Volume 16 Number 9                                                                                        SEPTEMBER 2003

 

A few events of severe weather in Texas occurred in the month of September.  High wind and hail reports were numerous on the 4th, 7th, 9th-11th, and a tornado was reported in the Corpus Christi area on the 14th.  The High Plains region was the recipient of most of the severe weather this month, caused by cold fronts moving across the state.  The storms on the 9th and 10th were caused by a low pressure disturbance in South Texas. 

 

Seventeen of the nineteen first-order stations topped off the month of September with temperatures below normal.  Temperatures ranged from 0.1-4.3 degrees Fahrenheit below average compared to the monthly normal readings.  Midland and El Paso were the exceptions, with temperatures 1.1 and 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit above normal respectively.  Pertaining to precipitation, twelve first-order stations were above the monthly normal rainfall expected.

Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Port Arthur, San Antonio, and Victoria reported quite impressive precipitation totals for the month:  15.13”, 10.73”, 9.70”, 9.21”, and 8.38” respectively.  Cold fronts that caused severe weather in the northern portion of the state became stationary when they reached the South Central, Southern, Upper Coast, and Lower Valley regions of Texas.  Stationary fronts over the course of the month acted as a track for one disturbance after another to saturate the same areas, especially Brownsville, causing minor flooding in the process. 

 

The month of September concluded with beautiful clear days, and cool crisp nights.  The first taste of fall is officially here.   

 

 

SEPTEMBER 2003


* 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 OCTOBER    


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 October

 

October 3, 1867:  Hurricane.  This hurricane moved inland south of Galveston, but raked the entire Texas coast from the Rio Grande to the Sabine.  Bagdad and Clarksville, towns at the mouth of the Rio Grande, were destroyed.  Much of Galveston was flooded and property damage there was estimated at $1 million.

 

October 12-13, 1880:  Hurricane.  Brownsville.  City nearly destroyed, many lives lost.

 

October 12, 1886:  Hurricane.  Sabine, Jefferson County.  Hurricane passed over Sabine.  The inundation extended 20 miles inland and nearly every house in the vicinity was moved from its foundation; 150 persons were drowned.

 

October 28, 1960:  Rainstorm.  Rains of 7-10 inches fell in South Central Texas; 11 died from drowning in flash floods.  In Austin about 300 families were driven from their homes.  Damage in Austin was estimated at $2.5 million.

 

October 11-14, 1981:  Record rains in North Central Texas caused by the remains of Pacific Hurricane Norma.  Over 20 inches fell in some locations.

 

October 15-19, 1994:  Extreme amounts of rainfall, up to 28.90 inches over a 4-day period, fell throughout southeastern part of the state.  Seventeen lives were lost, most of them victims of flash flooding.  Many rivers reached record flood levels during this period.  Houston was cut off from many other parts of the state, as numerous roads, including Interstate 10, were under water.  Damage was estimated to be near $700 million; 26 counties were declared disaster areas.

 

October 17-19, 1998:  A massive and devastating flood set all-time records for rainfall and river levels, resulted in the deaths of 25 people, injured more than 2,000 others, and caused more than $500 million damage from the Hill Country to the counties surrounding San Antonio to the south and east.

 

January-October, 2000:  A severe drought plagued most of Texas.  Some regions experienced little to no rain for several months during the summer.  Abilene saw no rain for 72 consecutive days, while Dallas had no rain for 84 consecutive days during the summer.  During July, aquifers were reaching all-time lows, and lake and streams fell to critical levels.  Most regions had to cut back or stop agriculture due to lack of rain.  The drought caused $515 million in agricultural loss according to USDA figures.

 

 

 

Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon (State Climatologist)

Andrew Odins (Graduate Assistant)

Kelsey Curtiss (Undergraduate Assistant)