Summers in Dallas-Fort Worth aren’t just hot, they’re also traditionally quite dry. But just how dry has this summer been?
The National Weather Service defines summer as the months of June, July and August, rather than following the solstice. With only one month under the belt, it’s too early to say definitively if this summer is drier than average. But so far, it looks like rainfall totals are underperforming.
The 30-year average of June precipitation is 3.7 inches, significantly more than the 2.2 inches the Dallas-Fort Worth area experienced last month. These numbers reflect the amount of rain recorded at DFW International Airport, the official weather station for the metro area. Variability in rainfall totals is common with scattered showers and storms.
Related:How has rain this spring in Dallas-Fort Worth compared with previous years?
D-FW Weather Wise
June started relatively strong for being in the drier season, but the active pattern of thunderstorms that carried over from May dried up by mid-month. The latter half of the month only saw two days with measurable precipitation, totaling 0.31 inches.
July, traditionally one of the region’s driest months, doesn’t hold much promise of bucking the trend. The 30-year average for this month comes in at 2.15 inches.
The Climate Prediction Center, part of the weather service, does anticipate rain chances slightly above average for the region over the next 14 days. But in the monthly projection, North Texas is on the edge of the forecasted area expected to receive slightly below-average precipitation.
Given the subtle nature of these trends, it remains to be seen just how much water North Texans can hope for in July as temperatures ramp up.