With the summer of 2022 being the third hottest summer on record, Texas residents struggled to bear the extreme heat. With temperatures reaching as high as 109  degrees, finding ways to cool down was not as easy as it sounds. 

Similarly, in the winter, the oscillating nature of Texas weather patterns has led residents to adapt to severe temperature swings. This could entail clear skies with 70-degree temperatures followed by below freezing conditions with heavy ice and sleet. 

In the late fall through the winter, a stronger jet stream combined with fewer hours of daylight can cause cold fronts. According to weather.gov, “Jet streams are relatively narrow bands of strong wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere.”

Following these fresh shots of cold air, there will usually be a moderation in temperatures, during which the jet stream pattern will switch around to allow for another push of colder air to come in. Because of this, most of the below-freezing temperature days are followed by a few days of what most would consider nice weather. 

“It’s not unusual to have these temperature swings,” NBC 5 chief meteorologist Rick Mitchell said. “It’s just weather being weather.”

Extreme temperature swings are usually associated with some sort of storm system, which can bring snow or freezing rain. This is due to a larger difference in temperatures over the span of a shorter distance. 

According to Mitchell, in most cases, temperature swings do not have much of an impact on the environment. Plants and vegetation are usually accustomed to withstand the temperatures of their respective regions, but there are some exceptions. 

“Especially during the cold snap of 2021, our environment was severely impacted,” Mitchell said. “This was due to intense, almost generational cold air.”

Though not all states experience temperature swings as drastically as those in Texas, it is very normal to experience sudden changes in weather. In places, such California or Florida, however, there is ocean waters which can balance out the temperatures, resulting in more moderate weather conditions. 

Although climate change may seem like the cause for temperatures to go up or down, according to Mitchell, global warming does not have as large of an impact as people think when it comes to temperature fluctuations. There may be some influence in terms of the magnitude of the swings, but the verdict is still out as to how much of an impact climate change has.   

“If you go back in time and look at the monthly temperatures from years as far back as 1890, you can see that these temperature changes have been going on for pretty much all of eternity,” Mitchell said. 

Living through and experiencing this ever-changing weather can be the reason behind the discovery of a new hobby. For Cottonwood Creek Elementary dyslexia therapist Leslie Helwig, enduring many hail storms, hurricanes and tornadoes as a child was a scary and exciting experience which would transform into a lifelong passion. 

“I remember three different storms where the hail was so large, it was equivalent to the size of a softball or grapefruit,” Helwig said. 

She recalls being scared walking outside after the 1995 Mayfest storm and seeing dented cars and severely damaged houses with broken roofs and windows as well as hearing news about numerous injuries and deaths.  

Through her experiences, she has learned how to “read the weather.” For example, according to Helwig, an emerald-green sky means that a hail storm is about to strike. 

From studying the sky and learning about the different clouds, Helwig is able to be better prepared for any upcoming severe weather. 

“I feel like I have an advantage because of my background knowledge and help from the technology we have these days,” Helwig said, “but I feel like nothing can truly prepare you for the weather.”

Mitchell compares temperature fluctuations to walking in a parking lot at night. Just like how it is important to always be aware of one’s surroundings, it is just as easy and important to check the weather app to see what the upcoming forecast is.   

“It is important to understand that going forward, we are still going to have temperature swings and some are going to be substantial and some aren’t,” Mitchell said. “Just don’t let the weather catch you off guard and be prepared for things that could happen.”

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