Texas Climate Report: December 2000
The year 2000 had a cold ending as Texas experienced the coldest December temperatures since 1997. Every station except El Paso recorded below-normal temperatures during the month. Austin's monthly mean temperature of 43.9°F was 7.7°F below average, the largest departure in the state (Shreveport was 8.9°F below average). This was also the coldest December on record for Austin, and the third coldest for Dallas/Fort Worth, Lubbock, and Wichita Falls.
Unlike the cold temperatures, the precipitation in December was not evenly distributed across the state as only 8 out of 19 stations recorded above-normal rainfall. Amarillo recorded over 3 times its normal precipitation for the month, all of it due to heavy snowfall. They received 21.2" of snow, breaking the December snowfall record previously set in 1987. Other stations that recorded measurable snow during December are Abilene (2") Dallas/Fort Worth (1.3"), Lubbock (8.2"), Midland (1.2"), and Wichita Falls (1.5").
Several major storm systems moved through Texas during December. On the 11th, a polar front originating in Canada moved through the state, dropping temperatures below freezing in the northern portions of the state. However, this front did not trigger any significant precipitation. On Christmas Eve, a low pressure system developed over western New Mexico and began moving southeast. Once in Texas, this system produced significant winter weather for much of the state. On the 25th through the 27th, large amounts of snow fell in the Panhandle, while central portions of the state received a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Areas just south of Dallas recorded in excess of 4 inches of snow on the 27th. On New Year's Eve, winter precipitation again fell on the northern portions of the state as another low pressure system moved through Texas.
Monthly Summary for Selected Cities
| |
TMAX (°F) |
TMIN (°F) |
TAVG (°F) |
PRCP |
*Deg. Days |
| Station |
Mean |
*Dep. |
Max. |
Mean |
*Dep. |
Min. |
Mean |
*Dep. |
Days ≥ 0.01" |
Mo. Total |
*Perc. Norm. |
Gr'st 24 hr. |
*HDD |
*CDD |
| Abilene |
49.1 |
‑7.9 |
71 |
30.0 |
‑3.9 |
19 |
39.6 |
‑5.9 |
5 |
0.91 |
88% |
0.61 |
783 |
0 |
| Amarillo |
44.9 |
‑5.2 |
68 |
21.2 |
‑2.5 |
8 |
33.1 |
‑3.8 |
3 |
1.47 |
342% |
1.16 |
981 |
0 |
| Austin |
54.2 |
‑7.8 |
74 |
36.6 |
‑4.6 |
26 |
45.4 |
‑6.2 |
11 |
2.87 |
153% |
1.52 |
599 |
0 |
| Brownsville |
66.5 |
‑5.2 |
83 |
47.8 |
‑4.6 |
35 |
57.2 |
‑4.9 |
11 |
1.10 |
88% |
0.31 |
262 |
27 |
| College Station |
54.7 |
‑6.8 |
74 |
35.6 |
‑5.6 |
25 |
45.2 |
‑6.2 |
10 |
3.77 |
133% |
1.38 |
607 |
0 |
| Corpus Christi |
63.7 |
‑4.6 |
84 |
42.8 |
‑5.6 |
28 |
53.3 |
‑5.0 |
9 |
1.68 |
133% |
1.13 |
366 |
11 |
| Dallas‑Fort Worth |
47.8 |
‑9.7 |
69 |
31.0 |
‑5.3 |
20 |
39.4 |
‑7.5 |
8 |
3.57 |
194% |
2.40 |
785 |
0 |
| Del Rio |
57.9 |
‑5.6 |
69 |
38.0 |
‑2.6 |
27 |
48.0 |
‑4.1 |
5 |
0.51 |
84% |
0.32 |
521 |
0 |
| El Paso |
56.3 |
‑1.2 |
65 |
31.7 |
+1.0 |
21 |
44.0 |
‑0.1 |
5 |
0.42 |
74% |
0.30 |
644 |
0 |
| Galveston |
58.1 |
‑3.8 |
77 |
44.7 |
‑6.2 |
34 |
51.4 |
‑5.0 |
10 |
2.55 |
73% |
0.83 |
412 |
1 |
| Houston |
57.4 |
‑7.3 |
78 |
37.7 |
‑4.5 |
26 |
47.6 |
‑5.9 |
13 |
2.69 |
78% |
1.13 |
532 |
0 |
| Lubbock |
46.9 |
‑7.2 |
67 |
23.3 |
‑3.9 |
7 |
35.1 |
‑5.5 |
3 |
0.92 |
174% |
0.88 |
923 |
0 |
| Midland |
51.2 |
‑7.2 |
71 |
29.6 |
‑1.2 |
20 |
40.4 |
‑4.2 |
4 |
0.33 |
59% |
0.20 |
755 |
0 |
| Port Arthur |
57.4 |
‑6.8 |
77 |
38.8 |
‑5.5 |
27 |
48.1 |
‑6.2 |
10 |
1.99 |
41% |
1.27 |
516 |
0 |
| San Angelo |
53.1 |
‑5.9 |
76 |
32.0 |
‑1.0 |
22 |
42.6 |
‑3.4 |
6 |
0.60 |
76% |
0.26 |
686 |
0 |
| San Antonio |
55.8 |
‑7.7 |
72 |
36.9 |
‑3.9 |
28 |
46.4 |
‑5.8 |
9 |
1.57 |
104% |
0.58 |
570 |
0 |
| Victoria |
60.5 |
‑5.5 |
81 |
39.3 |
‑5.9 |
30 |
49.9 |
‑5.7 |
10 |
1.93 |
95% |
0.87 |
463 |
2 |
| Waco |
51.0 |
‑8.3 |
71 |
32.5 |
‑4.8 |
20 |
41.7 |
‑6.6 |
8 |
2.65 |
142% |
1.57 |
713 |
0 |
| Wichita Falls |
45.0 |
‑9.9 |
66 |
27.9 |
‑2.9 |
18 |
36.4 |
‑6.4 |
5 |
1.27 |
98% |
0.85 |
877 |
0 |
| Shreveport, LA |
48.0 |
‑10.5 |
71 |
31.5 |
‑5.8 |
23 |
39.7 |
‑8.3 |
14 |
7.56 |
184% |
2.21 |
774 |
0 |
*Dep.: Departure of the monthly average temperature from the 1961-1990 monthly normal, which is provided by the National Climatic Data Center.
*Perc. Norm.: Monthly precipitation total divided by 1961-1990 monthly normal, which is provided by the National Climatic Data Center.
*Deg. Days: Computed daily as the departure of the daily average temperature from 65°F and aggregated over the entire month.
*Heating degree day (HDD): Each unit corresponds to a -1°F departure of a daily average temperature from 65°F.
*Cooling degree day (HDD): Each unit corresponds to a +1°F departure of a daily average temperature from 65°F.
|
Monthly Extremes
| Least Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
| ACKERLY 4SE |
HOWARD |
0.00 |
| BELMONT |
GONZALES |
0.00 |
| CORNUDAS SVC STN |
HUDSPETH |
0.00 |
| DELL CITY 5 SSW |
HUDSPETH |
0.00 |
| EXXON GAS PLANT |
KLEBERG |
0.00 |
| FLOMOT 4 NE |
MOTLEY |
0.00 |
| FT DAVIS |
JEFF DAVIS |
0.00 |
| GAIL |
BORDEN |
0.00 |
| MARATHON |
BREWSTER |
0.00 |
| PAINT ROCK |
CONCHO |
0.00 |
| RISING STAR 1 S |
EASTLAND |
0.00 |
| ROSCOE |
NOLAN |
0.00 |
| SHEFFIELD |
PECOS |
0.00 |
| VALENTINE |
JEFF DAVIS |
0.00 |
| YSLETA |
EL PASO |
0.00 |
| Greatest Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
| TEXARKANA |
BOWIE |
7.17 |
| Greatest Precipitation in 24 Hours (inches) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
| FAIRFIELD 3 W |
FREESTONE |
4.46 |
| Lowest Average Daily Temperature (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
| LIPSCOMB |
LIPSCOMB |
28.7 |
| Highest Average Daily Temperature (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
| PORT ISABEL CAMERON AP |
CAMERON |
57.4 |
| Lowest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
| FOLLETT |
LIPSCOMB |
38.1 |
| Highest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
| EDINBURG |
HIDALGO |
67.4 |
| Highest Maximum Temperature (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
| EDINBURG |
HIDALGO |
86 |
| SANTA ROSA 3 WNW |
HIDALGO |
86 |
| Lowest Maximum Temperature (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
| FOLLETT |
LIPSCOMB |
13 |
| Lowest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
| LIPSCOMB |
LIPSCOMB |
15.3 |
| Highest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
| PORT ISABEL CAMERON AP |
CAMERON |
48.0 |
| Highest Minimum Temperature (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
| HARLINGEN RIO GRANDE AP |
CAMERON |
66 |
| MCALLEN MILLER INTL AP |
HIDALGO |
66 |
| Lowest Minimum Temperature (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
| LIPSCOMB |
LIPSCOMB |
0 |
New Monthly Records
| Least Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
| ACKERLY 4SE |
HOWARD |
0.00 |
0.00 (1999) |
39 |
| CORNUDAS SVC STN |
HUDSPETH |
0.00 |
0.00 (1999) |
56 |
| DELL CITY 5 SSW |
HUDSPETH |
0.00 |
0.00 (1999) |
20 |
| FLOMOT 4 NE |
MOTLEY |
0.00 |
0.00 (1988) |
47 |
| FT DAVIS |
JEFF DAVIS |
0.00 |
0.00 (1985) |
76 |
| GAIL |
BORDEN |
0.00 |
0.00 (1999) |
57 |
| MARATHON |
BREWSTER |
0.00 |
0.00 (1998) |
55 |
| PAINT ROCK |
CONCHO |
0.00 |
0.00 (1996) |
77 |
| RISING STAR 1 S |
EASTLAND |
0.00 |
0.00 (1996) |
55 |
| ROSCOE |
NOLAN |
0.00 |
0.00 (1999) |
65 |
| SHEFFIELD |
PECOS |
0.00 |
0.00 (1999) |
37 |
| VALENTINE |
JEFF DAVIS |
0.00 |
0.00 (1988) |
20 |
| YSLETA |
EL PASO |
0.00 |
0.00 (1996) |
50 |
| Greatest Precipitation in 24 Hours Ever in the Month (inches) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
| BOYS RANCH |
OLDHAM |
1.06 |
0.74 (1997) |
21 |
| Lowest Average Daily Temperature (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
| HARLINGEN RIO GRANDE AP |
CAMERON |
56.2 |
57.6 (1960) |
14 |
| AUSTIN BERGSTROM AP |
TRAVIS |
43.8 |
43.9 (1963) |
50 |
| FT WORTH MEACHAM FLD |
TARRANT |
39.5 |
43.3 (1945) |
21 |
| TYLER POUNDS FLD |
SMITH |
40.0 |
40.9 (1905) |
24 |
| BURLESON |
JOHNSON |
39.2 |
41.3 (1989) |
14 |
| CHANNING 2 |
HARTLEY |
31.2 |
32.3 (1997) |
13 |
| COLORADO CITY |
MITCHELL |
38.9 |
40.8 (1914) |
52 |
| LONGVIEW |
GREGG |
39.7 |
40.5 (1963) |
70 |
| Lowest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
| FT WORTH MEACHAM FLD |
TARRANT |
48.1 |
53.0 (1944) |
21 |
| TYLER POUNDS FLD |
SMITH |
48.4 |
48.6 (1899) |
24 |
| MINERAL WELLS AP |
PALO PINTO |
49.2 |
51.5 (1963) |
46 |
| ANSON |
JONES |
48.1 |
52.5 (1960) |
36 |
| BISHOP |
NUECES |
63.1 |
67.3 (1944) |
16 |
| BRIDGEPORT |
WISE |
48.1 |
50.2 (1963) |
63 |
| BURLESON |
JOHNSON |
48.4 |
54.2 (1986) |
15 |
| CARTA VALLEY |
EDWARDS |
53.8 |
56.7 (1963) |
29 |
| CHANNING 2 |
HARTLEY |
43.1 |
43.3 (1997) |
13 |
| COLORADO CITY |
MITCHELL |
50.9 |
52.3 (1914) |
52 |
| DENVER CITY |
YOAKUM |
50.7 |
51.6 (1997) |
10 |
| DRIPPING SPRINGS 6 E |
HAYS |
53.3 |
54.8 (1989) |
17 |
| FOWLERTON |
LA SALLE |
58.6 |
59.0 (1989) |
35 |
| GAINESVILLE 5 ENE |
COOKE |
45.3 |
47.9 (1989) |
14 |
| GROVETON |
TRINITY |
53.4 |
53.9 (1983) |
28 |
| HART |
CASTRO |
45.6 |
46.1 (1989) |
15 |
| HOUSTON NWSO |
GALVESTON |
57.9 |
62.7 (1997) |
11 |
| JEFFERSON |
MARION |
47.5 |
50.8 (1905) |
21 |
| KENT 8 SE |
JEFF DAVIS |
51.9 |
52.9 (1997) |
10 |
| LAKE FORK RSVR |
WOOD |
48.0 |
48.6 (1989) |
12 |
| STERLING CITY |
STERLING |
53.5 |
53.8 (1963) |
30 |
| TEXARKANA |
BOWIE |
45.3 |
49.7 (1989) |
29 |
| TYLER |
SMITH |
49.1 |
51.2 (1989) |
17 |
| Lowest Maximum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
| BISHOP |
NUECES |
40 |
40 (1946) |
16 |
| KENT 8 SE |
JEFF DAVIS |
24 |
25 (1989) |
10 |
| Lowest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F) |
| Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
| HARLINGEN RIO GRANDE AP |
CAMERON |
45.5 |
46.7 (1997) |
14 |
| AUSTIN BERGSTROM AP |
TRAVIS |
33.3 |
33.7 (1963) |
52 |
| FT WORTH MEACHAM FLD |
TARRANT |
31.0 |
33.0 (1945) |
21 |
| TYLER POUNDS FLD |
SMITH |
31.5 |
32.8 (1905) |
25 |
| CHANNING 2 |
HARTLEY |
19.3 |
19.6 (1972) |
14 |
| PINE SPRINGS |
CULBERSON |
24.7 |
25.9 (1989) |
11 |
Climatic Averages for January
| |
TMAX (°F) |
TMIN (°F) |
PRCP (inches) |
No. Days in Month |
Deg. Days |
| Station |
Avg. |
Record |
Avg. |
Record |
Avg. |
Gr'st Mo. |
Gr'st 24 hr. |
≥ 90°F |
≤ 32°F |
PRCP ≥ 0.01" |
HDD |
CDD |
| Abilene |
54.8 |
90 (1911) |
30.8 |
‑9 (1947) |
1.03 |
4.35 (1968) |
2.18 (1961) |
0.0 |
17.7 |
4.5 |
688 |
0 |
| Amarillo |
49.0 |
83 (1927) |
21.2 |
‑11 (1984) |
0.50 |
2.67 (1999) |
1.74 (1968) |
0.0 |
27.5 |
3.9 |
927 |
0 |
| Austin |
58.9 |
90 (1971) |
38.6 |
‑2 (1949) |
1.71 |
9.21 (1991) |
4.41 (1991) |
0.0 |
8.7 |
7.3 |
514 |
12 |
| Brownsville |
68.9 |
93 (1971) |
49.9 |
18 (1881) |
1.56 |
5.11 (1945) |
3.00 (1988) |
0.1 |
1.2 |
8.0 |
232 |
59 |
| College Station |
58.4 |
90 (1999) |
38.7 |
‑3 (1949) |
2.65 |
15.60 (1991) |
5.63 (1991) |
0.0 |
9.1 |
8.5 |
522 |
11 |
| Corpus Christi |
65.0 |
91 (1971) |
45.3 |
14 (1962) |
1.71 |
10.78 (1958) |
6.38 (1958) |
0.1 |
3.5 |
8.3 |
338 |
31 |
| Dallas‑Fort Worth |
54.1 |
93 (1911) |
32.7 |
‑2 (1949) |
1.83 |
9.07 (1932) |
3.15 (1998) |
0.0 |
15.7 |
6.7 |
670 |
0 |
| Del Rio |
61.9 |
92 (1911) |
38.5 |
12 (1918) |
0.56 |
4.12 (1931) |
1.91 (1994) |
0.0 |
7.2 |
4.8 |
465 |
6 |
| El Paso |
56.1 |
80 (1970) |
29.4 |
‑8 (1962) |
0.40 |
1.84 (1949) |
1.28 (1896) |
0.0 |
19.6 |
4.3 |
688 |
0 |
| Galveston |
58.3 |
78 (1989) |
47.1 |
11 (1886) |
3.26 |
10.75 (1991) |
5.38 (1923) |
0.0 |
2.5 |
9.6 |
396 |
15 |
| Houston |
61.0 |
87 (1902) |
39.7 |
5 (1930) |
3.29 |
13.11 (1891) |
5.89 (1891) |
0.0 |
6.5 |
10.0 |
468 |
16 |
| Lubbock |
52.9 |
87 (1914) |
24.6 |
‑16 (1963) |
0.39 |
4.05 (1949) |
1.96 (1939) |
0.0 |
25.4 |
3.5 |
812 |
0 |
| Midland |
56.5 |
84 (1974) |
28.5 |
‑8 (1962) |
0.40 |
4.99 (1939) |
2.56 (1939) |
0.0 |
20.4 |
3.4 |
698 |
0 |
| Port Arthur |
60.3 |
84 (1909) |
41.5 |
11 (1930) |
4.77 |
14.87 (1991) |
6.94 (1998) |
0.0 |
6.5 |
9.9 |
450 |
13 |
| San Angelo |
56.8 |
91 (1911) |
30.6 |
1 (1947) |
0.80 |
3.65 (1961) |
2.49 (1961) |
0.0 |
17.7 |
4.5 |
660 |
0 |
| San Antonio |
60.8 |
89 (1971) |
37.9 |
0 (1949) |
1.71 |
8.52 (1968) |
3.18 (1968) |
0.0 |
9.5 |
7.7 |
494 |
8 |
| Victoria |
62.8 |
88 (1971) |
42.5 |
12 (1949) |
2.16 |
7.76 (1991) |
4.70 (1991) |
0.0 |
5.3 |
8.0 |
403 |
21 |
| Waco |
56.1 |
90 (1943) |
34.2 |
‑5 (1949) |
1.65 |
6.56 (1932) |
4.79 (1998) |
0.0 |
13.6 |
6.6 |
620 |
6 |
| Wichita Falls |
52.0 |
87 (1969) |
27.6 |
‑12 (1947) |
1.04 |
4.48 (1968) |
2.25 (1919) |
0.0 |
21.6 |
4.4 |
781 |
0 |
| Shreveport, LA |
55.4 |
85 (1950) |
34.8 |
‑2 (1930) |
3.88 |
12.96 (1999) |
7.52 (1885) |
0.0 |
14.1 |
9.4 |
623 |
6 |
| Climatic averages are based on 1961-1990 monthly normals, which are provided by the National Climatic Data Center. |
