SAN ANTONIO — The sweaters mostly stayed in closets and umbrellas safely stored away in San Antonio last month, which now officially represents the hottest October on record for the Alamo City.
Over the last three decades in San Antonio, the average mean temperature for October has been 71.3 degrees, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But this year bested that, when the spookiest month sported an average temperature of 78.5.
Last month also marked the first time on record that the average high temperature was above 90 degrees, finishing at 90.4. On 18 out of its 31 days last month, San Antonians sweltered to afternoon highs of 90-plus, topping out at 98 on Oct. 14.
Historically, October highs in the Alamo City top out at 82.1 degrees.
The average temperature in October 2023, by comparison, was 73.4 degrees, while the average daily high that month was a suspiciously brisk-sounding 83.2. The nights didn't provide much reprieve, either; that's because San Antonio experienced just its third October ever where the average daily low was 67-plus degrees.
We also lagged far behind historical expectations when it came to last month's rain. More specifically, the lack thereof.
San Antonio, officially, recorded just 0.01 inches in October, when showers briefly dampened the Alamo City on Tuesday. That means we just experienced the second-driest October on record, bested only by 1952, when the city saw just trace amounts of rain.
If October aligned with a normal month, we would have seen 3.75 inches of rain. But over the course of just eight out of the last 20 Octobers has San Antonio received three inches of rain.
Looking ahead...
The good news is there are cooler days on the horizon after this warm weekend.
A cold front early next week will spark a double-digit swing in afternoon highs from Monday to Tuesday, and San Antonio is also expected to see the return of cool mornings with temps in the 50s. Low rain chances will also be returning periodically over the next two weeks of November, with partly cloudy skies and highs in the mid-70s for Election Day.
If things stay this way, we may very well be done with 90-degree afternoons in 2024.
And don't forget: We turn back the clocks at 2 a.m. this Sunday as daylight saving time ends. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep!
