The 7.59 inch rain at Del Rio was a record daily for October 13th, breaking the previous October 13th record of 1.81 inches in 1959. October 13, 2005 is the 4th wettest day All-Time Day of Record and 2nd wettest October Day of Record for Del Rio. 

THE LIST BELOW SHOWS THE 5 WETTEST DAYS OF RECORD
AT DEL RIO.

1. 17.03 INCHES  AUGUST 23...1998
2.  8.79 INCHES  JUNE 13...1935
3.  7.60 INCHES  OCTOBER 4...1969
4   7.59 INCHES  OCTOBER 13...2005
5.  6.53 INCHES  MAY 27...2003

OCTOBER 2005 THROUGH THE 20TH IS THE 3RD WETTEST OCTOBER OF
RECORD AT DEL RIO. THE LIST BELOW SHOWS THE WETTEST OCTOBERS
OF RECORD AT DEL RIO.

1. 11.69 INCHES OCTOBER 1930
2. 11.33 INCHES OCTOBER 1969
3.  8.11 INCHES THROUGH OCTOBER 20...2005
4.  7.40 INCHES OCTOBER 2002
5.  7.21 INCHES OCTOBER 1941

THE 5 DRIEST OCTOBERS OF RECORD AT DEL RIO FOLLOW.

1.  0.00 INCHES OCTOBER 1917
2.  0.00 INCHES OCTOBER 1979
3.  TRACE       OCTOBER 1950
3.  TRACE       OCTOBER 1952
5.  0.01 INCHES OCTOBER 1915
5.  0.01 INCHES OCTOBER 1931

FOR AUSTIN MABRY 1856 TO 2004...THE WETTEST AND DRIEST OCTOBERS

           WETTEST                            DRIEST      

1. 12.63 INCHES OCTOBER 1917      1.  0.00 INCHES OCTOBER 1893
2. 12.54 INCHES OCTOBER 1979      2.  TRACE       OCTOBER 1952
3. 12.39 INCHES OCTOBER 1950      3.  0.02 INCHES OCTOBER 1947
4. 12.30 INCHES OCTOBER 1952      4.  0.03 INCHES OCTOBER 1934
5. 11.11 INCHES OCTOBER 1915      5.  0.09 INCHES OCTOBER 1955
                                                              

FOR AUSTIN BERGSTROM 1942 TO 2004...THE WETTEST AND DRIEST OCTOBERS

           WETTEST                            DRIEST

1. 13.08 INCHES OCTOBER 1960      1.  0.00 INCHES OCTOBER 1952
2. 12.73 INCHES OCTOBER 1998      2.  0.01 INCHES OCTOBER 1947
3. 10.40 INCHES OCTOBER 1973      3.  0.21 INCHES OCTOBER 1987
4.  9.30 INCHES OCTOBER 1984      4.  0.33 INCHES OCTOBER 1955
5.  9.11 INCHES OCTOBER 1986      5.  0.37 INCHES OCTOBER 1968
5.  9.11 INCHES OCTOBER 2002


FOR SAN ANTONIO 1871 TO 2004...THE WETTEST AND DRIEST OCTOBERS

           WETTEST                            DRIEST

1. 18.07 INCHES OCTOBER 1998      1.  TRACE        OCTOBER 1952
2.  9.74 INCHES OCTOBER 1994      2.  0.03 INCHES  OCOTBER 1898
3.  9.56 INCHES OCTOBER 1942      3.  0.07 INCHES  OCTOBER 1939       
4.  9.47 INCHES OCTOBER 2004      4.  0.08 INCHES  OCOTBER 1893
5.  8.86 INCHES OCTOBER 1913      4.  0.08 INCHES  OCTOBER 1950
                                  6.  0.11 INCHES  OCTOBER 1979

Past Wet Octobers

The long term rainfall averages for October show October in the top third wettest months of the year for South Central Texas. The long term averages for October show the month the 3rd wettest for Del Rio (1906 to 2004); the 3rd wettest for Austin Bergstrom(1942-2004); the 4th wettest for Austin Mabry(1856-2004); and the 4th wettest for San Antonio(1871-2004).

During the flood and heavy rain event of October 1998, the heavy rains fell east of Del Rio. In the past 45 years, October rains were rather extreme in 1960, 1969, 1981, 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2004. In October 1960, heavy rains affected parts of South Central Texas, including the Austin Area.  The wettest October of Record at Austin Bergstrom was in October 1960, when 13.08 inches of rain was observed. In October 1969, Del Rio had its 2nd wettest October of Record when 11.33 inches of rain was observed. Nearly a year later on September 27, 1970 Del Rio had 5.21 inches of rain, in the middle of the 1970-1971 Drought. In October 1981, first the remnants of Hurricane Norma from the Pacific moved over the region aloft and caused a heavy rain event. Late in October 1981, a slow moving cool front and nearly stalled upper-level trough created another heavy rain event, with plenty of high level moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Otis to the southwest over Western Mexico. In October 1994, a heavy rain event with thunderstorms moved through the Austin and San Antonio Areas on Friday Night October 7th, and in the early morning of Saturday October 8, 1994. Another rain event affected the area about a week later from the remnants of Hurricane Rosa that moved over the area aloft and another heavy rain event formed, in association with a slow moving upper-level trough from the west. The heaviest rains in this event fell over the eastern part of South Central Texas, with even heavier rains over Southeast Texas.

After plentiful rains in September 1998, from the effects of Tropical Storm Frances, extreme floods in October 1998 came.  This was the wettest October and Month of Record at San Antonio with 18.07 inches; the 2nd wettest October of Record at Austin Bergstrom with 12.73 inches . and 3rd wettest October of Record at Austin Mabry, with 12.39 inches. See more information on October 1998 Rains.  The wettest Octobers of Record at Austin Mabry was October of 1925, when 12.63 inches of rain fell: for Austin Bergstrom 13.08 inches in October 1960; and for Del Rio October 1930, when 11.69 inches of rain fell.  In October 2005 on the 13th, Del Rio experienced the 4th wettest day of record, when 7.59 inches of rain fell. This was a record daily amount for the 13th of October.

Similar to September, October 2005 through the 20th had its share of unseasonably warm days. The first 5 days of  October 2005 experienced summer like conditions, with not only unseasonably warm conditions, also summer like showers and thunderstorms over the east part of the area on October 4th.   The average high and lows for the first 5 days of October 2005 is listed below.

Average High and Lows for October 1 to 5, 2005.

  Location           Average    Average
                      High        Low   

Austin Mabry          94.0        74.2
Austin Bergstrom      94.8        70.4
Del Rio               93.0        74.2
San Antonio           93.6        74.2

On October 19th and 20th afternoon highs were in the upper 80s to lower 90s. The high of 92 at Austin Mabry the 20th tied the record daily high, previously set October 20, 1979.

The past shows many examples of warm October days. On October 2, 1923 the high in Austin was 100. This occured again on October 2, 1938 when the high was 100 again in Austin, the only 100 degree day for that year. A warm day October 3, 1979 saw afternoon highs tie the maximums observed in the summer of 1979.  Del Rio had a high of 106 October 3, 1979, a record monthly high for October.  On October 3, 1979 San Antonio had a high of 98 and Austin had a high of 97.  In October 1991 very warm weather came to the area, in a pattern similar to late September 2005.  Highs October 12, 1991 reached 98 at Austin Mabry; 97 at Austin Bergstrom; and 99 at San Antonio.