Volume 19 Number 12.1 2006
2006 brought mixed results in terms of
precipitation. The dry trend of 2005 was
continued in some places, while rainfall reached above average in 8 first-order
locations. However, temperatures were
well above average. No first-order
stations reported annual mean departures from normal below average. The yearly mean average temperature statewide
was 67.1°, which is 2° above average.
January
January 2006 was very warm and dry. The first week of the month saw many
temperature records fall as temperatures soared into the 80s. Numerous stations around the state had mean
temperatures in the top ten of all Januaries. Austin and College Station had their 7th
warmest Januaries ever. Houston had its 10th
warmest. Five stations had mean temperatures within the top five
Januaries of all time. DFW and Wichita Falls had their 2nd
warmest Januaries ever, and Abilene and Midland had their 4th.
Waco recorded its 5th
warmest January on record. The heat was widespread, and acted to enhance
the drought conditions already faced by the state. However, North Central Texas got some much
needed rain. DFW and Waco set daily record rainfall
totals on the 29th with
1.59” and 1.63”, respectively. College Station and Houston set record daily rainfall
totals on the 23rd with totals of 1.66” and 1.02”,
respectively. Despite these rainfall events, the drought continued to effect the entire state and Central Texas was listed under extreme drought
conditions.
February
February 2006 started much like January 2006, with
temperatures well above normal. Corpus
Christi saw record highs of 93°F, 95°F, and 82°F on the 2nd,
3rd, and 5th respectively. The high of 95°F on
topped the old record by 8° (87°F).
However, colder air was brought in by a few cold fronts. A very strong front moved across the state on
the 17th and 18th and brought with it some of the coldest
air all winter. A record low temperature of 19°F was set in Abilene on
the 19th, only three days after a record high. Temperatures across
the state dropped to between 17° and 23° below normal. Precipitation during the month proved helpful
to a few areas affected by the drought, but little relief was provided for
most. Amarillo, Del Rio, and Corpus
Christi reported less than 10% of
their normal precipitation. 12 stations reported only 50% of their normal
total precipitation.
March
Like the previous two months
of 2006, March started off very warm. Record highs were set all around the state with
temperatures in the low-to-mid 90s! Abilene and San Angelo both reported record highs on
the 1st with a high of 95° and DFW set a new record with 93°. Wichita Falls reached 98° topping the
previous record of 92°. A series of cold
fronts then moved across the state lowering temperatures and creating
precipitation. On the 18th
and 19th,a strong cold front began pushing
its way across the state. As the front approached, it set off a training
effect over a southwest-to-northeast line, including Abilene and Dallas/Fort Worth, on the
18th overnight into the 19th. The Dallas/Fort Worth area reported record rainfall
during this event. On the 19th the DFW Airport reported 3.44”, Love
Field reported 6.90”, and Arlington reported 6.08”! While the
front brought flooding rains, it also brought much colder temperatures to
contrast the record heat from the beginning of the month. Amarillo reported low temperatures of 20°,
19°, and 22° on the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd,
respectively. The 24th saw many stations
in Central Texas set record low temperatures. College Station tied a record low temperature
with 31°, Austin recorded a record low
temperature of 28°, San
Antonio
set a low temperature record with 34°, and DFW reported a record low of
30°. Houston reported a record low
temperature of 36° on the 25th. However, despite these cold temperatures, the
monthly mean temperature for the month was at least 3° above normal in most
locations.
April
April was the driest month of 2006, with only one
station reporting above average rainfall.
Most of the precipitation recorded around the state fell on just three
days. Strong storm systems moved through the state on the 19th-20th-21st , and the 28th-29th.
A strong system also developed in the central and southeast portions of the
state on the 25th. However, these storm systems did not make
it into deep South Texas. Victoria only reported 25% of its
normal precipitation total with 0.75”, Corpus Christi only reported 12% of its
normal precipitation total with 0.25”, and Brownsville only reported 3% of its normal
precipitation total with 0.05”. The drought in South Texas continues to amplify. As of May 2,
the U.S Drought Monitor listed South
Texas under
“exceptional” drought conditionsIt was also very
warm. For all of the first-order
stations, the average departure from the normal monthly temperature was 5.7°, the average departure for
the normal daily high was 6.3°, and the average departure for the normal daily
low was 5.3°. Record high temperatures were reported at many stations on
the 15th, 16th, and 17th. 10 stations
reported record highs on the 17th. Austin reported 100°F,
breaking the previous record of 90°F, DFW reported a high of 101°F, breaking
the previous record of 94°F, Waco reported a high of 97°F, breaking the
previous record of 93°F, and Abilene reported a high of 98°, breaking the
previous record of 95°.
May
May 2006 was truly in like a lion but out like a
lamb. Storms and severe weather plagued the state for the first week. May 5th proved to be the day with
the most violent weather. On that day alone there were 82 hail reports,
20 severe wind reports, and 18 tornadoes. Martin and Burnet counties reported
four tornadoes each. A F2 tornado touched down in Waco and McLennan county also had a wind speed of 87
mph reported. Temperatures were above average for all of the state.
Temperatures around the coast were about 1.5°F above normal. Temperatures
in Central Texas were about 2° above normal, while
temperatures in West
Texas were
around 4°F above normal. Some drought relief finally came at the end of
the month as a upper-level
trough lifted the moist air along the coast and produced heavy precipitation.
On the 29th Houston reported 4.33” and Victoria reported 5.39”, which were
both record daily precipitation totals. Corpus Christi reported 3.06” on the 31st.
The last four days of the month provided much needed rainfall for the South
Central, Southern, and Lower Valley regions of Texas.
June
June 2006 provided very different weather for
different areas of the state. Along the Gulf Coast heavy rains led to flooding while the remainder of
the state remained very dry, worsening already
terrible drought conditions. Generally, precipitation was above average
along the coast but as you move to the north and west precipitation amount
decreased dramatically. Dallas/Forth
Worth received only 0.34” for the entire month, 11% of normal. Also, San Angelo received only 0.30”, 12% of normal, 0.20” of which
came on the 17th. Not all coastal stations reported above average
rainfall, in fact, Brownsville reported only 0.24”, the lowest precipitation total
statewide, which is only 8% of normal! The station reported only 2 days
with precipitation over 0.01”, which is 4 days below the normal of 6
days. South Texas was placed under exceptional drought conditions, the
most severe category issued, by the U.S. Drought Monitor. In terms of temperature, most of the state
was above average. A small circular area, including Austin and Victoria,
reported below average temperatures. Houston and Port Arthur both finished the month with
exactly normal mean temperatures, while the remaining first-order stations
reported above average temperatures.
July
July 2006 was like two different months for
the state. Along the coast temperatures were cooler than normal and
precipitation was well above average. However, for the central part of
the state, July was very dry and hot. Wichita Falls was the hottest part of the
state during July 2006. The average high was 102.0°F, which is 4.8°F
above normal and the average mean temperature was 88.4°F, which is 3.6°F above
normal. Del Rio was the driest area in that
state, receiving only 0.01” for the entire month. The Dallas / Fort Worth area was also very hot with
the mean temperature 2.7°F above average, and an average high of 98.4°F, 3.0°F
above the normal average high. While the central part of the state was
baking in the high temperature, areas east of I-35 were seeing plentiful
rainfall and cooler than normal temperatures.
College Station, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Houston, and Port Arthur all reported lower than
average mean temperatures and greater than average rainfall totals.
August
August 2006 provided some relief to a few
areas suffering from high temperatures and little rainfall but most of the
state saw the drought persist through its 17th month. Western
areas in the Edwards Plateau and the entire Trans
Pecos region reported rainfall at least twice the normal total. A combined precipitation total for El Paso from July and August is 10.02”, 0.59” over the normal
yearly total. Needless to say, it has been very wet in the El Paso area. However, in Central Texas the drought conditions continue to
worsen. Areas along the I-35 corridor saw little rain during the
month. The Dallas-Fort Worth area received 26%
of its normal rainfall, Waco received 3% , Austin received 9%, and San Antonio received only 1% of its normal
rainfall. Temperatures were above
average for most of the state with the exception of El Paso and Amarillo. The area along the I-35 corridor, which
received very low precipitation totals, also reported the highest departures
from the normal temperatures.
September
With cooler temperatures and much needed
rainfall, September 2006 provided some much needed drought relief to many areas
across the state. The statewide mean temperature for the month was 0.8°F
below normal and 9 stations reported above average precipitation totals.
However, not all was well, as Central
Texas, including
Waco, Austin, and College Station, reported below average
precipitation totals. Amarillo reported the coldest mean
temperature with 64.3°F, which was 4.8°F below normal. Other stations
including El
Paso,
Midland, Abilene, and Lubbock, all reported mean
temperatures at least 2°F below normal. Temperatures on the east side of
the state were warmer than the west, but were just about on average, with a few
stations above average. Waco reported the largest departure
from normal with a mean temperature of 79.2°F, which was 0.6°F above normal. Waco also reported the highest
average maximum temperature for the month with 92.4°F. Precipitation provided relief for many areas
while leaving others dry. The DFW area received above average
precipitation for the first time since April. During this period from
April to August, the DFW area averaged only 43% of the normal rainfall.
However, during this month the area received 107% of their normal
rainfall. The same can be said about Wichita Falls. During the period from
April to August, this area average 39% of their normal rainfall totals, but
reported 112% this month. El Paso is continuing to see very high
rainfall totals, with 4.99” reported this month, over three times the normal
amount. However, most of Central and East Central Texas reported below average
rainfall totals.
October
October 2006 was a very wet month for the
Eastern half of the state. All of the stations on or east of I-35 received
above normal precipitation, with the exception of San Antonio. The Upper Coast region received the most
rainfall in the state. College Station reported 12.88”, 305% of
normal, Galveston reported 11.62”, 333% of
normal, Houston reported 14.53”, 323% of
normal, and Port
Arthur
reported 14.72”, 315% of normal. Heavy rains fell across most of the state on the 15th and
16th. Temperatures
during this month were just about average. The state-wide average
temperature was 67.3°, which is 1.0°F above normal. Despite the rainfall,
East Texas had slightly warmer than average
temperatures while a West
Texas had
slightly cooler than normal temperatures.
November
Temperatures were well above
average, while precipitation was well below average this November. With
the exception of two stations that reported no departure from normal mean
temperature (Port
Arthur
and Galveston), all of the state reported
above average mean temperatures. Record
highs were set in Abilene and San Angelo on the 9th with
high temperatures of 90°F and 91°F, respectively. Record highs were set
in Austin, Del Rio, Houston, and College Station on the 10th. Lubbock broke the all-time November
high with a high of 90°F on November 8th. This high broke a
90-year-old record set on November 7, 1916, when the high was 89°F. The
statewide mean temperature was 57.9°F, which is 2.5°F above the normal of
55.4°F. Rainfall was also very
limited this month. Dallas/Fort Worth was the only station to report at
least average precipitation. Two stations, San Angelo and Del Rio, reported on 1% of their
normal precipitation total. Midland only reported a trace of
rainfall. Out of the 19 Texas stations only 3 reported
precipitation of at least 50% of normal.
December
December 2006 saw abundant precipitation
in Central Texas and the Panhandle.
Midland, Lubbock,
and Amarillo all reported over 200% of their normal monthly
rainfall. However, El Paso only received 6% of its normal monthly total. Also, the Upper Coast saw below average precipitation when all the stations
in that region reported below average precipitation totals. Temperatures across the state were above
average with the exception of Midland and El Paso. The largest
departure from normal was reported in DFW with a mean temperature 3.3°F above
normal.
2006 Precipitation
Green - 100% of Normal or Greater Yellow – Less than 100% of Normal
Departures are based
on 1971-2000 normals
*
T = Trace (<0.005")
M: Information not available.
2006
Temperatures
Dr.
John Nielsen-Gammon (State Climatologist)
Matt
Mosier (graduate Assistant)