San Antonio sees hottest, second-driest October on record

KEY POINTS

• October 2024 was the hottest October on record in San Antonio
• With only a hundredth of an inch of rain, October 2024 was also the second-driest October on record in San Antonio
• Records for the Alamo City date back to the mid-1880s
• This follows a warmer, drier-than-average September, adding to the rapid expansion of drought across South Central Texas

OCTOBER TEMPERATURES

• Coolest morning low: 54 degrees on Oct. 17
• Hottest afternoon high: 98 degrees on Oct. 14
• Average monthly temperature: 78.5 degrees

October 2024′s average monthly temperature of 78.5 degrees makes it the hottest October found in the history of San Antonio record keeping.

This breaks the previous record of 78 degrees found in 1931.

Eighteen days featured high temperatures in the 90s, including Halloween, where a high temperature of 90 degrees also set a record for the hottest Halloween of all time in the Alamo City.

OCTOBER RAINFALL

• Monthly rainfall total: 0.01 inch
• Highest daily rainfall total: 0.01 inch Oct. 29
• Number of days with measurable rainfall: 1

On average, October is typically San Antonio’s third-wettest month in a given year. This year it was anything but that, with only one hundredth of an inch of rain recorded at San Antonio International Airport on Oct. 29. That was also *just enough* to end a 53-day stretch of consecutive days without measurable rainfall, the longest stretch since 1996.

>>> READ: San Antonio’s climate site explained: Why are official weather reports taken at SA International Airport?

Not only does the 0.01 inch total ring in 3.74 inches below average, but it also makes Oct. 2024 the second-driest October on record.

This brings our year-to-date total to 21.31 inches, which is 6.99 inches below where we should be for this time of year when compared to the average.

Keep in mind that September was also a drier-than-average month in the Alamo City.

This dry stretch has led to a rapid expansion of drought across South Central Texas. Just take a look at the difference in the drought monitor from Sept.10 to Oct. 29:

Drought monitor as of September 10:

Drought monitor as of October 29:

LOOKING AHEAD TO NOVEMBER

• On average, November is typically a drier month with an average monthly rainfall total of 2.08 inches.
• While the average high temperature at the beginning of the month is 77 degrees, the average high at the end of the month falls to 68 degrees.
• The average low temperature at the beginning of the month is 55 degrees, while the average low at the end of the month drops to 45 degrees.
• Looking for some cooler weather? The first weekend of November will feature unseasonably warm temperatures in San Antonio, but fall-like air is slated to arrive early next week!

We’ll keep you posted as we hopefully start to see cold fronts move in more frequently this month. More updates to come!

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