Volume 17 Number 10 OCTOBER 2004

Abnormal weather categorized October for the state of Texas. The month began with cold, wet weather due to several cold fronts. On the 1^st and 2^nd, over 2” of rain fell on Austin and Wichita Falls due to the passing front. A second cold front began to move across the state on the 4^th, leaving most stations in west Texas very wet. San Angelo began the month with eight consecutive days of rain. Also on the 4^th, a low pressure system to the east of Texas dropped heavy rain on the Gulf Coast. Tropical Depression Matthew formed in the Gulf during the second week of October dropping heavy rain along the coast. Galveston and Port Arthur each received over 2” of rain from the system. A cold front then began to pass over the state on the 13^th, cooling temperatures well below their October normals.

Beginning on the third week of October, the previous cooler weather turned extremely warm. A high pressure system settled over the state, and temperatures rose significantly. Highs across Texas were in the upper 80s and 90s, and records were broken at many stations. Beginning on the 22^nd, a cold front brought more rain to west Texas. The front stalled and then pushed northward, dropping over 4” of rain on Abilene between the 22^nd-26^th. While temperatures cooled a bit out west, highs remained in the upper 80s and near 90 to the east. A cold front pushed across the state at the end of the final week of the month, but it stalled in central Texas bringing many showers to the state.

There was little severe weather throughout the month. Tornadoes were reported on the 4^th (Galveston County), 5^th (Pecos County), and 13^th (Scurry County), and there were about 80 reports of hail throughout the month. Every first order station in the state had above normal temperatures for October, and several set records. Brownsville, College Station, Corpus Christi, Galveston, and Houston all had their warmest Octobers ever. Austin (3^rd warmest), Dallas/Fort Worth (6^th warmest) , San Antonio (2^nd warmest), and Waco (4^th warmest) had near record months. Abilene (8.11”) and San Antonio (9.47”) each had their 4^th wettest Octobers ever, while Waco had its 2^nd wettest with 10.34”. Only the extreme west, south, and southeast portions of the state had below normal precipitation for October.

OCTOBER 2004

* 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 NOVEMBER

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.

Agricultural Weather Highlights

http://agnews.tamu.edu/dailynews/stories/CROP/

Past Weather Events in November

Nov. 23-24, 1974: Flash Flooding. Central Texas. Over $1 million in property damage. Thirteen people killed, ten in Travis County.

Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon (State Climatologist)

Michael Hammer (Undergraduate assistant)