October 2023 Climate Summary

Significant Weather Events:

Although October is the middle of meteorological fall and typically sees enhanced storm activity as a result, there were only 86 total storm reports (112 less reports than September 2023). Of these, there were 50 high wind reports, 32 hail reports, and 4 tornado reports. Some of the most notable events are as follows:

• October 3 - Borden County - A high wind report of 83 mph was recorded at a mesonet station near Fluvanna.
• October 4 - Cochran County - A landspout was observed near Whiteface.
• October 4 - Lubbock County - 3.0 inch hail fell outside of Reese Center.
• October 26 - Caldwell County - A tornado was reported near Lockhart.
• October 26 - Bexar County - A tornado was reported in Terrell Hills.
• October 28 - McLennan County - A social media video depicted a tornado touch down near Hallsburg. 

Temperature:

Although temperatures varied widely throughout the month, they averaged out to near normal for the month of October. The warmest portions had average temperatures near 80 degrees Fahrenheit with the highest average recorded at 78.9 degrees in Cameron County. The majority of the state had average temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees while parts of the Panhandle fell below 60 degrees. The coolest monthly average was 58.2 degrees in Dallam County. Overall, temperatures were within +/- 3 degrees of normal.

Precipitation:

The entire state was fortunate to see measurable rainfall throughout the month. Several areas, especially the DFW area, saw high accumulations while portions of Far West Texas and the Panhandle only saw a tenth of an inch. The highest rainfall total recorded for the month was 18.76” in Kaufman County with 8.10” of this total falling in a 24 hour period. Overall, most of the state saw near-normal rainfall with select areas seeing deviations from this normal.

Drought:

Seasonable temperatures and varying rainfall made for some widespread improvements as well as some degradations in various parts of the state. As of this week, 89% of the state is experiencing dryness versus 97% a month ago. The portion of the state in drought has dropped to 75% versus 81% at the start of October. The area of Texas in moderate drought is 23% (21% one month ago), 28% is in severe drought (22% one month ago), 18% is in extreme drought (25% last month), and 7% is in exceptional drought (13% last month).