Halfway through, Summer 2023 is making a run as one of the Brazos Valley’s hottest on record…again

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Texas is hot. Specifically, Texas is hot in the summer. What has been so unusual is the compounding heat the Brazos Valley has endured so far in Summer 2023. Unlike 2022 — which tied 2011 as the hottest summer locally since records began in 1882 — this year’s summer heat is unprecedented on both sides of the clock. Not only are daily triple-digit highs occurring, but the mornings are starting significantly warmer and consistently in the low 80s. With the uncharacteristically high water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and heat index values between 110° and 115°, heat advisories and excessive heat warnings have become a daily staple for central and southeast Texas.

For climatological record keeping, the National Weather Service and NOAA consider “summer” to comprise the 92 days of June, July, and August. Any reference to summer in this article refers to this definition.

🔴It is not the fact that temperatures are in the 100s in July. That happens. Maybe even a few days at a time.
We do not expect record highs this week.
We do expect [more] record high minimums.

But it is the compounding heat & the length of the heat wave that sends a signal ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/vjLfLdBUqs

— Shel Winkley 👍 (@KBTXShel) July 11, 2023

As of July 13th, here are the current standings for Bryan-College Station’s — as recorded at Easterwood Airport — heat this summer and where it currently stands against the hottest in the area’s 141 years of record keeping:

Hottest Temperature Experienced: 104° (June 13th)Warmest Low Temperature Experienced: 83° (June 15th)Current Average Temperature (Highs & Lows June 1st – July 13th Considered): 86.8°Current Ranking as One of the Hottest Summers on Record: 4thJuly’s Average Temperature (Highs & Lows Considered): 88.9°July’s Current Ranking as One of the Hottest on Record: 3rdJuly’s Average High Temperature: 98.3°July’s Average High (as of the 13th) Compared to the 30-Year-Average: +2.9°July’s Average Low Temperature: 79.4°July’s Average Low (as of the 13th) Compared to the 30-Year-Average: +4.5°Number of 80°+ Low Temperatures in 2023: 16 DaysCurrent Ranking as One of the Most 80° Low Temperatures on Record: 3rdNumber of 100°+ High Temperatures in 2023: 11 DaysCurrent Ranking as One of the Most 100° High Temperatures on Record: 8thNumber of 100°+ Days by July 13th in 2022: 26July’s Average Temperature by July 13th in 2022: 91.3°

In the 49 remaining summer days, July’s outlook is expected to solidify it towards the top — if not the top — of the all-time heat records in Bryan-College Station’s history. As for summer as a whole, it would take a considerable rainy pattern to help move the season’s average temperature down the list rather than up. The Climate Prediction Center is currently projecting warmer-than-average conditions to persist in the final month of the season.