CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It was...hot...this month to say the least. Unsurprisingly, we set lots of temperature records in June 2023.
We finished the month of June as the second warmest June on record for Corpus Christi. If it's any consolation, we only missed the top spot by one tenth of a degree.
In terms of daily maximum temperature, 28 out of 30 days were above normal. We hit our normal high on June 1, and our high was below normal on June 5, which is one of only two days we saw measurable rainfall in Corpus Christi.
Even though it seems like it hasn't rained in a month, we had eight tenths of an inch of rain - falling on June 4 and 5. Most of that fell on June 5, which is what pushed the afternoon high below normal. So we didn't really break any records in terms of dryness.
The lack of rainfall the last three and a half weeks has pushed the majority of the Coastal Bend back into abnormally dry conditions. Please keep that in mind as we head farther into summer and closer to the Fourth of July.
Even though we didn't finish the month of June as the hottest June on record, it actually felt about 10 degrees hotter than June 2013 - the hottest June on record. How is that possible? Chief Meteorologist Alan Holt did a great job breaking down why that is.
Additionally, our average high temperature this June (96.2°F) was also hotter than June 2013's average high (96.1°F). Of the 20 hottest days of the year so far, 19 came from the month of June alone.
We set eight high temperature records, with four of those being new daily records. We welcomed the first day of astronomical summer with a bang: a new high temperature record of 103°F.
Thankfully, we didn't touch the record for all-time highest temperature in June of 107°F. But we did set at least two all-time records though. The first?
We managed to hit or surpass 100 degrees six times! That kind of heat isn't common for June in Corpus Christi. Six 100-degree days is double the old record set in 2012 and again in 2017!
The other all-time record we set was the highest heat index ever recorded in Corpus Christi (unofficially)! We actually set and re-set this a couple times. The record now stands at 125°F. And that wasn't even the highest one observed around the Coastal Bend.
With the help of our awesome National Weather Service office (thanks Eric and Penny!), here's an unofficial look at the highest heat indices recorded this month for various locations around the Coastal Bend:
Also, our daily maximum heat index in Corpus Christi has not been less than 109°F since June 8.
And honestly, the heat index is what really matters in the summer.
Not only is the heat index the temperature that our bodies react to, it's the qualification for heat-related advisories and warnings. We had plenty of both this month.
Heat Advisories are issued when the forecast calls for heat indices of 110-114°F for two or more hours. Excessive Heat Warnings are a step above, issued when the heat index is expected to be 115°F+ for two or more hours.
Heat Advisories started on June 9. We saw one every day for the rest of the month, making 22 consecutive days of Heat Advisories in the Coastal Bend.
In Corpus Christi, we saw 13 consecutive days of Excessive Heat Warnings. For the entire Coastal Bend, we had 16 consecutive days of Excessive Heat Warnings.
If I haven't convinced you yet that this wasn't typical June (or summertime) heat, this might: In the past five years, we've had a total of three Excessive Heat Warnings (including 0 in 2018). This month, we had 13.
While temperatures and heat indices are forecast to fall a little, we've got a long way to go before any significant cool-off comes our way. To start off the month of July, we topped out at 98°F and had yet another Excessive Heat Advisory, bringing the 2023 total to 14.
Stay cool, y'all.
