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Summer of 2023 rewrites Capital Area record books

1 year 2 months 1 week ago Monday, September 11 2023 Sep 11, 2023 September 11, 2023 7:45 PM September 11, 2023 in Weather news
Source: The Storm Station

As August comes to a close, the Capital Area says goodbye to climatological summer and one that will go down in the history books as the hottest on record, and it was not even close. Almost any measurable heat stat broke records by a wide margin. Often, long duration temperature records are broken by tenths of a degree. In some cases, records were shattered by 2 and even 3 degrees. The Storm Station put together these lists, so you can see how the Summer of 2023 has re-written heat history in southeast Louisiana. 

There are two databases one can look at for Baton Rouge climate data. The longest running database goes back to 1892. The modern database begin at Metro Airport (Ryan Field) and has been active since 1930. While the 1892 database has a lot of utility, there are many missing data points for a number of reasons including inconsistent instrumentation, changing location and recording methods.  

The Summer of 2023 was the hottest on record for both databases. For each August and July were the top two hottest single months. The three months racked up, by far, the highest number of days with high temperatures over 100 degrees and low temperatures over 80 degrees. Both databases had multiple record runs of consecutive high temperatures over 100 degrees. Several of the highest highs and highest lows of all-time were marked this year. In total, there were 23 record highs and 36 record high lows set on the all-time database. Take a look at the full lists below. 

HOTTEST SUMMER

By Average Temperature

All-Time, Since 1892

Metro Airport, Since 1930

2023 – 87.5°

2023 – 87.5°

2011 – 84.6°

2011 – 84.6 °

1921 – 84.4°

2010 – 83.8°

2010 – 83.8°

1998 – 83.7°

1998 – 83.7°

2022 – 83.5°


DRIEST SUMMER

By Total Precipitation

All-Time, Since 1892

Metro Airport, Since 1930

1910 – 6.54"

2023 – 7.27"

1924 – 7.15"

1947 – 8.38"

2023 – 7.27"

1948 – 9.11"

1902 – 7.81"

1998 – 9.12"

1947 – 8.38"

1930 – 9.77"


HOTTEST MONTH

By Average Temperature

All-Time, Since 1892

Metro Airport, Since 1930

2023, Aug. - 90.3°

2023, Aug. - 90.3°

2023, Jul. - 87.8°

2023, Jul. - 87.8°

2011, Aug. – 86.6°

2011, Aug. - 86.6°

1921, Aug. – 86.1°

2007, Aug. - 85.7°

2007, Aug. – 85.7°

1960, Jul. - 85.6°

 


HIGHEST HIGH

All-Time, Since 1892

Metro Airport, Since 1930

*Aug. 19, 1909 - 110°

Aug. 27, 2023 - 106°

*Aug. 20, 1909 - 108°

Aug. 24, 2023 - 106°

Aug. 27, 2023 - 106°

Aug. 19, 20, 23, 26, 2023 - 105°

Aug. 24, 2023 - 106°

Aug. 30, 2000 - 105°

*Data Quality in Question…

An analysis of the regional weather data from August 1909 indicates some reason to doubt the standing records. August 18 was 99°. On August 19 and 20, surrounding reporting stations were several degrees cooler than 110 degrees and 108 degrees. Often heat builds gradually and is uniform over a large region. It is not a sudden and isolated phenomenon as suggested by the data from all regional stations, including Baton Rouge, on those dates. Lastly, the Baton Rouge temperature sensor failed one day after these observations.


HIGHEST LOW

All-Time, Since 1892

Metro Airport, Since 1930

Aug. 10, 2023 – 85°

Aug. 10, 2023 – 85°

Aug.   8, 2023 – 83°

Aug.   8, 2023 – 83°

Aug. 11, 2023 – 83°

Aug. 11, 2023 – 83°

There were four other dates that had a low of 82° in 2023. 2016, 2010 and 2008 each had one.


HIGHS AT/ABOVE 100°

All-Time, Since 1892

Metro Airport, Since 1930

2023 – 30

2023 – 30

1921 – 28

2011 – 7

2011 – 7

2000 – 7

2000 – 7  

1962 – 5

1924 – 6

2007 – 4

 


LOWS AT/ABOVE 80°

All-Time, Since 1892

Metro Airport, Since 1930

2023 – 27

2023 – 27

2019 – 4

2019 – 4

2020 – 3

2020 – 3

2015 – 3    

2015 – 3    

2010 – 3 

2010 – 3 

 


CONSECUTIVE HIGHS AT/ABOVE 100°

All-Time, Since 1892

Metro Airport, Since 1930

10 (Aug. 18 to Aug. 27, 2023) 

10 (Aug. 18 to Aug. 27, 2023) 

10 (Jul. 29 to Aug. 7, 2023)

10 (Jul. 29 to Aug. 7, 2023)

8 (Aug. 19 to Aug. 26, 1921)

7 (Aug. 9 to Aug. 15, 2023)

7 (Aug. 9 to Aug. 15, 2023)

   7 (Aug. 30 to Sep. 5, 2000)

7 (Aug. 30 to Sep. 5, 2000)

4 (Aug. 11 to Aug. 14, 2007) 

 


EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNINGS

Issued for Heat Index (Feels-Like Temperature) over 113°

Only Tracked Since 2005

 

2023 – 29 | All Other Years – 20

 


 

HIGHEST FEELS-LIKE TEMPERATURE

Only Available Since 1948

 

Aug. 31, 2000 – 119.3°

Jul.     9, 1995 – 118.0°

Aug. 24, 2023 – 117.6°

Aug. 15, 2023 – 116.6°

Aug. 10, 2023 – 116.4°


RECORD HIGHS

Broken and Tied

All-Time, Since 1892

Metro Airport, Since 1930

July 19

July 20

July 22

July 27

July 29

July 30

July 31

August 1

August 2

August 3

August 4

August 5

August 14

August 15

August 17

August 18

August 21

August 22

August 23

August 24

August 25

August 26

August 27

June 29

July 1

July 13

July 16

July 19

July 20

July 21

July 22

July 25

July 26

July 27

July 29

July 30

July 31

August 1

August 2

August 3

August 4

August 5

August 6

August 7

August 14

August 15

August 17

August 18

August 19

August 20

August 21

August 22

August 23

August 24

August 25

August 26

August 27

 


HIGHEST LOWS

Broken and Tied

All-Time, Since 1892

Metro Airport, Since 1930

June 14

June 15

June 16

June 18

June 19

June 29

June 30

July 2

July 3

July 4

July 7

July 10

July 11

July 13

July 14

July 15

July 19

July 20

July 21

August 4

August 5

August 6

August 7

August 8

August 9

August 10

August 11

August 12

August 13

August 14

August 15

August 20

August 21

August 23

August 25

August 26

June 14

June 15

June 16

June 18

June 19

June 29

June 30

July 2

July 3

July 4

July 7

July 10

July 11

July 13

July 14

July 15

July 19

July 20

July 21

July 30

August 4

August 5,

August 6

August 7

August 8

August 9

August 10

August 11

August 12

August 13

August 14

August 15

August 19

August 20

August 21

August 23

August 25

August 26


The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.

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