Wettest Year on Record for D/FW

I see several posts related to this most recent deluge, that many lakes are closed or soon will be.

I have the data back to 1899 and we have had several years with annual rainfall > 50", maybe 54" being the record for North Texas. I need to check it again.

Nonetheless, we are soon coming to an end of November so we'll have another monthly statistic. I am almost certain this puts us at or near the record rain total . . . with a month to go.

Is 60" possible? Heck, maybe probable. That would be, of course, a remarkable 5" per month average. The huge May statistic made this all possible.

Here are the numbers for the past several years. Brad

Check the total for Plano.

http://planoweather.com/index.php

I think the weather folks had yearly record for DFW broken the past day or so.
Good chart, very informative

Yes, it looks like Plano is well beyond the record!

The official stats are recorded from rainfall at the airport but it can vary quite a lot even in close proximity. The places where the amounts are recorded have changed a few times the past 100 years and this is mentioned in the footnotes of the historical tables I have seen.

Most lakes in the general North Texas region have annual evaporation rates of around 50" a year. So, with more normal rainfall, say 30", and some are supplemented by natural springs, all big reservoirs have large and vast watersheds where runoff concentrates the water in the lakes. Then the lakes have to be "managed" to balance lake levels with downstream consequences.

And, of course, we are "pulling" water out of lakes, too.

This has been one heck of a busy season for the various water authorities.

I read elsewhere last summer, that so much fresh water had been dumped into the gulf bays, for example Galveston, that it had a material effect on the fish habitat.

Lots of consequences, including human lives.

Brad

DFW Airport is over 57 inches already, and I saw that yesterday. It'll break 60 inches easily.

May was just insane....

Yes lots of water but wow what a spring we are going to have with all the lakes being full and so much vegetation in the water from all the drought growth. The next 4 to 5 years of fishing are going to be incredible, good luck to all

We keep a record at the shop, broke 60 inches Saturday in Cleburne, not "official" but we keep a log and watch it like a hawk

now is only it would rain WEST... Ivie has barley come up?

Is it climate change?

May was nuts, but this whole year has been crazy. By my count, April, May, and October are all bigger this year than any year since 2001 on the chart above. We have had a couple big Junes in the past, but not this year. We were so far ahead by the time we got to July/August that we didn't need much the rest of this year to hit the record, but we've still gotten a ton in October and November. Crazy...

Okay, the official November statistic has been announced for November: 9.86 inches. This is the wettest November on record . . . back to 1899.

This brings the official annual rainfall to a new record of 58.78" with a full month to go.

60" is very likely based on the weather pattern.

Just a guess that if the pattern forecast for Spring 2016 indicates lots of rain that the lakes will be proactive . . . controlled draining to protect downstream, making room for the typically wettest months of the year.

Another interesting fishing season dead ahead I suspect.

Brad

Brad, we've received 9.1" since Thanksgiving here at the house.

Yes Sir it was! However it did help a lot of lakes down here that really needed it!