2023 officially ties one of the last, significant heat records of the year

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Coming off the hottest summer ever in Bryan-College Station’s 141 years of record keeping, 2023 has claimed yet another significant climate record.

The thermometer at Easterwood Airport reached the triple-digit mark for the 69th time this year at 3:30pm Sunday. This now ties the most 100° days ever experienced in a calendar year for Bryan-College Station. Previously, the record had only been reached one other time — in 2011. It took 2023 252 days to reach this milestone. It took 2011 271 days to do the same.

Unrelenting. Continuous. Brutal heat. Fingerprints of human-induced impacts: anthropogenic warming, urbanization heating, and a developing El Niño.

Sunday’s high of 101° also broke the record high for September 10th, previously set at 100° in 1893, 1912, 1937, 1940, 1963, and 2000.

The only heat record left for 2023 to claim is the hottest year ever experienced since weather notes began in 1882. As of early September, 2023 is on pace to do just that — but an El Niño fall and early winter could change that (doubtful, but time will tell). Currently, this year has collected:

69 triple digit days (Ties previous record from 2011)30 105° or hotter days (Breaks old record of 12 from 2011)3 110° or hotter days (Breaks old record of 2 from 1903 and 2011)50 80° or warmer lows (Breaks old record of 29 from 1902)

Current plan this week: to NOT break any record highs (or record high minimums for that matter)

So…there’s that! #bcstx pic.twitter.com/LqlgdE1e6Q

— Shel Winkley 👍 (@KBTXShel) September 10, 2023

Will 2023 break the record for the most 100° days experienced in a single year? It is not out of the question, but the current ten-day forecast keeps the record at a tie. Monday’s forecast high of 98° will be the closest that the thermometer at Easterwood Airport is expected to get to tipping the record to 70 days. A word of caution: while there may only be double-digit highs on the current horizon, that does not mean 100° days are necessarily done for the year. 2011 reached it’s last and 69th day of 100° heat on September 29th. The latest triple-digit day of record in Bryan-College Station is October 6th.

Note: Rainfall and temperature data observations began on the campus of Texas A&M College in May 1882. Records were sporadic from 1882 to 1907 and no records are available for 1908 and 1909. Reliable records are available from 1910 to present. Observations began on the campus of Texas A&M College in May 1882. The station was relocated to the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station main farm located seven miles southwest of the College Station Post Office in January 1954. This station closed April 30, 1958. Other rainfall and temperature observations were taken in Bryan at 2310 23rd Street from September 1, 1913 through March 31, 1947. A weather station was established at the College Station FAA Airport (originally referred to as Bryan CAA Airport) in August 1951. The FAA Airport Station is now known as Easterwood Field.

The 30 year climatological averages are from the College Station FAA Airport (Easterwood Field) but the extremes and other temperature and rainfall records are from all sources.

The observation site has not moved since 1951 and remains at Easterwood Field.