Societal
Impacts of Climate on Texas: January 2010 Report
Office
of the State Climatologist
February
1, 2010
Dr.
John Nielsen-Gammon, State Climatologist
Brent
McRoberts, Assistant State Climatologist
Marissa
Pazos, Undergraduate Assistant
Burn Bans/Drought/Fires/Water Supply
Burn
Bans
Drought
January
2 The drought of 2009
was voted as the top story in the Victoria Advocate, which included near-record
dryness dating back to 2007. However, precipitation picked up by September
thanks to El Nino, providing relief to area residents after the first 8 months
of 2009 were the driest and third warmest on record.
Fires
January
14 According to Texas and Forest Service officials the beginning of
wildfire season has gotten off to a quiet start partly because of all the
rains. Officials say that one county in
the Big Country, Eastland County, has a burn ban in effect until March 14th.
January
23 Wildfire season is expected to be tamer than in recent years
due to greater soil moisture and the expectation of a wetter than normal
winter. However, at least three large fires were reported by Rio Grande Valley
fire authorities, including a major blaze that charred 205 acres near San
Manuel.
Water
Supply
January
1 The Texas Court of
Appeals dismissed a lawsuit filed by the City of Austin that challenged water
quality protection plans of a Buda quarry, which had been approved by the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality on October 28, 2005.
January
17 The Hidalgo County
Drainage District is considering a plan to sell the abundant water supply in
its extensive drainage network. The district would initially build a water
treatment plant that would cost between $20 million and $50 million and would
treat and sell the water to South Texas water suppliers.
January
24 The issue of water
availability ranks near the top of the list of important issues for potential
residents of San Angelo and the Concho Valley. The three reservoirs that
surround San Angelo make the city much better equipped to deal with future
droughts than those in the past.
January
25 According to the Lower Colorado River Authority have told cities
along the Colorado River that the recent rainfall has been sufficient to lift
their drought restrictions. However, the LCRA says that if you measure the
water streaming into the lakes, Central Texas water have an inflow deficit of
about 240,000 acre-feet.
Agricultural Impacts
January 1 Two Texas AgriLife scientists were
awarded a $500,000 grant to breed corn for drought tolerance and aflatoxin
resistance. The overall goal is to improve corn quality and yield by applying
the knowledge gained in previous studies of corn genetics.
January
1 Recent rains in the
Coastal Bend have certainly been welcome, but a prolonged period of standing
water in area fields could result in nutrient loss for crops in 2010. The
carryover of nutrients from unused fertilizer is difficult to estimate in the
year following a substantial drought.
January
2 A schizophrenic
Mother Nature played havoc with agriculture in 2009 and led to mixed results
for the cotton crop in the Panhandle. A dry first few months of 2009 was
followed by a normal moisture pattern during the summer and another dry period
in the fall.
January
4 Texas ranchers and farmers say that they hope 2010 will bring
better weather. Agronomists with the Texas AgriLife Extension service and
members from the Governors Texas Drought Preparedness Council say that
drought, hard freezes, and flooding caused many setbacks for producers.
January
4 Texas AgriLife says that the 2009 drought, flooding and
fluctuating economy was a real challenge for Texas producers. In Central Texas the first eight months of
the year brought extreme drought conditions, which limited hay and beef
production. In the Rolling Plains, a June hail storm destroyed portions of
cotton crops after good rains at the beginning of the season.
January
5 The first Texas A&M AgriLife Extensions first regional
crop report of the year emphasizes that Coastal Bend area field work has been
held up because of below-normal temperatures and rain, but the 2010 growing
season looks much improved because of the recent rains. In North Texas, the
cold weather has killed calves and livestock has been fed more hay and
supplements than last winter. In the Rolling Plains, several inches of snow and
blizzard-like conditions have helped replenish soil moisture levels, which will
help with winter wheat production.
January 6 Freezing cold
weather in Amarillo that has come and gone all winter might have ruined wheat
crops. Agriculture experts say that the
winter wheat crops might have a chance to survive if they get covered by snow,
and that snow is a must for survival.
January 6 As Midland
residents brace for another cold blast, farmers in the Midland area are excited
for the cold weather. Midland cotton farmer Perry Lewis says that the cold
blast will kill the bugs that have been swarming the winter crops, and in
addition kill troublesome weeds.
January 10 The snowfall in
the South Plains helped the condition of winter wheat. In the Panhandle, cattle were in good
condition but rangeland for grazing was in poor condition, forcing producers to
use supplemental feed. Freezing weather in West Texas caused pecan harvests to
fall behind.
January
11 After a long drought, winter blew into Texas early and brought
wetter than normal conditions that been great for pastures in South and Central
Texas. To help pastures further
germinate, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension officials recommend aeration to
help pastures that have been compacted during the drought.
January
14 In Central Texas, the unusual cold weather had led producers to
supplementally feed livestock and forced producers to go into the field and
break ice on water troughs and stock ponds.
In East Texas, winter pastures have been set back by freezing weather
and in the Rolling Plains severe temperatures have made things difficult on
remaining cotton crops and livestock.
January
14 According to the USDAs National Statistics Service, the
harvest of dryland field crops has done well despite the drought. Officials say
that Texas cotton crops are about 10% up from 2008, but before they can close
the books for 2009, they need to review about 200,000 more bales of hay.
January 15 The Arctic
freeze might have been rough on residents, crops, and cattle, but the
grapevines of Texas handled the cold just fine. Producers in West Texas say
there has been no damages to the vines even with the falling snow and that the
cold weather will be good for the vines as long as West Texas does not have a
late spring freeze.
January 17 South Plains
pastures and ranges are reported in good condition, with improvements because
of the recent rains. The unusually cold temperatures have led to supplemental
feeding of livestock and wet conditions have prevented producers from being
able to plow fields in Central Texas. Cold temperatures in Southwest Texas
interrupted the harvesting of spinach, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and carrots.
January 18 Nearly two weeks after the
cold weather hit Texas, some damaged crops in South Texas are starting to
emerge, and luckily, most citrus trees did okay during the cold weather. However, beets, Swiss chard, dill weed,
lettuces and other leafy greens were damaged and expected to cost producers
nearly $250,000.
January
18 When freezing temperatures came to Texas, producers were forced
to spend hours pouring out supplemental feed for livestock and chop through ice
in water troughs. Following the cold,
operators were happy with rain that fell, because it turned winter wheat crops
into carpets of green fields.
January
18 To assist producers with monitoring changes in the weather and
soil conditions in their fields, Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the
Victoria County Crops Committee will hold a Crop Weather Station Systems
program.
January 19 The current
citrus crop from South Texas has escaped any significant damage from the cold
weather that has plagued Texas through much of January. The Texas Citrus Fiesta
held in the Rio Grande Valley is a direct beneficiary of the crops good
fortune.
January
21
Coastal Bend area producers were able to get spring wheat planted before
heavy rains came and oversaturated the grounds. North Texas cold weather has
put farming on hold, and because of the cold and wetness, small grain has seen
little growth.
January 23 Extreme weather conditions,
coupled with the rising cost of fertilizer, has made it very hard for East
Texans to get hay. Producers say the demand for hay is so high that they are
being forced to sell more hay than usual, which has caused suffering to cattle.
January
24
Despite the recent cold weather that brought several hours of below-freezing
temperatures, experts say that the majority of pests and weeds in crops will
survive. However, a Texas A&M entomologist says
the unusually cold weather through the remainder of the winter could help
cotton farmers make great strides in eradicating
the boll weevil.
Inclement Weather
Cold/Winter
Weather
January 1 The New Year was accompanied by frigid
temperatures and a stiff wind in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, putting a damper
on New Years Eve celebrations taking place throughout the area.
January
4 Hard freezes were
expected in South Texas in places not accustomed to dealing with sub-freezing
temperatures. The forecast low in Victoria was forecast to be in the upper 10s,
a point temperatures had not plummeted to in almost 50 years.
January
6 As the temperatures drop officials around the state were keen
to remind residents that pipes can burst, crops can be killed, and roads can
become unsafe. To protect their pipes, residents should wrap all exposed pipes
located outside of their homes and remove garden hoses from outside faucets.
January
6 As an Arctic front sweeps
through Austin, city officials, homeless advocates, and service providers are
working hard to determine where all the homeless people will sleep. With
temperatures expected to drop into the single digits, the citys winter plan
includes providing extra shelters throughout the city and a free Capital Metro
Bus ride to shelters.
January 7 The coldest
weather in more than a decade in East Texas is expected to cause a record
winter electricity demand, a record expected to last only a matter of
hours. According to Electric Reliability
Council of Texas officials the demand is expected to reach 51,691 megawatts,
topping the previous record of 50,408 megawatts set in February of 2007.
January 7 Austin residents
piled on their clothes as winter weather brought the coldest temperatures the
area has seen in a long time. Gusting
winds, along with freezing temperatures, forced school children to run from
busses and cars into school buildings.
January 8 Ingram city
officials say that the death of a 75-year-old homeless man is likely related to
the extreme cold. Officials believe that
the homeless man was using a portable heater or burning pallets during freezing
cold nights when his belongings caught fire.
January
9 The recent cold weather broke several old temperature records
in the Austin area, including Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where
temperatures dipped down to 10 degrees and broke the old record set back in
January of 1976. Camp Mabry also broke a
previous record set in 1962 when the low reached 17 degrees. The lowest
temperature recorded around the state was in Marfa, where the mercury dipped to
a frigid 3 degrees above zero.
January 9 For the first time
in two decades, South Texas residents could see their breath when they walked
outside in temperatures that dipped into the teens. Area residents say they are
dealing with frosty conditions for the first time in a long time.
January
12 A Forth Worth women died after falling through an ice covered
pond while trying to save her dog.
Police say that the 34-year-old women was pulled from freezing cold
waters two hours after witnesses reported seeing a dog on the pond.
January
13 Just when Flower Mound
thought they had escaped the impact of the cold weather, fire officials say as
temperatures began to warm up, more and more burst pipes and weather damages
were found. During a two hour period the Fire Department received about 30
calls about burst pipes and three of the Childrens Courtyard facilities in
Flower Mound suffered damages.
January 26 Although experts
at power companies in North Texas dont anticipate the massive power outages
associated with an ice storm around the Christmas of 2000, preparations are
being made for the worst ahead of an impending ice storm.
January 27 The Texas
Department of Public Safety has deployed units along major roadways ahead of a
storm expected to dump nearly a foot of snow in the Texas Panhandle. The city
of Amarillo also has crews working around the clock, though they are warning
everyone to stay home for the
day.
January 28 A major winter
storm that dumped heavy snow and ice that downed trees and power lines across
the Panhandle and North Texas tore the roof of a Stephenville nursing home.
Fortunately, no one was injured and residents were taken to another nursing
home in town.
January
28 A winter storm that rampaged through West Texas has left behind
miserably cold temperatures in addition to several inches of snow on the
ground. Residents of El Paso were forced to bundle up
as temperatures were below freezing and snow flurries filled the air.
Flooding/Rainfall
January 2 Bexar County has 157 volunteers in the
Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) program, more
than any other county in Texas. Each volunteer takes daily precipitation
measurements from a standard CoCoRaHS gauges, which costs $23.
January
14 In the Victoria area, rain showers and isolated thunderstorms
caused flooding in low lying areas and made some roads impassable about
thirty-minutes into the storm. The
flooding was caused by a slow moving system that brought 4-6 inches of rain,
with isolated placed getting up to 10 inches of rain.
January
16 Already saturated grounds are causing flooding concerns in many
areas of Port Lavaca. In a period of 3 days the area received 4.6 inches of
rain. The problem according to a weather
watcher is that the grounds are already saturated and now three rivers that run
into Matagorda Bay are beyond capacity and near flood stage. Even with all this
rain there are still a few drought areas left near Corpus Christi and South of
Del Rio.
January
16 Recent rains in the Corpus Christi area have forced the closure
of Chapman Ranch Road according to the Texas Department of Transportation. Oso
Creek on the south side of Corpus Christi leveled at 19.99 feet, Copano Creek
reached 12.13 feet, and the Aransas River topped out at 19.03 feet, which is
considered to be at moderate flood stage. Officials for the South Texas
Botanical Gardens & Nature Center say that all the wetlands
in the Corpus Christi area are full of water.
January 29 Excessive
rainfall in Central Texas produced the widespread flooding of rivers and forced
numerous road closures due to rising waters. Several rivers and streams were
under flood warnings, including the North Bosque River in Coryell County, which
was nearly two feet above flood stage.
Hurricanes/Tropics
January 3 The Federal Emergency Management
Agency is paying for the cost to clean up the debris that has piled up in
Galveston storm drains since Hurricane Ike hit more than a year ago. The work
will be done by 10 vacuum trucks and must be completed by March 12, with the
sand and silt picked up used to elevate the citys recycling center.
January
4 Numerous people are still living in mobile homes provided by
the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after their homes were destroyed
by Hurricane Ike. Many were not aware of assistance available that includes a
$99 million housing assistance program being offered by the Galveston County
Restore and Rebuild program.
January 10 Since Hurricane Ike, the
free parking residents of Galveston have enjoyed downtown will soon be coming
to an end. The city of Galveston plans to replace more than 900 parking meters
that were damaged by Hurricane Ike within the next 90 days. City officials say they are excited for the
new meters because it will turn downtown Galveston into a merchant area rather
than a free parking lot.
January
30 Contractors and artists are taking advantage of large trees
that were killed during Hurricane Ike following the removal of more than 10,000
dead trees by crews from the city of Galveston. Some of the trees are being
handpicked for the restoration of the Charles
W. Morgan, an 1841 whaling ship based in Connecticut.
January
31 Chevrolet is designing a new advertising campaign that focuses
on the role Chevy trucks played in the rebuilding effort following Hurricane
Ike. Several locations in Galveston County will be the used in the commercial,
in addition other areas of Southeast Texas.
Severe
Weather
January
3 A tornado that ripped
through Lubbock Street in Lufkin on December 23rd caused EF3 damage and more
than a week later, the area could be described as a war zone. There are no
tornado sirens in Lufkin, though sirens would not have been sounded anyway,
since there was no official tornado warning for Angelina County when the storm
struck.
January 5 Low interest loans are
now being offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration to Lufkin residents
and business owners affected by last months severe storms and the tornado.
Loans up to $200,000 for homeowners and up to $40,000 for renters are also
available to residents in Angelina, Cherokee, Houston, Jasper, Nacogdoches,
Polk, San Augustine, Trinity and Tyler counties.
January
5 After being damaged by a tornado, the city of Lufkin can start
repairs after a $75,000 check was delivered to the city by the Deep East Texas
Council of Governments. The money will
be distributed by the Red Cross to Lufkin residents who need assistance in
repairs.
January 20 Canton saw
significant damage after a storm ripped through the town, downing power lines
and overturning 18-wheelers. A gas
station reported parts of the store roof being ripped off, while several
employees at a local restaurant took shelter from the storm in a refrigerator.
January 20 A mass of severe
thunderstorms has been blamed for damages in Hunt County, where officials reported
downed electric pole and very large hail. Along with the hail, the storm
brought winds up to 60 miles per hour in Hopkins County, causing two tractor
trailers to be overturned.
January
21 According to the National Weather Service, at least 5 tornadoes
hit East Texas near Canton, Sulphur Springs, Larue and Poynor. The storms uprooted trees, destroyed or damaged
over 100 homes, over turned trucks, and injured two people according to the
American Red Cross.
January 21 Tornadoes caused
substantial damage in Sabine, where a farm in the Sabine National Forest was
destroyed. A home on the same property,
where family members gathered just a few days earlier, was completely
destroyed. A pecan tree in the front
yard of the home that is the oldest Pecan Tree in Sabine County was ripped out
of the ground by the storm.
January
21 Although not directly hit by the tornadoes that hit East Texas,
nearly 1,200 residents in the Jacksonville area were left without power. The
Jacksonville Fire Chief said that the power was out for about five-and-a-half
hours, but that the city fortunately received no emergency calls resulting from
the storm.
January 22 A severe storm
that hit El Paso caught many students at UTEP off guard and many expressed that
they were under-prepared for the weather. During the storm, winds in West El
Paso knocked over a 60-foot pine tree, which landed on a neighboring home
causing at least $3,000 in damages.
January
22 The tornado that damaged businesses and homes in Waskom was
categorized as an EF3 by the National Weather Service with winds believed to be
between 150 and 160 mph. With a path length of 15.6 miles and width of 0.75
miles, city officials say that the tornado broke 17 poles along with several
homes and businesses.
January 23 A 62-year-old
women was released from the hospital after surviving being tossed 20 feet by an
East Texas tornado. Unfortunately, the dream home that she and her husband were
building in Sand Flat was destroyed by the tornado. Sarlida
Routier is a former Lubbock resident who is known for claiming the
innocence of her daughter-in-law, who currently sits on Texas death row.
January 24 High winds in
San Antonio blew wooden boards off a high-rise under construction in the
downtown area and forced police to close Houston Street. The winds caused the
National Weather Service to issue a red flag warning to 25 South Texas
counties, including Bexar County.
January
25 Following the news that five tornadoes have been confirmed in
Northeast Texas from severe weather on the 20th, the National Weather Service
is presenting an area-wide weather preparedness campaign. The campaign is aimed at teaching the public
about thunderstorm formation, severe weather production, features associated
with severe weather, and the formation and behavior of tornadoes.
January
27 Texas Tech police are investigating the reasons why a tornado
siren sounded on campus around 1:30pm. This is the first time the siren has
been accidentally sounded since its installation last year, when testing set of
one of the two new sirens being installed.
Other Climate Impacts
Academics/Athletics
January
13 The Arctic blast and its freezing temperatures forced Dallas
area soccer players to cancel several matches. Coaches explained that the winter
weather is something that winter soccer players have to deal with, but the
temperatures have just been too cold for players to play.
January 18 A professor at
Amherst College in Massachusetts performed a study that found children in Texas
are more likely to miss school when certain types of air pollution increase. A
pattern linking carbon monoxide levels and absences at schools near pollution
monitors was found and the highest carbon monoxide levels were in El Paso,
Houston and Laredo.
January 29 Freezing rain
and snow made it impossible for the Texas Tech indoor track team to depart
Lubbock, forcing the cancellation of their track meet against Nebraska.
January
31 Despite ice and snow that made weather conditions less than
ideal for baseball, the Texas Tech baseball team held their first practice of
the season following the cancellation of their first scheduled practice the day
before. Players and coaches shoveled snow off the playing surface toward the
outfield walls.
Animals/Aquatic
Life
January 10 About 150 green sea
turtles washed up in the shallow bays and channels near South Padre Island and
Corpus Christi after the turtles were stunned by the cold waters when the
freezing temperatures hit the area. Volunteers and turtle experts rescued many
of the turtles and placed them in warm
water tanks to regain their strength, but at least 38 of the turtles
could not be saved.
January
11 Cold weather and starvation is to blame for the death of 23
miniature donkeys and two horses found at a North Texas ranch by Fannin County
Sheriffs deputies. Fortunately,
officials say that eight mini donkeys and seven horses were also found alive at
the scene.
January
13 Recent freezing temperatures in the Corpus Christi area had
Texas Parks & Wildlife officials ready to implement a coastal fishing ban
in deepwater. Although the ban was not put in place, many officials were
worried of fish-killing freezes that occur when fish instinctively seek the
protection of deep water when the bay temperatures drop.
January
15 People around Caddo Lake are hoping that the colder than normal
weather has decreased the number of giant salvinia and other invasive
plants. Experts for Texas Parks and
Wildlife say that the salvinia is supposed to be resistant to extreme cold
temperatures, and it will take time determine if the plants were harmed by the
weather.
January
19 State wildlife officials said in just over a weeks time, more
than 425 turtles have been rescued after washing up along the shorelines from
East Matagorda Bay to the Lower Laguna Madre. Experts say a drop of 10 degrees
in the water temperature can cause sea turtles to go into a hypothermic state.
January
20 The cold weather has not only threatened the life of many sea
turtles, but also the life of many other wildlife species throughout Texas.
Many dead swallows have also been found, and hummingbirds have also been
affected by the recent cold weather.
January 22 Hundreds of fish
in Oyster Creek and Bastrop Bayou died from cold waters according to the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Regional Fisheries Division (TPWD). The fish started to
float to the top of the waters as water temperatures began to increase after a
cold snap, and the massive fish kill has led TPWD to ask anglers not to overfish.
January
30 According to one Texan, the whooping crane is a treasure to
Texas that is worth preserving, as recent drought and excessive heat have
played havoc with their feeding habitat. Nearly two dozen of the only 300
living whooping cranes died last year because of the reduced crab populations
in their feeding waters.
Climate/Environment
January
2 Proposed climate
change legislation would force Texas Instruments, which uses chemicals that are
thousands of times stronger than carbon dioxide as greenhouse gases, to buy
pollution allowances. Texas Instruments is also concerned about the increased
cost of electricity associated with reduced greenhouse emissions.
January 8 After a very hot
and dry summer, Texas is in a deep freeze as state is seeing are the coldest
temperatures in decades, with the source of the air coming from the Arctic
Ocean and Siberia.
January
17 Though the weather of 2009 took Dallas residents on a seemingly
endless roller coaster ride, the overall temperatures showed that the year as a
whole was quite average. The Farmer's
Almanac predicts lower-than-normal winter temperatures for 75 percent of
the country, including Texas.
January
30 The National Ecological Observatory Network will be built in
the rolling prairies and woodlands of the Caddo-LBJ National Grasslands to
study the the effects of climate change, biodiversity, land-use changes,
invasive species, pollution and other issues. The National Science Foundation
recently approved plans for a final design, one of the last major hurdles
before the implementation of the network.
January
30 The National Ecological Observatory Network will be built in
the rolling prairies and woodlands of the Caddo-LBJ National Grasslands to
study the the effects of climate change, biodiversity, land-use changes,
invasive species, pollution and other issues. The National Science Foundation
recently approved plans for a final design, one of the last major hurdles
before the implementation of the network.
January
31 The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has issued an
advisory that warns of the current danger when consuming fish from a large area
near the Clear, West, and Lower West forks of the Trinity River. Recent tests
have revealed unhealthy levels of PCBs, which were banned in the 1970s in the
production of electrical equipment after they proved to be a cause of liver
disorders.
Construction/Repairs
January
11 Over 600 calls were made to the Austin Water Utilities and over
1,000 calls to the Austin Fire Department after the recent sub-freezing
temperatures caused pipes to burst. The
broken pipes forced Utility crews to make hundreds of repairs on one weekend
that would normally have taken them about a week to do.
January
11 The cold temperatures that West Texas has experience recently
caused many pipes in home and businesses to freeze and then burst. The service supervisor for Black Plumbing
said that they had about 45 calls in a two day period and most of the calls
were for freezing pipes, which plumbers say can be prevented with proper
insulation.
January 12 The Army Corps of
Engineers say that repairs costing an estimated $18 million to Galvestons
seawall should be finished by April 1st. The seawall was damaged September
13th, 2008 when Hurricane Ike came ashore and damaged the rock groins, which
caused sinkholes.
January 15 A family of 15 in
Kemah received a new home from ABCs Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition after their home was destroyed by Hurricane
Ike. Even though the reveal of the new
home was in cold, rain, wind and muddy conditions, the excitement of the family
and volunteers was not dampened one bit.
January 15 The state of Texas has
been awarded $6.4 million by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to
reimburse the state for the cost of emergency response services during
Hurricane Ike. The state provided resources to Port San Antonio where 1,291
busses and 525 ambulances and also accepted about 9,401 evacuees.
January
24 The $4.6 million awarded by the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) to repair the hurricane-damaged Texas City Dike three months ago
has not yet arrived. The original start date for repairs to the dike was
scheduled for March, but FEMA has indicated more paperwork is necessary for the
city to receive funding.
January
26 Gregg County in Northeast Texas was awarded a $1,001,500 grant
for generators to ensure electricity is flowing when the power is out during
severe weather. The Disaster Recovery Texas Community Development Block Grant
Program awarded grants to seven counties in East Texas for the generators,
which will be incorporated into each countys disaster plan.
January 31 The National
Wind Resource Center is looking to enhance the economic development of West
Texas by increasing wind-related business and construction. The group was
formed by Texas Tech University and has requested $10-30 million dollars to
develop the center.
Economics
January 8 The lower the
temperatures drop around Texas, the more electricity residents use to stay
warm, which could lead in an increase in electric bills in the near
future. According to the Electric
Reliability Council of Texas a new winter record for electricity use was set
between 7 and 8 in the morning when the grid hit 55,856 megawatts.
January
10 After 53 consecutive hours of below freezing temperatures
plagued Longview, the temperature finally rose above the freezing mark. The lowest temperature recorded during the
53-hour event was 13 degrees, and although high temperatures began to hit the
upper 30s, a hard freeze warning has been issued.
January 12 Farmers Insurance Group
has agreed to scale back their double-digit rate increase for homeowners in
Texas, after it had planned a rate increase due to property losses and to help
pay claims after Hurricane Ike. The
increase was called excessive and unfair by the State Insurance Commissioner
and the new increase will only be about 4.5%.
January
17 A leading economist says that while the recession has affected
Texas, the Lone Star state will be "last in, first out" among states
battling the recession. The weather was cited as one of several reasons for the
resiliency of Texas in the struggling worldwide economy.
January
20 Colder than normal temperatures in North Texas are to blame for
high electric bills, though some residents believe new meters installed at
their apartment complex are partly to blame. The electric company forecasts
that bills could be even higher by the end of January after the recent cold
snaps in the region.
January
30 Coryell County Commissioners passed a resolution to delay the
starting date of a new floodplain map, which is supposed to go into effect on
February 17th. The Federal Emergency Management Agency resolution, which if
implemented would likely raise insurance rates, has drawn concern from at least
a dozen residents who question the accuracy of the map.
Homes/Gardening/Trees
January 3 A palm tree that had become a part of
local lore in Arlington after being rescued more than a decade ago was moved to
Carrollton to avoid being a casualty of planned roadwork in the area. The tree
was planted on a roadside after falling out a truck passing through the area
several years ago. A Carrolton man intent on
preserving the tree nursed it through the 2006 drought by hauling water from
his home 25 miles away.
January 5 The summer
drought brought many problems to the San Antonio area, but it did not shrivel
up the mountain cedar trees as many hoped.
The cedar trees put out pollen that aggravated many allergy
sufferers. Mountain cedar pollen is
considered the leading allergen in South and Central Texas and is usually
pollinated between December and February.
January 9 Although January
and February are cold month, this time of year is an excellent time to plant
trees or move established small trees to a new location. The cooler
temperatures can allow the roots to become established in the new ground before
spring and summer temperatures warm up the grounds. Trees not only help conserve energy but they
help to clean the air by removing dust and pollen.
January
13 Temperatures this winter have dipped down far enough and for
long enough in Galveston to damage plants.
From a record hurricane, to drought to an early December snow followed
by periods of bitter cold temperatures landscapes in the Galveston area have
taken a beating this past year.
January
19 Allergy and Asthma doctors fear that 2010 will be the worst
year for allergy sufferers in a long time. In Central Texas cedar trees are
very healthy and have already started pollinating, after rain, cold, and windy
weather was followed by an extended period of dry weather and sunshine.
January
22 During the drought and extreme heat of the past summer, many
Texas residents lost trees, with the hardest hit including stately live oaks,
Ashe junipers, and any newly planted trees. Experts say winter is the time to
start replanting trees and shrubs.
January
23 With wetter weather than a year ago, gardeners and farmers can
expect to see more lawn pests, insects and diseases. Experts say that the
recent rains will also increase fire ant activity later this spring and caution
residents to apply treatment to the mounds built by the fire ants.
Hunting/Fishing
January 2 The Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department held its annual Trails to Trout fishing event designed for kids to
get outdoors during the cold winter months. Held in Tyler, more than 150 people
showed up to fish in a pond that was stocked with more than a thousand trout.
January
26 January was a banner month for duck hunting with the cold
weather and a good way to end an otherwise poor season for hunters. Although
duck populations were high, the lack of bitter cold to the north until this
late in the season was one of the reasons for blame, as it delayed duck
migration into Texas.
January
27 Texas lakes have
turned into fishing paradises after the prolonged summer drought eventually
gave way to rainfall that flooded the lakes with new water. New vegetation
grows in the soil during periods of drought, creating an environment that is
favorable for fish to dwell.
Recreation/Leisure
January 3 For those who prefer an outdoor workout routine,
it is possible to comfortably run outside if you are dressed in layers. Texas has
numerous road races during the winter months, and the recent cold weather has
made it difficult to get outdoors and train in the elements.
January 9 Chili cookers in
Big Spring braved freezing temperatures to participate in the eighth annual
West Texas Centers for Mental Health and Mental Retardation cook-off to benefit
the organizations Children in Need Fund. 38 teams cooked in the cold weather
and many of the cooks said that the cold weather made the event more fun.
January
19 Inclement weather has been to blame for the late reopening of
the renovated South golf course in South Shore Harbour. The weather has damaged
lush fairways and greens and delayed the reopening several weeks.
January
26 Proper hydration is an issue that often is neglected in the
colder winter months but should be taken seriously during vigorous exercise,
even when perspiration in minimal. Experts advise to drink a minimum of 64
ounces of water a day and even more when exercising regularly.
Roads/Traffic/Travel
January
7 As cold weather hit Texas, Governor Rick Perry activated state
resources to help Texas communities deal with the Arctic blast. The Texas
Department of Transportation was ready to de-ice roads, and all district
offices in areas affected by the cold were put on high-level of readiness.
January
7 Sanding crews with the Department of Transportation in the
Dallas/Fort Worth area were fully deployed as the area dealt with more winter
weather. Along with the winter weather
came many traffic accidents and long delays for drivers. Tarrant and Denton County closed schools for
the day while others delayed start of classes.
January
8 Freezing temperatures in Dallas caused roads to ice over,
leading to several traffic accidents.
The University of North Dallas in Denton canceled classes for the day
and schools in Tarrant, Denton and Collin counties had a delay in starting
school to lessen the danger of the morning commute.
January
28 A line of thunderstorms that rolled through the Metroplex
cancelled several flights at Dallas/Fort Worth
International Airport and also delayed many others. However, the departure rate
of flights at DFW was much higher than airports in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and
across most of West Texas.
January
29 Activity in the city of Plainview ground to a halt following a
winter storm that dumped three inches of snow on the town. Numerous traffic
accidents were reported in the area as almost an inch of ice coated the
roadways beneath the snow.
January
29 The Texas Department of Transportation was forced to shut down
Interstate 40 on stretches both entering and exiting Amarillo on the 28th.
Treacherous snow and ice remained the following day when roads were reopened,
forcing drivers to reduce their speed and drive with extra caution.