September ends unseasonably warm and too dry

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Central Texas weather in September was, once again, dominated by temperatures mostly above normal and scarce precipitation.

17 of the last 18 days of the month had afternoon maximums above normal, which, in part, led to an average high temperature of 94.6°.

During the week of the 18th to the 24th, the average high temperature was 97.6°. At least there were no 100° highs during the month, though we came close with a high of 99° on the 22nd -- a few hours before the official start of autumn. The average low was 70.8°.

The result is that September 2022 is the 12th warmest September of record at Austin-Camp Mabry.

Rain was scarce. The normal rain for September is 3.45". This September's rain? A paltry .47" with only three days of rain measured. The area has not had any precipitation since the 7th. It was drier at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport where just .14" was recorded.

September 2022 is the 12th driest September of record at Austin-Camp Mabry and the 4th driest at the airport.

The immediate 7-Day Forecast shows no rain, although there is one computer model that hints at some rain on October 7th and 8th.

So, what does October hold in store for our local weather? Unfortunately, it's a continuation of the same story the KXAN Weather team has been telling you for several months. Afternoon highs are predicted to remain in what is now the dreaded Warmer Than Normal category.

October is normally the second wettest month of the year with an average of 3.91". The updated outlook from the Climate Prediction Center shows a Drier Than Normal forecast.

Three out of the last four Octobers have had decent rains.

Researching future seasonal outlooks indicated that the forecasts of drier than normal eventually do end, but it isn't until the spring of 2023 that we see a prediction of wetter than normal conditions.

Central Texas will be hoping this forecast holds because, in March, April and May of 2022 only 5.89" of rain was measured. Normally, we see about 10.29".

Fingers crossed.