Volume 16 Number 4 April 2003
The
month of April in the state of Texas was quite warm and
dry. Eighteen stations reported above
normal mean temperatures, with the exception of Austin and El Paso which both experienced
below normal monthly temperatures. Not
one single station in the entire state met the 100% total of average
precipitation for the month of April.
Numerous stations received only a small fraction of what is normally
experienced. Hopefully the month of May
will be a “catch-up” month. A plethora of severe weather events characterized
April. April 5th-8th,
15th, 18th, 23rd-25th, and the 27th-29th,
were days that had strong winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes reported.
The month of April concluded with slightly above normal temperatures, and dry
conditions prevailing.
Dr.
John Nielsen-Gammon (State Climatologist)
Kelsey Curtiss (Undergraduate Assistant)
APRIL 2003
* Based
on 1971-2000 normals
* 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 MAY
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.
Past Weather Events in May
May 15, 1896: Tornadoes, Sherman, Grayson, County; Justin,
Denton County; Gribble Springs, Cooke County; 76 killed; damage $225,000.
May 30, 1909: Tornado.
Zephyr, Brown County; 28 killed, many injured;
damage $90,000.
May 7, 1919:
Windstorms. Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy,
and Cameron Counties. Violent thunderstorms with high winds, hail
and rain occurred between Rio Grande City and the coast, killing 10
persons. Damage to property and crops
was $500,000. Seven were killed at Mission.
May 24-31, 1929:
Rainstorm. Beginning over Caldwell County, a storm spread over much
of Central and Coastal Texas with maximum rainfall of 12.9 inches, causing
floods in Colorado, Guadalupe, Brazos, Trinity, Neches, and Sabine rivers. Much damage at Houston from
overflow of bayous. Damage estimated at $6 million.
May 11, 1953:
Tornado. Waco, McLennan County; 114 killed, 597 injured;
damage $41,150,000. One of two most
disastrous tornadoes; 150 homes destroyed, 900 homes damaged; 185 other
buildings destroyed; 500 other buildings damaged.
May 11, 1970:
Tornado. Lubbock, Lubbock County. Twenty-six killed, 500 injured; damage $135
million. Fifteen square miles, almost
one-quarter of the city of Lubbock, suffered damage.
May 5, 1995: A
thunderstorm moved across the Dallas/Fort Worth area with 70 mph wind gusts
and rainfall rates of almost 3 inches in 30 minutes (5 inches in 1 hour). Twenty people lost their lives as a result of
this storm, 109 people were injured by large hail and, with more than $2
billion in damage, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration dubbed
it the "costliest thunderstorm event in history."
May 27, 1997: A half-mile-wide F5 tornado struck Jarrell
(Williamson Co.), leveling the Double Creek subdivision, claiming 27 lives,
injuring 12 others, and causing more than $40 million in damage.
Dr.
John Nielsen-Gammon (State Climatologist)
Andrew
Odins (Graduate Assistant)
Kelsey
Curtiss (Undergraduate Assistant)
Brent
Maddox (Undergraduate Assistant)
