Heating degree days 4 and Cooling degree days 320. The highest temperature was 92 on the 1st, and the lowest was 50 on the 14th, 15th and 16th. Highest wind gust was 39 mph from the north, northeast with thunderstorms on the 4th. Rainfall was 6.76 inches, 2.77 inches above normal. October 2004 was the 10th wettest of record at Austin/Bergstrom. Rainfall from January 1st to October 31st, 2004... 41.78 inches or 12.61 inches above normal.

Austin Mabry:

The average October temperature was 75.9 degrees, 5.3 degrees above normal. October 2004 was the 3rd warmest of record at Austin Mabry. The average high was 85.0, and the average low was 66.8. Heating degree days 4 and Cooling degree days 348. The highest temperature reached 92 on the 19th. The lowest was 50 on the 14th. Highest wind gust was 30 mph from the east, southeast with showers and thunderstorms in the area on the 6th. Rainfall was 4.62 inches, 0.65 inches above normal. Rainfall from January 1st to October 31st, 2004... 37.84 inches or 9.31 inches above normal.

Go to Austin daily data for October 2004.


DEL RIO...

The average October temperature was 73.7 degrees, 2.6 degrees above normal. The average high was 82.8 and average low was 64.7. Heating degree days 3 and cooling degree days 282. The highest temperature reached 91 on the 18th. The lowest was 49 on the 15th. The highest wind gust was 41 mph from the northwest with showers and thunderstorms in the area on the 22nd. Rainfall was 4.57 inches, 2.57 inches above normal. Rainfall from January 1st to October 31st, 2004...25.87 inches or 8.78 inches above normal.

Go to Del Rio daily data for October 2004.


SAN ANTONIO...

The average October temperature was 76.9 degrees, 6.2 degrees above normal. October 2004 was the 2nd warmest October of Record for San Antonio. The average high was 86.1, and the average low was 67.7. Heating degree days 2 and cooling degree days 378. The highest temperature reached 92 on the 1st, and the lowest was 49 on the 15th. Highest wind gust was 33 mph from the north, northwest with thunderstorms on the 24th. Rainfall was 9.47 inches, 5.61 inches above normal. October 2004 was the 4th wettest October of Record at San Antonio. Rainfall from January 1st to October 31st, 2004... 35.79 inches or 7.41 inches above normal.

Go to San Antonio daily data for October 2004.

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