Comparing the Causes and Unusualness of the Texas Heatwaves in 2022 and 2023

Texas and the surrounding region have experienced exceptional heat waves in both 2022 and 2023. This study will examine just how exceptional they each were. It will also compare the large-scale circulation and teleconnection patterns for each heat wave. This comparison will be particularly enlightening as the two events occurred in nearly exactly opposite ENSO phases. Another key distinction was that a significant drought in 2022 may have exacerbated the heat then. That drought was ameliorated in late spring 2023. The results may inform attribution studies that examine the effects of climate change on these events and may want to condition those results on known modes of natural variability.