Today marks the anniversary of Austin’s first 100-degree day in 2012, but Austinites have yet to face temperatures in the triple digits this year.
If current weather patterns continue, Austin may only experience a few 100-degree days this summer. That’s according to Cory Van Pelt, a forecaster with the National Weather Service for Austin/San Antonio.
This day last year, Austin saw its first 100-degree temperature recorded at Camp Mabry. The Austin region faced 74 100-degree days in 2011 and 55 in 2009. But Austin has received a steady supply of rain this year, which has stalled the soil from drying out and heating up. The area also has more green vegetation now than in previous years; Van Pelt says that’s slowed down the rate of heating significantly.
“It’s allowed these [pressure] systems to come down and give us regular chances of rain, and it looks like that may continue for a while,” Van Pelt says.
While it is difficult to identify the exact causes of this year’s increased rainfall, Van Pelt said it likely results from shifts in Atlantic Ocean temperatures. Whatever the cause, Austinites are happy to beat the heat this summer.
