Sizzling summer subsides in late August; Abilene puts dent in rainfall deficit

If summer came in like a lion in May, it went out like a lamb in August.

With Abilene on track to break the 2011 record for 100-degree days, an extremely hot and dry summer suddenly changed at month's end.

August began with six 100-degree days and reached 70 for the year with 101 on Aug. 9. But the month ended with the total increasing only to 76, thanks to back-to-back 101 readings last weekend.

Only one record was broken - the 106-degree reading Aug. 4 was a daily record.

The final days of August saw rainfall total 2.53 inches, boosting the month to 3.01 inches. That actually is above normal for August, and snapped Abilene out of drought conditions. The rain immediately greened lawns across the city.

Meteorologist Mike Castillo, of the National Weather Service in San Angelo, said the high pressure ridge that sat atop Texas and the Abilene area finally "broke down." That allowed moisture to move into West Texas.

"It's welcome," he said of the change.

Rainfall was more than 11 inches under the norm at one point during August but the month ended with the deficit cut to 9.36 inches.

The year's total heading into the first day of September, when it rained again, was 7.72 inches.

There were 14 days of 100 or hotter in August, less than half the month. When Abilene set its record in 2011, 28 of 31 days in August were in triple digits.

There were 14 days of 100s in May, signaling the start of an unusually hot summer ahead.

The average high temperature, after registering over 100 for two months - including July begin the hottest month on record at 103.7 degrees - the average dropped to 97.5. That was above normal but not significantly.

The hottest day was 106, on Aug. 4.

September still can be hot with 100-degree days but Abilene's chance to break the 11-year-old record now are slim.

Castillo said the immediate forecast calls for normal to cooler-than-normal readings and greater chances of rain, into even mid-September.

However, a hot day could pop up, he warned.

Wet Wednesday in Abilene

After significant rain fell late Monday evening and early Tuesday, parts of Abilene were doused again mid-afternoon Wednesday.

Abilene Regional Airport did not measure rain, yet some parts of town were drenched.

Station 1, the Abilene Fire Department's central station on Grape Street, on Thursday reported 1.20 inches of rain.

By contrast Station 7, at North Pioneer Drive, measured 0.05. Stations 3 (Vine Street) and 4 (far north Grape Street) measured 0.82 and 0.86, respectively, but Station 5 (EN 16th Street) had only 0.10.

The rain flooded some underpasses, as usual, stranding a few motorists. However, a look at vehicle crashes worked by the Abilene Police Department did not show a dramatic surge during rainfall.

Rain remains in the forecast for the week ahead, with a 50% chance Saturday the highest.

The forecast for Labor Day is for a 20% chance of rain and a high in the upper 80s.

High temperatures are not expected to be much above 90 degrees over the next few days.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Sizzling summer subsides in late August; dent put in rainfall deficit