Volume
22 Number 9 SEPTEMBER 2009
The beginning of the month began just as August ended, hot
and humid, with temperatures average to slightly above average across the
state. During the second week of the month, an area of low pressure drew moisture
in from the Gulf of Mexico, providing some much needed rain to many parts of
Texas. The first two weeks of September saw some impressive rain totals,
particularly in the Metroplex with some areas picking up more than 10 inches of
total precipitation just to the south of town. As the third week summer came to
a close, autumn officially began and temperatures started to have a crisper,
fall-like feel. A cold front moved into the Texas, cooling temperatures down
statewide in addition to bringing showers and thunderstorms to Central Texas,
with McLennan County and areas just to the west reporting in excess of two
inches of precipitation.
A cut off low reinforced the cooler
weather as it moved very slowly and remained almost stationary for several days
across Northeast Texas during the last part of the September. The system
brought a continuous light to moderate rain to a large area in the Northeast
part of the state. Northeast and North Central Texas did not particularly need
the rain after a summer of above normal precipitation. However, September rains
that fell to the South were much needed and did a great deal to improve the
drought situation, though large long-term precipitation deficits remained in
most of South Texas. For instance, the 6.27" of September precipitation in
Corpus Christi was more than had fallen the first eight months of 2009 (4.10”)
combined! As the month closed a high pressure system settled over most of
Texas, with the month ending much like it began with warm and humid conditions.
The first weekend of fall felt more like a summer weekend, with temperatures
across much of the state topping out in the 90s.
SEPTEMBER 2009
|
|
TMAX |
TMIN |
Mean Temp |
Precipitation |
|
|||||||||
|
Station |
Avg. |
Dep. |
Abs. Max |
Avg. |
Dep. |
Abs. Min |
Avg. |
Dep. |
No. Days |
Total (In.) |
Percent Avg. |
Gr'st 24 hr.
(In.) |
HDD* |
CDD* |
|
Abilene |
83.5 |
-3.2 |
95 |
61.8 |
-2.6 |
49 |
72.6 |
-2.9 |
10 |
3.55 |
122% |
1.28 |
11 |
247 |
|
Amarillo |
79.7 |
-2.1 |
94 |
54.5 |
-1.8 |
39 |
67.1 |
-2.0 |
8 |
0.83 |
44% |
0.21 |
52 |
123 |
|
Austin |
87.7 |
-2.4 |
101 |
68.7 |
-0.1 |
58 |
78.2 |
-1.3 |
10 |
6.86 |
236% |
2.39 |
5 |
411 |
|
Brownsville |
90.1 |
0.7 |
97 |
74.0 |
1.4 |
63 |
82.0 |
1.0 |
13 |
9.43 |
178% |
2.72 |
0 |
517 |
|
College Station |
87.3 |
-3.6 |
100 |
70.1 |
1.6 |
60 |
78.7 |
-1.0 |
11 |
7.42 |
190% |
1.75 |
0 |
416 |
|
Corpus Christi |
89.5 |
-0.4 |
96 |
73.1 |
1.5 |
61 |
81.3 |
0.5 |
8 |
6.27 |
125% |
2.80 |
0 |
497 |
|
Dallas-Fort Worth |
85.1 |
-2.6 |
96 |
67.2 |
0.0 |
55 |
76.1 |
-1.4 |
11 |
6.52 |
269% |
2.66 |
0 |
340 |
|
Del Rio |
88.7 |
-1.9 |
97 |
69.8 |
0.4 |
57 |
79.2 |
-0.8 |
7 |
3.37 |
164% |
1.52 |
1 |
437 |
|
El Paso |
87.1 |
0.0 |
94 |
64.0 |
0.3 |
55 |
75.5 |
0.1 |
7 |
2.50 |
155% |
0.80 |
2 |
325 |
|
Galveston |
85.8 |
-0.7 |
91 |
74.9 |
-0.7 |
70 |
80.3 |
-0.8 |
8 |
5.24 |
91% |
1.38 |
0 |
467 |
|
Houston |
87.0 |
-2.3 |
94 |
71.0 |
2.6 |
62 |
79.0 |
0.1 |
9 |
4.68 |
108% |
1.61 |
0 |
430 |
|
Lubbock |
83.3 |
-0.1 |
96 |
57.5 |
-0.9 |
41 |
70.4 |
-0.5 |
6 |
2.46 |
96% |
1.56 |
22 |
191 |
|
Midland |
84.7 |
-1.4 |
95 |
60.5 |
-1.1 |
46 |
72.6 |
-1.3 |
6 |
2.44 |
106% |
1.58 |
13 |
246 |
|
Port Arthur |
85.9 |
-2.1 |
93 |
70.3 |
0.9 |
62 |
78.1 |
-0.6 |
10 |
4.89 |
80% |
1.76 |
0 |
401 |
|
San Angelo |
86.4 |
-0.2 |
95 |
62.7 |
-0.3 |
49 |
74.5 |
-0.3 |
8 |
5.66 |
192% |
1.97 |
0 |
294 |
|
San Antonio |
87.6 |
-2.4 |
97 |
69.3 |
0.5 |
57 |
78.4 |
-1.0 |
11 |
6.35 |
212% |
2.10 |
7 |
416 |
|
Victoria |
89.3 |
-0.6 |
99 |
70.5 |
0.2 |
62 |
79.9 |
-0.2 |
9 |
6.44 |
129% |
2.45 |
0 |
456 |
|
Waco |
86.6 |
-3.5 |
101 |
68.0 |
1.0 |
57 |
77.3 |
-1.3 |
12 |
8.24 |
286% |
1.46 |
2 |
380 |
|
Wichita Falls |
85.4 |
-2.1 |
100 |
63.4 |
-0.3 |
49 |
74.4 |
-1.2 |
10 |
4.09 |
128% |
1.76 |
7 |
299 |
|
Shreveport, LA |
84.7 |
-2.9 |
94 |
67.2 |
0.8 |
52 |
75.9 |
-1.1 |
12 |
2.58 |
80% |
0.83 |
0 |
337 |
* Bold
italics indicate a monthly record.
*
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
|
|
TMAX |
TMIN |
Precipitation
(In.) |
Mean Number of
Days in Month |
||||||||
|
Station |
Avg. |
Record |
Avg. |
Record |
Avg. |
Gr'st Mon. Total |
Gr'st 24 hr.
Total |
TMAX > 90°F |
TMIN < 32°F |
Days PRCP ≥
0.01" |
HDD* |
CDD* |
|
Abilene |
77.6 |
103 |
54.4 |
23 |
2.9 |
10.88 |
6.08 |
2.2 |
0.3 |
6.2 |
93 |
118 |
|
Amarillo |
71.8 |
99 |
44.6 |
12 |
1.5 |
7.64 |
3.45 |
0.8 |
2.3 |
5.0 |
239 |
26 |
|
Austin |
81.4 |
100 |
59.8 |
30 |
4.0 |
12.63 |
7.22 |
4.4 |
0.0 |
7.4 |
32 |
207 |
|
Brownsville |
84.0 |
99 |
65.9 |
35 |
3.8 |
17.12 |
6.67 |
6.2 |
0.0 |
7.3 |
6 |
332 |
|
College Station |
82.0 |
102 |
59.0 |
29 |
4.2 |
18.77 |
13.39 |
3.2 |
0.1 |
7.2 |
25 |
196 |
|
Corpus Christi |
83.6 |
98 |
64.0 |
28 |
3.9 |
12.03 |
7.96 |
5.5 |
0.0 |
6.7 |
12 |
300 |
|
Dallas-Fort Worth |
77.9 |
106 |
56.4 |
24 |
4.1 |
14.18 |
5.91 |
3.0 |
0.1 |
6.7 |
52 |
118 |
|
Del Rio |
81.7 |
106 |
60.5 |
28 |
2.0 |
11.69 |
7.60 |
5.1 |
0.1 |
5.7 |
24 |
217 |
|
El Paso |
77.9 |
96 |
51.8 |
25 |
0.8 |
5.15 |
1.77 |
2.4 |
0.5 |
4.9 |
89 |
71 |
|
Galveston |
79.7 |
94 |
68.4 |
39 |
3.5 |
17.78 |
14.10 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
6.7 |
6 |
286 |
|
Houston |
82.0 |
99 |
58.8 |
29 |
4.5 |
17.64 |
9.31 |
3.1 |
0.1 |
7.5 |
37 |
196 |
|
Lubbock |
74.4 |
100 |
47.0 |
18 |
1.7 |
10.80 |
5.82 |
1.2 |
1.0 |
5.1 |
163 |
46 |
|
Midland |
77.4 |
101 |
51.3 |
24 |
1.8 |
7.45 |
3.59 |
2.4 |
0.3 |
4.7 |
103 |
83 |
|
Port Arthur |
80.5 |
99 |
59.6 |
30 |
4.7 |
15.09 |
8.06 |
1.5 |
0.1 |
6.5 |
34 |
195 |
|
San Angelo |
77.8 |
100 |
53.0 |
26 |
2.6 |
8.68 |
5.11 |
2.7 |
0.3 |
5.6 |
84 |
112 |
|
San Antonio |
82.0 |
99 |
59.4 |
27 |
3.9 |
18.07 |
13.35 |
4.9 |
0.0 |
6.9 |
33 |
215 |
|
Victoria |
83.0 |
109 |
61.6 |
31 |
4.3 |
17.25 |
8.15 |
4.9 |
0.0 |
7.3 |
22 |
248 |
|
Waco |
80.4 |
101 |
56.7 |
25 |
3.7 |
10.51 |
5.72 |
4.5 |
0.1 |
6.9 |
58 |
170 |
|
Wichita Falls |
77.1 |
102 |
52.4 |
21 |
3.1 |
11.77 |
5.61 |
3.3 |
0.4 |
7.0 |
106 |
99 |
|
Shreveport, LA |
78.3 |
99 |
55.0 |
28 |
4.5 |
20.35 |
5.88 |
1.8 |
0.2 |
7.4 |
78 |
119 |
*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.
Climate-related
Agricultural Information
Past Weather Events in October
October 8th, 1970: A record early, heavy snow whitened much of Eastern Nebraska
with totals of 3-6 inches. Many trees still in full leaf collapsed due to the
weight of the heavy wet snow and high winds. In Lincoln alone about 4000 power
lines broke.
October 16th, 1984: A major early season snowstorm hit Eastern Colorado; Foothill
locations received 2-3 feet. At Woodland Hills 40 inches fell. The Air Force
Academy closed for the first time in 17 years. Interstates east, west, north
and south of Denver were closed.
October 22nd, 1988: Hurricane Joan made landfall at Bluefields, Nicaragua, with
sustained winds of 145 mph. 216 people
died and there was 2-billion-dollars in damage.
October 25th, 1997: Easterly winds to 120 mph
roared down the west side of the Continental divide and blew down more than
20,000 acres of old-growth forest from about 5 miles north to 26 miles north of
Steamboat, Colorado. Downed trees blocked roads, trapping hunters for up to 2
days.
Dr.
John Nielsen-Gammon (State Climatologist)
Brent
McRoberts (Research Associate)
Marissa
Pazos (Undergraduate Assistant)