Wildfire danger is high in Dallas-Fort Worth area because of especially hot, dry summer

Brayden Garcia
·2 min read
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Dallas-Fort Worth has built up quite the deficit this year with rainfall totals 10 inches below the yearly average, said Monique Sellers, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office.

That could spell trouble as North Texas goes under an elevated fire risk going into the Labor Day weekend.

North Texas is sitting at 14 inches of rain for the year, with the yearly average around 24 inches, Sellers said. DFW International Airport recorded only trace amounts of rain over the weekend, with Fort Worth’s Alliance Airport seeing 0.18 inches.

With temperatures staying over 100 degrees for days this summer without much rain, the fire risk is going to be the main concern for North Texas.

“All it takes is more wind and especially as dry as it is, there is definitely going to be a fire concern,” Sellers said.

It’s not going to take much to light a fire with the weather conditions as they currently are, she added.

Last year was particularity bad for wildfires, with fire crews fighting at least 10 different ones over the summer months.

Rain would help lower the fire risk, but there isn’t any in the forecast for North Texas, according to the NWS meteorologist. There’s a chance for rain for East Texas next week, however, that’s about it.

Expect another round of 100-degree days in North Texas

After two days of relatively cooler 90-degree days this week, another round of triple digit days are in the forecast for the weekend and into next week.

Wednesday’s high will be around 98 degrees, followed by 99 on Thursday. Temperatures are expected to heat up —hovering around the 100-degree mark — this weekend, Sellers said.

North Texas typically sees its triple digit days tail off in September, but the heat have in the past persisted through October.

“Lets hope that’s not this year,” Sellers said.

As of Wednesday, North Texas has recorded 47 days over a 100 degrees this year, which is tied with last year for sixth all-time for number of 100-degree days for the year. The hottest temperature recorded this year is 110 degrees — on Aug. 25 and 26.