Posted: 7/31/2026 2:58:34 PM EDT
[Last Edit: mikNtx][Edited]
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box fans and homes with eco efficient refrigerants. https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/digging-through-the-archives-summer-of-1980-heat-wave-remains-unmatched/3295723/ A heat advisory remains in effect across North Texas. But though dangerous and extreme, this summer's temperatures have yet to threaten records set more than 40 years ago. For those who called DFW home in 1980, thinking back to that summer might evoke the sound of a box fan’s buzz or the sweet relief of a garden hose on a triple-digit day. Throughout the summer on NBC 5, the lead story often belonged to Chief Meteorologist Harold Taft. “The official temperature at the airport is now 113. That's what goes on the record books, and that is the hottest that has ever been recorded here in central north Texas,” said Taft during a June 26 newscast. It was one of 29 records broken that summer. In July, every single day reached triple digits. And by that fall, the temperature in DFW had hit the century mark a staggering 69 times. North Texans did what they could to cope, adjusting hours for those who worked outside. “We just usually try to start about five or six every morning,” said a construction worker. Even Burleson's Fourth of July parade kicked off at 8:30 a.m. Still, that year's attendance was noticeably low. In one home without air conditioning, an NBC 5 reporter noted the temperature rose into the triple digits during an interview. Though cities across the metroplex offered cooling centers, more than 100 people died from the heat. Even more were hospitalized. “We just found a lady who was in a bedroom that was just hotter than an oven. She had a fan on her, but the air just had no cooling effect,” said a city of Dallas firefighter. That year, Texas farmers lost millions of dollars due to drought, warranting a visit from President Jimmy Carter. “Mr. President, this is what we have and this is what we should have,” said a farmer while showing crops to Carter. North Texans did what they could to protect both pets and wildlife from heat and dehydration. Still, livestock was hard hit. More than 40 years later, the 1980s heat wave remains unmatched. It’s a moment that often fades into memory until summers, like this one, reach sweltering status. |
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Very interesting to see the records. DFW Days over 100F since 1899 |
I would like to remind everyone that disorganized violence is never the answer. - John Carter
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Only 10 so far this year according to Grok. Weird, I didn't think it was even that many (lots of high 90s but hadn't seen 100+). My place in East Texas has 4 so far. I always note the urban heat island effect when comparing, almost always a couple degrees cooler out there. Which makes comparing modern records from built-up areas hard to do against older ones. |
I would like to remind everyone that disorganized violence is never the answer. - John Carter
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I was in USAF Basic Training down in SATX that summer and I can confirm that it was hot AF. Prior to that I was living in the FTW area and it was also hot AF. My car didn't have AC. We were tougher back then. No one ran around with a water bottle back then, except in the Military they made us carry canteens. |
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I remember it well. I was a feral preteen that spent most of most days outside. It was the only time my Mom suggested coming inside to watch TV. I thought she was crazy. I had friends all around and we had bikes and trouble to get into. Relief was a random water hose away. Jester |
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My mother was pregnant with my youngest sister and gave birth on July 8, 1980. I don't remember all the specifics, but my mother's doctor told her if she wanted to keep this baby, she would have to stay in bed the last 3 months of the pregnancy. Get up, go to the bathroom and go back to bed were his orders. My parent's bedroom was on the west side of the house, no trees to speak of (that's changed since then). Our air conditioner could not keep the house cool, my father hung shade cloth across the west side of the house and put a yard sprinkler out there, this shaded and cooled our air conditioner, which was also on the west side of the house. My mother's original due date came without incident. My father said get up, we're going for a walk. It had to be right at or after 9pm. It was just getting dark. 3 or 4 houses down, our neighbors were outside and they came to their mailbox to talk. I swear we stood there an hour talking. I don't remember if I had shoes on, at that age, I probably didn't, but our street was like brown asphalt. Tar with brown pea gravel and river rock. I remember finally sitting down on the street and how warm it was from the day. The next morning, I wake up, walk into the living room in my underwear to turn on the TV and watch some cartoons. Then I turn around, there's some girl on the couch. It's the teenage girl who lives down the street. She says my parents left to go have the baby. Oh, ok. And went back to my room to find some pants. Methodist Hospital in Dallas wasn't fairing much better with the heat. My mother said the maternity ward was busy with nurses rubbing down pregnant women with rubbing alcohol to keep them cool and trying to move them away from rooms with west facing windows. My sister was born jaundice, so her and my mother stayed in the hospital a few days. I have very surreal memories, the waiting room for the maternity wing was dark. Not sure why, maybe all the curtains were closed. And this was back in the day, my father went in to see my mother, but we kids weren't allowed in, I was probably 6, so my other sister was like 4, we sat in that dark room, without an adult, watching whatever great, late 70's TV shows were on during the day and staring at the vending machines wondering what V8 juice tasted like and why anyone would drink it. My son told me the other day it was hot, between 99 and 100. Meh... it's been hotter. |
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Yep, summer of 1980 was pretty rough. A lot of people still did not have good air conditioning or air conditioning at all compared to 2011. 1980 was a real roaster. 2011 was really terrible too. Two similarities are grass turning to dust and trees shedding their leaves and dying. It just never cooled off at night either summer which made it pretty dangerous for so many. We had some bad winters on either side of both those hot summers too with cold icy weather. Really messed with things. |
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I was a teenager in 1980 and remember the heat wave. My mom decided we needed to go to Albuquerque, NM to visit my uncle to get away from the heat. Think about that one! Even in ABQ the Texas heat wave was a big news story, the local evening news led off with it every day we were there. |
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I would like to remind everyone that disorganized violence is never the answer. - John Carter
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Lots of the area has had some rain, airport just getting unlucky. I did wonder what the definition of measurable rainfall was now. I have a fancy electronic weather station that measures with impacts on its surface, not accumulation in a bucket. It recorded 0.02" a couple days ago. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have been "measurable" in the old days, a "trace" maybe if the data collector was watching closely before it evaporated. Along with urban heat island effect, makes it hard to compare records.
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I would like to remind everyone that disorganized violence is never the answer. - John Carter