Fort Worth’s warm May breaks 26-year weather record, portends of a summer scorcher
If May truly portends what our summer is going to be like, the next few months are going to be scorchers.
The month of May’s warm weather broke a 26-year record for amount of days over 90 degrees and tied another for average temperature. This year has already been off to a warm start, with the first 90-degree recorded on March 27.
Typically, North Texas doesn’t record a 90 degree day until April or May. This much heat, this early in the year, is reminiscent of two notoriously hot years — 1980 and 2011 — when by summertime, an oppressive heat wave broke records.
In total, 20 days in May were over 90 degrees, the most ever on record for North Texas, according to the National Weather Service. This year’s amount broke the previous May record set in 1996 of 19 days over 90 degrees.
Of those warm days, 15 of them were in a row from May 7 to 21. A string of high-70 degree days shifted things slightly after that, but the month finished out from May 27 to 31 over 90 degrees.
The greatest number of days over 90 degrees in May that round out the top five are:
- 19 days in 1996.
- 18 days in 1956.
- 17 days in 2018.
- 15 days in 2006.
Last month’s average temperature was 77.9 degrees, which is tied for the fifth warmest on record with 2012, according to the National Weather Service.
The top four warmest average May temperatures are:
- 79.7 degrees in 1996.
- 79 degrees in 2018.
- 78.4 degrees in 1998.
- 78 degrees in 2006.
The warmest temperature recorded in 2022 thus far, has been 97 degrees on May 15.
Fort Worth has yet to record a 100-degree day, but temperatures are expected to hit the high-90s next week. So, enjoy the spell of cooler temperatures this week with chances of showers and storms.
