October 2010 in the Rio Grande Valley: Spigot turned off, rain scarce as autumn drying begins

October 2010 Rainfall estimates for Deep South Texas and the Lower Rio Grande Valley (click to enlarge)

Rainfall estimates (rain gage and bias corrected radar) for October, 2010. Note: Kenedy County values (upper right of map) are unrepresentative; a trace of rain, at most, fell in this area.

Dry October
Spigot Shuts Off after a Wet September

Dry air which arrived just prior to the end of September, 2010, remained locked across Deep South Texas for October, as several cooling fronts reinforced pleasant conditions which began the month, than reappeared for several days at mid month, and finally to close the month including Halloween weekend. In between, warm to hot and rather humid conditions returned, but the only rain that fell was along a mid month front across southern Starr and Zapata County (above). Rio Grande City recorded 0.66 inches on the 13th (reported on the 14th), but that was about it. Heat and humidity returned between the 23rd and 27th, with temperatures running 5 to 12°F above average; below average temperatures occurred from the 3rd through 9th and behind each front (14th through 16th and 28th through 30th).

A brief climate review for October 2010 follows.


PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
511 AM CDT WED SEP 1 2010

...OCTOBER 2010 CLIMATE ROUNDUP FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...
 
RECORD DATES FOR EACH LOCATION ARE AS FOLLOWS:
 
BROWNSVILLE RECORDS BEGAN 1878...
HARLINGEN RECORDS BEGAN 1911...
MCALLEN RECORDS BEGAN 1941...
 
.BROWNSVILLE...
 
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN BROWNSVILLE FOR OCTOBER WAS 76.73
DEGREES...1.7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS IS TIED FOR THE 39TH
WARMEST OCTOBER ON RECORD. THE AVERAGE HIGH WAS 87.4
DEGREES...WHICH IS THE 16TH WARMEST ON RECORD...WHILE THE AVERAGE
LOW TEMPERATURE WAS 66.0 DEGREES...WHICH IS 76TH WARMEST ON RECORD.
 
BROWNSVILLE AIRPORT RECEIVED ZERO /0.00/ INCHES OF RAIN IN
OCTOBER...3.78 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME
THAT NO RAIN HAS BEEN RECEIVED IN OCTOBER IN BROWNSVILLE HISTORY.
THE ONLY OTHER OCCURRENCE WAS IN 1917.
 
.HARLINGEN...
 
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN HARLINGEN FOR OCTOBER WAS 75.37
DEGREES...0.6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS IS THE 48TH WARMEST OCTOBER
ON RECORD. THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 88.5 DEGREES /3.3
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL/...WHICH IS THE 19TH WARMEST ON RECORD...WHILE
THE AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE WAS 62.3 DEGREES /2.0 DEGREES BELOW
NORMAL/...WHICH IS THE 69TH WARMEST OR 20TH COOLEST ON RECORD. ONE
RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE WAS TIED ON THE 15TH WHEN THE LOW WAS 50
DEGREES.
 
HARLINGEN AIRPORT RECEIVED A TRACE OF RAINFALL IN OCTOBER...2.94
INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THIS IS THE 3RD DRIEST OCTOBER IN
HARLINGEN...BEHIND ONLY OCTOBER 1911 AND 1952...WHICH RECEIVED NO
RAINFALL.
 
.MCALLEN...
 
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN MCALLEN FOR OCTOBER WAS 77.85
DEGREES...1.5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS IS THE 14TH WARMEST OCTOBER
ON RECORD FOR MCALLEN. THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 90.2 DEGREES
/3.9 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL/...WHICH IS THE 5TH WARMEST ON
RECORD...WHILE THE AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE WAS 65.5 DEGREES /0.9
DEGREES BELOW NORMAL/...WHICH IS THE 30TH WARMEST ON RECORD. FOUR
RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE SET OR TIED ON THE
25TH...26TH...27TH...AND 31ST.
 
MCALLEN AIRPORT RECEIVED A TRACE OF RAINFALL IN OCTOBER...2.56
INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THIS IS THE 2ND DRIEST OCTOBER ON
RECORD..BEHIND ONLY OCTOBER 1952...WHICH RECEIVED NO RAINFALL.