09/29/2024 - 10/05/2024

Climate in the News:

October is here and the Southern Region is looking forward to a month of cooler temperatures. Unfortunately, temperatures in Texas and Oklahoma are predicted to be above normal per NOAA’s Climate Prediction Centers Temperature Outlook for October. The remainder of the Southern Region has predicted equal chances for above or below normal temperatures. 

Weather Synopsis:

Below is an image of a surface analysis from the afternoon of Wednesday after a cold front passed through the southern reach of the Region the week prior. This cold front did help lower dewpoint values, but temperatures remained high in the lower 90s and upper 80s in Texas and Louisiana. 

Temperature: 

Overall, fall days in October are comfortable across most of the region. Although, weekly cold fronts are quite common, bringing with them colder air masses from the north.

Temperatures across the Southern Region were quite moderate again last week. On Tuesday, a week cold front swept through the northern portions of the Region. Weekly average temperatures were slightly above normal across the Region ranging from normal in Central Texas and near four degrees above normal in Eastern Tennessee. Overall weekly average temperatures in the Southern Region were around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, very similar to the week prior. 

Precipitation:

The climate for the majority of the region is humid and subtropical, with rainfall common at any point of the year. Frequently, during the fall months, cold fronts bring showers and thunderstorms. The boundary between the cold and warm air masses serves as a trigger mechanism for storms.

The Southern Region was dry last week with the exception of Deep South Texas and Northeast Louisiana. Tropical rainfall fell in both areas on Saturday. In Deep South Texas precipitation totals were around 1.5 inches, but totals in Cameron County, TX totals were upwards of 3 inches. Moving east toward Louisiana, the Northeast Louisiana area rainfall totals were around 3 inches with Plaquemines Parish seeing upwards of 4 to 5 inches.