January shatters temperature record in Big D; second time in six months

Here in Dallas, we just set a record for the hottest January ever.

How hot was it? The January average high of 68.3 was 14 degrees above the normal January average of 54.

How hot was it? Officially at D/FW Airport, we got below freezing for all of one hour of one day in January.

Sadly, although not necessarily record-breaking, the National Weather Service predicts above-average temperatures into April.

Much more sadly with us at almost nine months of severe drought, below-average rain is predicted during that same stretch.

With Texas the nation’s fourth-largest agricultural state, look for rising beef, bread and wheat prices, above all. Many farmers in East Texas never even bothered to plant winter wheat this year.

Global warming may be a partial contributor, especially via the vector of increasing severe weather in general. That’s especially true of how the drought got started, and included the hottest September and one of the dozen or so hottest Octobers ever. A weak La Niña, then get established a few weeks ago and will be a prime contributory factor to the drought and heat predicted to run into mid-spring.

This could be Texas’ worse drought problem in nearly 50 years.