Texas Climate Report: July 2008
July 2008 included many different climatological settings. The first hurricane to hit landfall in 2008 occurred in late July, when Hurricane Dolly, a category 2 hurricane at its most intense, hit the southern tip of Texas. Although there were some strong winds associated with Dolly, there was also plentiful rainfall distributed through much of far south Texas. Brownsville recorded over 13 inches of rain for July, with over 6.50" in 24 hours associated with Hurricane Dolly. Thus there has been flooding in the southern valley region. Corpus Christi also received some needed rainfall at the same time, totaling over 9 inches for the month. However, the only other first-order stations to receive above average rainfall are El Paso in far West Texas and Amarillo in far North Texas. The central hill country was especially dry in July, with Abilene receiving one hundredth of an inch the entire month, San Angelo less than 0.20", and Austin recording less than 20% of its normal rainfall. A majority of stations received less than 50% of their normal precipitation.
Mean temperatures throughout the state have literally been split right down the middle in terms of departure from normal. West, North, and South Texas experienced cooler than normal mean temperatures, with departures from a few tenths of a degree to nearly 3 degrees cooler in El Paso and Corpus Christi. In Central and East Texas, temperatures have been around average to slightly above average. Notable exceptions, however, include Dallas/Fort Worth, which was 4 degrees above their mean temperature; Austin was about 2 degrees above average; also, Wichita Falls, which hit 110°F, was 1.9°F above average. Temperatures, especially at the beginning of the month, were mild for July and moderated average temperatures. The plentiful rainfall for Corpus Christi and Brownsville no doubt helped to cool temperatures. Statistically, scientists say that the active hurricane season thus far does not necessarily mean an active season as August and September come to pass. But it is a fact that the most active part of the season historically is in the very near future.
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 |
95.7 |
+0.9 |
106 |
71.1 |
‑1.2 |
66 |
83.4 |
‑0.1 |
1 |
0.01 |
1% |
0.01 |
0 |
578 |
Amarillo |
89.8 |
‑1.2 |
98 |
65.1 |
‑0.2 |
59 |
77.4 |
‑0.8 |
11 |
4.96 |
185% |
2.79 |
0 |
391 |
Austin |
99.1 |
+4.1 |
105 |
74.0 |
+0.6 |
69 |
86.6 |
+2.4 |
2 |
0.38 |
19% |
0.30 |
0 |
676 |
Brownsville |
89.3 |
‑3.1 |
95 |
75.9 |
+0.5 |
72 |
82.6 |
‑1.3 |
11 |
13.24 |
748% |
6.68 |
0 |
554 |
College Station |
97.5 |
+1.9 |
102 |
73.8 |
+0.2 |
69 |
85.6 |
+1.0 |
4 |
0.38 |
20% |
0.27 |
0 |
647 |
Corpus Christi |
89.5 |
‑3.7 |
94 |
73.0 |
‑1.4 |
68 |
81.2 |
‑2.6 |
10 |
9.43 |
472% |
4.72 |
0 |
510 |
Dallas‑Fort Worth |
99.8 |
+4.4 |
105 |
78.2 |
+3.6 |
72 |
89.0 |
+4.0 |
3 |
0.81 |
38% |
0.37 |
0 |
753 |
Del Rio |
94.6 |
‑1.6 |
102 |
74.1 |
‑0.2 |
71 |
84.3 |
‑1.0 |
8 |
0.97 |
48% |
0.43 |
0 |
605 |
El Paso |
90.7 |
‑3.8 |
97 |
70.2 |
‑1.8 |
65 |
80.5 |
‑2.8 |
13 |
4.34 |
291% |
1.81 |
0 |
487 |
Galveston |
90.3 |
+1.6 |
94 |
79.1 |
‑0.7 |
74 |
84.7 |
+0.4 |
8 |
2.10 |
61% |
0.69 |
0 |
617 |
Houston |
95.6 |
+2.0 |
100 |
74.2 |
+0.7 |
69 |
84.9 |
+1.3 |
4 |
1.09 |
34% |
0.83 |
0 |
625 |
Lubbock |
90.6 |
‑1.3 |
101 |
67.9 |
+0.2 |
62 |
79.2 |
‑0.6 |
7 |
1.77 |
83% |
0.70 |
0 |
448 |
Midland |
92.7 |
‑1.6 |
100 |
70.0 |
+0.9 |
64 |
81.4 |
‑0.3 |
4 |
0.70 |
37% |
0.58 |
0 |
513 |
Port Arthur |
92.7 |
+1.1 |
98 |
73.6 |
‑0.2 |
71 |
83.2 |
+0.5 |
9 |
2.80 |
54% |
1.54 |
0 |
572 |
San Angelo |
96.2 |
+1.8 |
106 |
69.9 |
‑0.5 |
63 |
83.0 |
+0.6 |
5 |
0.19 |
17% |
0.07 |
0 |
567 |
San Antonio |
94.3 |
‑0.3 |
99 |
73.8 |
‑0.2 |
68 |
84.1 |
‑0.2 |
8 |
3.86 |
190% |
1.39 |
0 |
598 |
Victoria |
95.0 |
+1.6 |
100 |
71.9 |
‑3.1 |
67 |
83.5 |
‑0.7 |
12 |
2.21 |
76% |
0.57 |
0 |
579 |
Waco |
98.7 |
+2.0 |
104 |
73.9 |
‑0.2 |
65 |
86.3 |
+0.9 |
5 |
0.66 |
30% |
0.46 |
0 |
672 |
Wichita Falls |
99.0 |
+1.8 |
110 |
74.4 |
+2.0 |
67 |
86.7 |
+1.9 |
8 |
1.05 |
66% |
0.55 |
0 |
682 |
Shreveport, LA |
95.8 |
+2.5 |
103 |
72.6 |
‑0.8 |
64 |
84.2 |
+0.8 |
6 |
1.08 |
27% |
0.49 |
0 |
601 |
Bold-italics indicate a value broke or tied the record from a previous year. *Dep.: Departure of the monthly average temperature from the 1971-2000 monthly normal, which is provided by the National Climatic Data Center. *Perc. Norm.: Monthly precipitation total divided by 1971-2000 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 |
GRAHAM |
YOUNG |
0.00 |
SULPHUR SPRINGS |
HOPKINS |
0.00 |
COOPER DAM |
HOPKINS |
0.00 |
FARMERSVILLE |
HUNT |
0.00 |
FORSAN |
HOWARD |
0.00 |
GREENVILLE KGVL RADIO |
HUNT |
0.00 |
HAGANSPORT |
FRANKLIN |
0.00 |
HARLETON |
HARRISON |
0.00 |
LENORAH |
MARTIN |
0.00 |
MENTONE |
LOVING |
0.00 |
MIDWAY 4 NE |
MADISON |
0.00 |
MT PLEASANT |
TITUS |
0.00 |
STUDY BUTTE 30NNE |
BREWSTER |
0.00 |
VALENTINE 10 WSW |
PRESIDIO |
0.00 |
VERNON |
WILBARGER |
0.00 |
Greatest Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches) |
Station |
County |
Value |
WESLACO |
HIDALGO |
14.88 |
Greatest Precipitation in 24 Hours (inches) |
Station |
County |
Value |
WESLACO |
HIDALGO |
7.20 |
Lowest Average Daily Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
DOG CANYON |
CULBERSON |
67.3 |
Highest Average Daily Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
DALLAS FT WORTH AP |
TARRANT |
89.0 |
Lowest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
DOG CANYON |
CULBERSON |
76.6 |
Highest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
CROCKETT |
HOUSTON |
100.8 |
Highest Maximum Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
WICHITA FALLS MUNI AP |
WICHITA |
110 |
CASTOLON |
BREWSTER |
110 |
LAJITAS |
BREWSTER |
110 |
Lowest Maximum Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
MT LOCKE |
JEFF DAVIS |
64 |
Lowest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
DOG&nbsnbsp;CANYON |
CULBERSON |
57.9 |
Highest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
GALVESTON |
GALVESTON |
79.2 |
PORT ARANSAS |
NUECES |
79.2 |
Highest Minimum Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
GALVESTON SCHOLES FLD |
GALVESTON |
83 |
GALVESTON |
GALVESTON |
83 |
Lowest Minimum Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
VEGA 2 NW |
OLDHAM |
53 |
New Monthly Records
Least Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches) |
Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
GRAHAM |
YOUNG |
0.00 |
0.00 (2003) |
96 |
SULPHUR SPRINGS |
HOPKINS |
0.00 |
0.00 (1924) |
97 |
CONROE MONTGOMERY CO AP |
MONTGOMERY |
0.61 |
0.64 (2000) |
10 |
FT WORTH ALLIANCE AP |
TARRANT |
0.02 |
0.03 (2000) |
10 |
FARMERSVILLE |
HUNT |
0.00 |
0.00 (2000) |
55 |
FORSAN |
HOWARD |
0.00 |
0.00 (2006) |
59 |
FT GRIFFIN |
SHACKELFORD |
0.08 |
0.09 (2003) |
11 |
GREENVILLE KGVL RADIO |
HUNT |
0.00 |
0.00 (1934) |
101 |
HAGANSPORT |
FRANKLIN |
0.00 |
0.00 (1999) |
84 |
HARLETON |
HARRISON |
0.00 |
0.00 (1999) |
55 |
LENORAH |
MARTIN |
0.00 |
0.00 (2001) |
63 |
LUMBERTON |
HARDIN |
1.25 |
1.50 (2000) |
13 |
MIDWAY 4 NE |
MADISON |
0.00 |
0.00 (1994) |
31 |
MT PLEASANT |
TITUS |
0.00 |
0.10 (1993) |
64 |
MT VERNON |
FRANKLIN |
0.06 |
0.07 (1993) |
42 |
VALENTINE 10 WSW |
PRESIDIO |
0.00 |
0.29 (1966) |
74 |
VERNON |
WILBARGER |
0.00 |
0.00 (1980) |
73 |
Greatest Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches) |
Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
HARLINGEN RIO GRANDE AP |
CAMERON |
9.76 |
6.03 (1955) |
20 |
BROWNSVILLE INTL AP |
CAMERON |
13.24 |
9.43 (1976) |
126 |
BENAVIDES 2 |
DUVAL |
9.35 |
7.71 (2003) |
36 |
EDINBURG |
HIDALGO |
11.62 |
10.88 (2007) |
10 |
FALCON DAM |
STARR |
10.52 |
7.09 (1976) |
46 |
FALFURRIAS |
BROOKS |
12.78 |
11.57 (1976) |
92 |
HEBBRONVILLE |
JIM HOGG |
9.57 |
8.99 (1976) |
97 |
LA JOYA |
HIDALGO |
7.40 |
5.45 (2005) |
11 |
MERCEDES 6 SSE |
HIDALGO |
14.44 |
10.32 (1976) |
92 |
TORNILLO 2 SSE |
EL PASO |
5.08 |
4.43 (1988) |
29 |
WESLACO |
HIDALGO |
14.88 |
9.74 (1975) |
88 |
Greatest Precipitation in 24 Hours Ever in the Month (inches) |
Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
HARLINGEN RIO GRANDE AP |
CAMERON |
3.55 |
3.16 (2007) |
20 |
BROWNSVILLE INTL AP |
CAMERON |
6.68 |
4.25 (1976) |
127 |
BONITA 4 NW |
MONTAGUE |
3.65 |
1.86 (1951) |
10 |
FALCON DAM |
STARR |
5.25 |
3.05 (1991) |
46 |
FALFURRIAS |
BROOKS |
6.90 |
4.52 (1934) |
92 |
HEBBRONVILLE |
JIM&nbsnbsp;HOGG |
4.35 |
3.82 (2002) |
97 |
LA JOYA |
HIDALGO |
3.30 |
2.05 (2003) |
11 |
MERCEDES 6 SSE |
HIDALGO |
6.75 |
5.96 (1983) |
92 |
SANFORD DAM |
HUTCHINSON |
3.50 |
1.82 (1996) |
15 |
SILVER VALLEY |
COLEMAN |
2.08 |
2.05 (1976) |
34 |
SPUR |
DICKENS |
4.31 |
3.93 (1914) |
74 |
WATER VALLEY 11 NNE |
COKE |
2.03 |
2.02 (1979) |
48 |
WESLACO |
HIDALGO |
7.20 |
4.77 (1983) |
88 |
Lowest Average Daily Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
DELL CITY 5 SSW |
HUDSPETH |
77.3 |
77.6 (1991) |
27 |
LA JOYA |
HIDALGO |
83.7 |
85.7 (2007) |
10 |
MERCEDES 6 SSE |
HIDALGO |
81.7 |
82.4 (1926) |
34 |
SANTA ROSA 3 WNW |
HIDALGO |
82.8 |
83.5 (1991) |
20 |
Lowest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
FRIONA |
PARMER |
84.9 |
85.2 (1975) |
47 |
HART |
CASTRO |
86.5 |
86.5 (1991) |
22 |
LA JOYA |
HIDALGO |
92.1 |
95.1 (2007) |
13 |
LA TUNA 1 S |
EL PASO |
89.4 |
89.9 (1962) |
60 |
MERCEDES 6 SSE |
HIDALGO |
89.4 |
91.3 (2007) |
35 |
SANTA ROSA 3 WNW |
HIDALGO |
91.1 |
92.2 (1991) |
21 |
Highest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
CROCKETT |
HOUSTON |
100.8 |
100.7 (1914) |
70 |
Highest Maximum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
MCALLEN MILLER INTL AP |
HIDALGO |
106 |
106 (1998) |
48 |
Lowest Maximum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
BROWNSVILLE INTL AP |
CAMERON |
78 |
78 (1976) |
125 |
ALICE INTL AP |
JIM WELLS |
80 |
82 (2007) |
14 |
BISHOP |
NUECES |
80 |
81 (2003) |
25 |
BRACKETTVILLE 22 N |
KINNEY |
80 |
84 (1994) |
10 |
FALCON DAM |
STARR |
80 |
81 (2005) |
45 |
LA JOYA |
HIDALGO |
77 |
82 (2005) |
13 |
MERCEDES 6 SSE |
HIDALGO |
77 |
80 (2007) |
35 |
PERSIMMON GAP |
BREWSTER |
74 |
75 (1999) |
22 |
RIO GRANDE CITY |
STARR |
74 |
75 (1975) |
79 |
SANTA ROSA 3 WNW |
HIDALGO |
75 |
81 (2003) |
21 |
Lowest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
VICTORIA RGNL AP |
VICTORIA |
71.9 |
72.3 (1999) |
91 |
SAN ANTONIO STINSON AP |
BEXAR |
72.7 |
72.8 (2004) |
11 |
AUSTIN BERGSTROM AP |
TRAVIS |
70.0 |
70.7 (2004) |
58 |
CONROE MONTGOMERY CO AP |
MONTGOMERY |
70.6 |
71.5 (2004) |
11 |
HUNTSVILLE MUNI AP |
WALKER |
73.4 |
73.7 (2005) |
10 |
DEWEYVILLE |
NEWTON |
70.7 |
71.0 (1990) |
23 |
MASON |
MASON |
66.7 |
67.0 (1976) |
28 |
ORANGE 9 N |
ORANGE |
70.7 |
71.0 (1990) |
23 |
PLEASANTON |
ATASCOSA |
72.6 |
72.8 (2004) |
17 |
SANFORD DAM |
HUTCHINSON |
65.5 |
65.5 (2007) |
15 |
WASHINGTON SP |
WASHINGTON |
69.5 |
69.7 (1967) |
51 |
WELDER W'LIFE FOUND |
SAN PATRICIO |
73.0 |
73.9 (2000) |
15 |
Highest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
LIVINGSTON 2 NNE |
POLK |
76.4 |
73.7 (1949) |
68 |
Highest Minimum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
HONDO MUNI AP |
MEDINA |
80 |
78 (1998) |
30 |
NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AP |
GUADALUPE |
77 |
77 (2006) |
10 |
DRIPPING SPRINGS 6 E |
HAYS |
78 |
78 (1992) |
24 |
LIVINGSTON 2 NNE |
POLK |
82 |
79 (1941) |
68 |
Lowest Minimum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F) |
Station |
County |
Value |
Previous Record |
Yrs. Data |
NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AP |
GUADALUPE |
64 |
64 (1999) |
10 |
CONROE MONTGOMERY CO AP |
MONTGOMERY |
63 |
64 (2007) |
11 |
HUNTSVILLE MUNI AP |
WALKER |
63 |
65 (2007) |
10 |
JOE POOL LAKE |
DALLAS |
57 |
58 (1994) |
10 |
LUFKIN 11 NW |
ANGELINA |
61 |
62 (2007) |
10 |
SANFORD DAM |
HUTCHINSON |
54 |
54 (2002) |
15 |
Climatic Averages for August
|
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 |
93.7 |
111 (1943) |
71.4 |
48 (1915) |
2.63 |
15.70 (1914) |
6.30 (1978) |
24.6 |
0.0 |
5.9 |
0 |
535 |
Amarillo |
88.7 |
106 (1944) |
63.8 |
48 (1915) |
2.94 |
7.55 (1974) |
4.26 (1945) |
16.5 |
0.0 |
8.4 |
1 |
345 |
Austin |
95.6 |
110 (2003) |
73.3 |
58 (1915) |
2.31 |
9.48 (2001) |
6.01 (1994) |
28.2 |
0.0 |
5.2 |
0 |
610 |
Brownsville |
92.6 |
104 (2005) |
75.3 |
63 (1967) |
2.99 |
16.58 (1880) |
7.82 (1880) |
28.0 |
0.0 |
7.2 |
0 |
603 |
College Station |
96.2 |
110 (1903) |
73.2 |
41 (1893) |
2.63 |
11.25 (1915) |
9.89 (1947) |
27.7 |
0.0 |
5.9 |
0 |
611 |
Corpus Christi |
93.4 |
104 (2005) |
74.5 |
64 (2004) |
3.54 |
14.79 (1980) |
8.92 (1980) |
27.8 |
0.0 |
6.9 |
0 |
598 |
Dallas‑Fort Worth |
94.8 |
112 (1936) |
74.0 |
55 (1915) |
2.03 |
10.33 (1915) |
5.40 (1915) |
26.7 |
0.0 |
4.6 |
0 |
601 |
Del Rio |
96.0 |
109 (1969) |
74.1 |
60 (1915) |
2.16 |
20.93 (1998) |
17.03 (1998) |
28.3 |
0.0 |
4.0 |
0 |
622 |
El Paso |
92.0 |
108 (1980) |
70.2 |
52 (1880) |
1.75 |
6.85 (2006) |
2.89 (2005) |
24.0 |
0.0 |
8.8 |
0 |
483 |
Galveston |
89.3 |
100 (2000) |
79.5 |
67 (1966) |
4.22 |
19.08 (1915) |
11.46 (2002) |
11.1 |
0.0 |
9.0 |
0 |
601 |
Houston |
93.5 |
108 (1909) |
73.0 |
54 (1891) |
3.83 |
15.43 (1915) |
9.06 (1945) |
25.7 |
0.0 |
8.9 |
0 |
563 |
Lubbock |
90.0 |
107 (1944) |
66.0 |
43 (1915) |
2.36 |
8.85 (1966) |
3.78 (1966) |
19.2 |
0.0 |
7.6 |
0 |
413 |
Midland |
92.8 |
107 (1964) |
67.9 |
52 (1947) |
1.77 |
5.92 (2006) |
5.32 (1934) |
23.1 |
0.0 |
5.8 |
0 |
473 |
Port Arthur |
91.7 |
108 (2000) |
73.2 |
58 (1911) |
4.85 |
17.26 (1966) |
8.45 (1966) |
23.8 |
0.0 |
11.8 |
0 |
546 |
San Angelo |
93.1 |
111 (1943) |
69.4 |
45 (1915) |
2.05 |
8.13 (1971) |
5.60 (2007) |
25.5 |
0.0 |
5.2 |
0 |
519 |
San Antonio |
94.7 |
108 (1986) |
73.6 |
57 (1891) |
2.57 |
11.14 (1974) |
5.79 (2007) |
28.0 |
0.0 |
5.2 |
0 |
601 |
Victoria |
93.7 |
107 (1962) |
74.6 |
61 (1915) |
3.05 |
8.97 (2001) |
6.14 (1964) |
27.9 |
0.0 |
8.8 |
0 |
597 |
Waco |
96.9 |
112 (1969) |
73.5 |
53 (1992) |
1.85 |
9.98 (1914) |
4.80 (1958) |
28.1 |
0.0 |
5.2 |
0 |
628 |
Wichita Falls |
95.8 |
113 (1964) |
71.3 |
53 (1992) |
2.39 |
11.05 (1914) |
4.67 (2005) |
26.4 |
0.0 |
6.4 |
0 |
574 |
Shreveport, LA |
93.4 |
110 (1909) |
72.3 |
53 (1992) |
2.71 |
10.89 (1912) |
6.47 (1912) |
25.5 |
0.0 |
6.5 |
0 |
539 |
Climatic averages are based on 1971-2000 monthly normals, which are provided by the National Climatic Data Center. |