Kxan News: February Ties Austin Record with 12 Days of 80-Degree Heat as Warm Pattern Holds

kxan news — February has matched Austin’s nine-year-old mark with 12 days reaching 80 degrees or higher, and the warm pattern has extended into the final day of the month with a forecast high of 86 degrees for Feb. 28. The stretch matters because afternoon temperatures pushed the month toward a new benchmark for daytime warmth while overnight lows kept the overall monthly average below the all-time record.

Kxan News: Record-tying 12 Days and Temperature Benchmarks

The month will end on a note that ties the city’s record for the most 80-degree days in February — 12 days at or above 80 degrees — matching the high-water mark set nine years earlier. Afternoon highs averaged near 76 degrees for the month, edging past the previous afternoon-only record of 75. 5 degrees set in 2017. That makes this February the warmest on record when measured by daytime maximums alone.

When daily highs and overnight lows are combined, however, 2017 still holds the title for the warmest February overall with an average daily temperature of 64. 5 degrees; this February’s combined daily average sits closer to 63 degrees because of a few colder mornings earlier in the month. What makes this notable is the clear split between daytime and nighttime behavior: record-setting afternoons drove new daytime statistics even as cooler nights prevented an across-the-board monthly record.

A forecast high of 86 degrees on Saturday, Feb. 28 will flirt with the daily record of 87 degrees at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport set in 1978. The continuation of southerly flow from the Gulf of Mexico is the proximate cause of the warm afternoons and elevated humidity, and that same flow is producing a range of near-term effects across the region.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Fog, Winds and Fire Risk

Southerly air streaming in overnight from the Gulf has increased moisture across Central Texas, allowing dense patchy fog to develop through mid-morning in some locations. Visibility could fall to a quarter-mile in pockets, with overnight temperatures dipping into the lower to mid-50s before the fog lifts and sunshine returns by Saturday afternoon.

Winds will remain breezy from the south, with gusts as strong as 20 mph. The higher dew points tied to the moist air mass have reduced the severity of the wildfire threat, leaving only a moderate risk of fast-spreading fires in Central Texas rather than fuel-driven extreme conditions.

The dry spell has been pronounced: the city will reach 17 days without measurable rainfall before rain chances return midweek, with the first drops expected on Wednesday. That gap in measurable precipitation contributed to the warm, rain-free afternoons through late February.

Clear Skies, Planet Parade and Near-Term Outlook

Clear skies are expected Saturday evening, providing observers with a rare six-planet parade across the western and southern sky. Six planets — Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Jupiter — will line up, though Uranus and Neptune will require binoculars or a telescope. A cluster of four planets — Saturn, Venus, Mercury and Jupiter — will sit low on the western horizon, and Jupiter, Saturn and Venus will be bright enough to see with the naked eye while Mercury will appear much dimmer. That four-planet grouping will be visible for about an hour after sunset at 6: 29 p. m.

As the calendar turns to March, the summer-like pattern is expected to hold through early next week with continued breezy south winds and rain-free days. Rain chances re-emerge by midweek, offering a break to the recent dry stretch. The combination of persistent southerly flow, elevated daytime temperatures and periodic nocturnal cooling created the unusual statistical profile for February — warm afternoons that stopped short of turning the entire month into a record-setting warm month when nights were accounted for.

Local viewers checking forecasts and kxan news updates should plan for warm afternoons, the potential for reduced visibility in morning fog and gusty south winds through the weekend, with a return to wet weather by Wednesday breaking the dry stretch.