Congrats Texas. I also read they broke records for highest electricity demand.
Of the ten possible heat records yesterday (high minimum
temperature and high temperature at five first order climate
sites), we managed to tie or break nine of them! Here`s a quick
summary:
Climate Site | Min Temp | Record High Min Temp (Year)
----------------------------------------------------------
City of Houston | 82 | 81 (2009)
Houston Hobby | 81 | 80 (2020)
Galveston | 85 | 83 (2021)
College Station | 80 | 80 (2009)
Palacios | 84 | 83 (2020)
Climate Site | Max Temp | Record High Temp (Year)
-----------------------------------------------------
City of Houston | 105 | 101 (1998)
Houston Hobby | 104 | 100 (1964)
Galveston | 96 | 96 (1931)
College Station | 111 | 109 (1917)
Palacios | 95 | 99 (2005)
As astute followers of Southeast Texas climate will know (or
anyone who takes a quick glance at the tables should be able to
infer), record high min temperatures in this area have fallen at a
pretty rapidly clip this century. The afternoon high temperature
records have not been falling at quite the same pace, so to have a
day where so many records at both ends of the day fall really
speaks to just how extreme this July 10 is in the historical
record.
To really drive it home, College Station`s high of 111 is the
second highest max temperature on record, going back to 1888. It
is only one degree off the all-time record high temperature for
the city, which was recorded on September 4, 2000. It is the
hottest July day on record for College Station, eclipsing the 110
mark last seen on July 11, 1917.
Houston`s 105 degree mark matches the July record mark, last seen
July 26, 1954. However, it is not the hottest mark so early in
the year, as June 29, 2013 did reach 107. It also is "only" the
17th hottest day in the official record for the city.
Hobby`s 104 degree high does put it in the top 10 all time, tying
it for 8th. But it is neither a record mark for July, nor for so
early in the year, as it fell one degree short of July 8, 1939
(and also June 29, 2013).
Persistent onshore flow meant that while Galveston still saw a
daily record today, it fell fairly far down the all-time record
ledger. Its high of 96 is not good enough for even the top 50 all-
time, and only good for tenth on the list of July records. This is
mainly because the really extreme days at Galveston tend to come
when onshore winds are suppressed, and can really spike when
offshore westerlies can advect some hotter, mainland air over the
Island.
Finally, newcomer Palacios just couldn`t keep pace with the more
established first order climate sites. It did manage to set a new
record high minimum temperature yesterday, but fell four degrees
short of its record high from 2005. Like Galveston, Palacios`
location very near the water likely moderated afternoon highs
slightly, keeping the site from really threatening those record
highs.