Volume 20 Number 7 JULY 2007
As has been the case this summer, almost the entire state recorded below average
temperatures and above average precipitation. In fact, only one of the first
order stations, Brownsville, recorded a mean monthly temperature above normal.
Only two stations recorded below average precipitation for the month, and both
stations (Lubbock and Amarillo) were confined to far west Texas.
A persistent upper level trough parked
over Texas and deep tropical moisture provided copious amounts
of rain across the state. While virtually the entire state saw above average
precipitation, portions of the Hill Country, southeast Texas, and the Coastal Bend received especially impressive
amounts. Victoria and Corpus Christi received staggering precipitation totals of 20.34”
and 18.13” , respectively. Corpus Christi received more than half it’s
monthly total on July 2nd easily setting a new daily rainfall
record. Victoria set daily rainfall records on July 2nd and
4th as well. Houston
and Galveston recorded well above average precipitation days and
rainfall. Houston recorded it’s 6th
wettest July on record while Galveston recorded it’s 14th wettest July. The rain
continued to soak portions of the Hill Country. With 11.76”, San Antonio saw it’s 2nd wettest
July on record. Austin recorded 9.84”, including 3.03” over a two day
period.
The abundant rainfall kept temperatures
down across the state. Only one station, El Paso, recorded a maximum temperature above 100 degrees.
Several stations, including Abilene,
Austin, College Station, Del Rio, San Antonio,
and Waco, were at least 6 degrees below normal for daily high
temperatures. Every station recorded below average daily high temperatures,
while 19 of the 20 stations recorded below average mean monthly temperatures.
As the month came to a close, however, high pressure built in across the Lone Star State causing drier conditions and more typical summer
temperatures.
Thus far this hurricane season, the
tropics have been fairly quiet with only three tropical storms forming.
However, as we enter the peak of the season, the Caribbean Sea and Gulf
of Mexico will need to be
monitored for possible tropical development.
JULY 2007
* Complete temperature data
were unavailable. Temperatures are
rounded to the nearest whole degree.
*HDD - Heating degree-day: Refer to the Monthly Average chart for a
definition
T = Trace (<0.005")
*CDD - Cooling degree-day: Refer to the Monthly Average chart for a
definition
M: Information not available.
CLIMATIC AVERAGES FOR AUGUST
Records are at the current site, other records may
have occurred at previous sites.
*CDD - Cooling degree-day: The difference between the mean individual
daily temperature and 65°F, with one
CDD
resulting for each degree above the standard 65°F during one day.
*HDD - Heating degree-day: The difference between the mean individual
daily temperature and 65°F, with one
HDD
resulting for each degree below the standard 65°F during one day.
All times given for
sunrise, sunset, and moon phase times are calculated for the intersection of
Meridian
99°10' W and parallel 31°23' N, which is the approximate geographic center of
the state.
Climate-related Agricultural
Information
http://agnews.tamu.edu/dailynews/stories/CROP/
Past Weather Events in
August
August 6, 1844:
Hurricane. Mouth
of Rio Grande. All housing destroyed at the mouth of the
river and at Brazos Santiago, eight miles north; 70 lives lost.
August 19-21, 1886: Hurricane.
Indianola.
Every house destroyed or damaged.
Indianola never rebuilt.
August 16-19, 1915:
Hurricane. Galveston. Peak wind gusts of 120 miles recorded at Galveston; tide ranged 9.5 to 14.3
feet above mean sea level in the city, and up to 16.1 feet near the
causeway. Business section flooded with
5 to 6 feet of water. At least 275 lives
lost, damage $56 million. A new seawall
prevented a repetition of the 1900 disaster.
August 13, 1932:
Hurricane. Near
Freeport, Brazoria County. Wind speed at East Columbia estimated at 100 miles per
hour; 40 lives lost, 200 injured; damage $7,500,000.
August 1-4, 1978: Heavy
rains, flooding. Edwards Plateau, Low
Rolling Plains. Remnants of Tropical Storm
Amelia caused some of the worst flooding of this century. As much as 30 inches of rain fell near Albany in Shackelford County, where six drownings were
reported. Bandera, Kerr, Kendall and
Gillespie counties were hit hard, as 27 people drowned and the damage total was
at least $50 million.
August 9-11, 1980: Hurricane
Allen hit South Texas and left three dead, causing $650-$750 million in
property and crop damages. Over 250,000
coastal residents had to be evacuated. The worst damage occurred along Padre Island and in Corpus Christi. Over 20 inches of rain fell in extreme South Texas, and 29 tornadoes occurred;
one of the worst hurricane-related outbreaks.
August 15-21, 1983: Hurricane
Alicia was the first hurricane to make landfall in the continental U.S. in three years, and one of
the costliest in Texas history ($3 billion). Alicia caused widespread damage to a large
section of Southeast Texas, including coastal areas near Galveston and the entire Houston area. Alicia spawned 22 tornadoes, and the highest
winds were estimated near 130 mph. In all,
18 people in South Texas were killed and 1,800 injured as a result of the
tropical storm.
Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon (State Climatologist)
ADAM WILEY (Undergraduate Assistant)
