October 2024 was hottest, second driest on record in Austin
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Several weather records were broken in Austin in October 2024. The month was officially the hottest October on record in the city, as well as the second-driest since records began in 1897.
To determine the hottest October on record, we use the 'average temperature' for each month, combining the highs and lows recorded each day. A typical October has an average temperature of 71.6°, but October 2024 had an average temperature of 78.1° — more than a full degree hotter than the previous record set in 1931.
Temperatures topped out at 101° on Oct. 13 — the hottest October day on record, and the latest calendar date to hit the triple digits on record.
We also set eight individual daily record highs, on Oct. 13, 14, 15, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30. In addition, two new records were set on Oct. 29 and 30 for the warmest overnight low temperature.
Another record was set with the most days at or above 90° in the month of October. This year saw 23 days of at least 90°, well above the previous record of 15 set in 2007.
The month was also incredibly dry, with only 0.01" of rain measured at Camp Mabry, Austin's official weather reporting site. A typical October sees 3.91" of rain, so we only received 0.3% of the normal amount of rain for the month. That, coming off a very dry September, has led to the return of extreme drought in the Austin area.
Only October 1952 was drier than this year when just a trace of rainfall was recorded.