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Texas Climate Report: May 2010

May 2010 was drier than normal across most of Texas, particularly in North Central and East Texas, though rainfall throughout the month was characterized by isolated locations picking up excessive amounts of precipitation. Flooding was an issue in Del Rio, which set May records after picking up 7.12" of rainfall on the 24th in a 24-hour period and 10.45" for the entire month. Flooding was reported in the Permian Basin as Midland International Airport pickup 1.40" of its monthly total of 1.65" on the 14th. Victoria picked up 6.02" in 24 hours from the 14th-15th, which was over 85% of its precipitation for the entire month. Galveston picked up 3.65" over the same time 24-hour period (3.66" for the month). However, following the excessive rainfall on the weekend of the 14th-16th, rainfall was scarce across most of the state for the rest of May. El Paso picked up only a hundredth of an inch of rain during the entire month. By the end of the month, East Texas had moderate drought conditions as dryness in May, normally one of the wettest months of the year, combined with much warmer than normal temperatures.

Temperatures in May 2010 across West Texas were near normal across the western half of Texas and much above normal in the eastern half of the state. College Station had its second warmest May and Houston had its third warmest May on record. In particular, the end of the month provided a historically hot stretch of weather in Central, East, and Southeast Texas. Houston Hobby set or tied a daily high temperature record each day and Galveston tied the high temperature record on both the 28th and 29th. Waco tied a record high on the 29th, barely missing becoming the eight May day since 1902 to top 100°F. Ironically, Midland was the only first-order station to reach the century mark in May, topping out at 100°F degrees on the 6th, though it had the largest monthly maximum temperature departure from normal. Pecos had the highest maximum temperature in the entire contiguous United States each day in the period from the 21st through the 23rd (104°F, 102°F, and 100°F). Earlier in the month, Laredo accomplished the same feat from the 11th through the 13th (103°F, 100°F, and 97°F).

Severe weather reports were more common during the second half of May than the first. Hail 4.25" in diameter was reported just to the south of Alpine on the 17th, the same day winds in excess of 80 mph damaged a museum and gas station in Floyd County. More than 20 tornadoes were reported in the northern Panhandle the following day, though no significant damage was reported. Two tornadoes were reported just south of the Metroplex on the 20th, a tornado that crossed over the New Mexico border and hit Texline did damage to about 20 irrigation systems on the 23rd, several tornadoes were reported in Hansford and Woodward counties on the 24th, and a brief EF0 tornado touched down in southern Live Oak County on the 25th.

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 83.5 ‑1.2 95 62.0 +1.0 46 72.8 8 3.60 127% 1.61 17 264
Amarillo 77.3 ‑1.3 92 51.1 ‑0.6 35 64.2 ‑1.0 8 2.18 87% 1.44 109 90
Austin 89.1 +4.3 96 68.2 +2.8 54 78.6 +3.5 7 1.88 37% 1.42 0 431
Brownsville 91.2 +4.3 96 73.5 +1.9 58 82.4 +3.1 3 2.99 121% 1.58 0 545
College Station 90.0 +4.7 96 68.9 +3.6 53 79.4 +4.1 3 2.00 40% 1.88 0 456
Corpus Christi 88.8 +3.2 95 70.2 +0.7 54 79.5 +2.0 4 0.31 9% 0.18 0 459
Dallas‑Fort Worth 87.2 +4.0 99 66.6 +3.6 51 76.9 +3.8 5 1.09 21% 0.60 3 377
Del Rio 88.3 ‑0.4 99 66.7 49 77.5 ‑0.2 9 10.45 452% 7.61 0 395
El Paso 89.0 +2.3 98 59.4 ‑1.2 45 74.2 +0.5 1 0.01 3% 0.01 16 311
Galveston 82.8 +1.4 90 72.4 +0.1 63 77.6 +0.7 3 3.66 99% 3.63 0 398
Houston 89.7 +4.2 97 69.2 +3.1 54 79.4 +3.6 5 3.68 71% 2.66 0 455
Lubbock 82.5 ‑0.3 97 56.5 +0.9 41 69.5 +0.3 4 1.14 49% 0.78 59 207
Midland 85.7 ‑1.1 100 57.7 ‑1.1 43 71.7 ‑1.1 2 1.65 92% 1.40 30 247
Port Arthur 88.4 +4.1 96 68.6 +2.2 55 78.5 +3.1 4 0.70 12% 0.39 0 425
San Angelo 88.8 +3.2 97 62.9 +2.3 41 75.9 +2.8 5 1.42 46% 0.61 4 348
San Antonio 86.9 +0.9 93 68.0 +2.5 50 77.5 +1.7 5 4.48 95% 3.93 0 393
Victoria 89.0 +3.9 96 68.5 +0.4 52 78.8 +2.2 5 6.99 137% 6.02 0 436
Waco 89.3 +4.5 99 65.1 +1.8 46 77.2 +3.1 4 0.89 20% 0.77 0 386
Wichita Falls 82.6 ‑0.9 95 59.5 +0.2 42 71.1 ‑0.3 8 3.76 96% 3.06 26 223
Shreveport, LA 89.2 +6.0 96 65.5 +2.8 51 77.4 +4.4 5 1.93 37% 1.10 2 394
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.

may 2010 average temperatures
may 2010 average precipitation

Monthly Extremes

Least Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches)
Station County Value
VAN HORN CULBERSON 0.00
CAMP WOOD REAL 0.00
CORSICANA NAVARRO 0.00
DELL CITY 5 SSW HUDSPETH 0.00
EL PASO #2 EL PASO 0.00
FT HANCOCK 8 SSE HUDSPETH 0.00
LA TUNA 1 S EL PASO 0.00
MCALLEN HIDALGO 0.00
OZONA 2 CROCKETT 0.00
SHEFFIELD PECOS 0.00
Greatest Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches)
Station County Value
DEL RIO INTL AP VAL VERDE 10.45
Greatest Precipitation in 24 Hours (inches)
Station County Value
RIOMEDINA MEDINA 8.25
Lowest Average Daily Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
DOG CANYON CULBERSON 60.3
Highest Average Daily Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
LAREDO INTL AP WEBB 84.4
Lowest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
DOG CANYON CULBERSON 73.1
Highest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
RIO GRANDE VILLAGE BREWSTER 100.5
Highest Maximum Temperature  (°F)
Station County Value
RIO GRANDE VILLAGE BREWSTER 111
Lowest Maximum Temperature  (°F)
Station County Value
DOG CANYON CULBERSON 44
Lowest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
MARFA MUNI AP PECOS 42.3
Highest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
PORT ARANSAS NUECES 74.9
Highest Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
POINT COMFORT CALHOUN 86
Lowest Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
ODESSA SCHLEMEYER FLD ECTOR 15

New Monthly Records

Least Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
ROBERT GRAY AAF BELL 0.82 1.20 (1959) 13
FT HOOD BELL 0.01 0.98 (1963) 12
BURNET MUNI AP BURNET 0.66 0.84 (2004) 13
TYLER POUNDS FLD SMITH 0.38 0.60 (1886) 29
VAN HORN CULBERSON 0.00 0.00 (2000) 63
MCKINNEY MUNI AP COLLIN 1.30 2.04 (2006) 13
BERTRAM 3 ENE BURNET 0.50 0.98 (1977) 43
CAMP WOOD REAL 0.00 0.16 (2003) 63
CONCHO PARK IVIE RSVR CONCHO 1.34 1.37 (2004) 10
CORSICANA NAVARRO 0.00 0.26 (1998) 107
CRAWFORD MCLENNAN 1.12 1.62 (2003) 13
DELL CITY 5 SSW HUDSPETH 0.00 0.00 (2006) 30
FLORENCE 3 SE WILLIAMSON 0.37 1.01 (1998) 43
FT HANCOCK 8 SSE HUDSPETH 0.00 0.00 (2006) 38
LA TUNA 1 S EL PASO 0.00 0.00 (2006) 64
MCALLEN HIDALGO 0.00 0.00 (1998) 63
GEORGETOWN LAKE WILLIAMSON 0.73 0.74 (1998) 29
PROCTOR RSVR COMANCHE 0.78 1.01 (1977) 45
SHEFFIELD PECOS 0.00 0.00 (2000) 47
STILLHOUSE HOLLOW DAM BELL 0.05 1.07 (1988) 44
TAYLOR 1 NW WILLIAMSON 0.91 1.28 (2002) 10
YOUNGSPORT BELL 0.82 0.87 (1998) 17
Greatest Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AP GUADALUPE 5.82 4.38 (2000) 12
DEL RIO INTL AP VAL VERDE 10.45 10.23 (1957) 105
AMISTAD DAM VAL VERDE 8.83 6.36 (2007) 46
DEL RIO 2 NW VAL VERDE 8.32 8.25 (2007) 14
KINGSBURY GUADALUPE 4.22 4.01 (1997) 13
LA JOYA HIDALGO 4.11 2.87 (1997) 12
LOS ANGELES 4 WSW LA SALLE 3.24 3.21 (2000) 10
Greatest Precipitation in 24 Hours Ever in the Month (inches)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AP GUADALUPE 3.40 1.95 (2000) 12
HOUSTON SUGARLAND MEM FORT BEND 4.06 2.64 (2004) 10
DEL RIO INTL AP VAL VERDE 7.61 6.53 (2003) 105
AMISTAD DAM VAL VERDE 6.65 2.49 (1991) 46
BAYTOWN HARRIS 4.98 3.58 (1986) 27
BELMONT GONZALES 2.15 1.98 (2000) 12
CEDAR CREEK 5 S BASTROP 3.85 3.70 (1982) 31
CHARLIE CLAY 2.73 2.35 (1997) 12
CHEAPSIDE GONZALES 4.41 4.01 (2007) 15
CHOKE CANYON DAM LIVE OAK 4.20 3.15 (1986) 27
DEL RIO 2 NW VAL VERDE 5.39 3.47 (2003) 14
FALFURRIAS BROOKS 5.95 5.01 (2000) 96
JEDDO 3S BASTROP 4.92 4.39 (1972) 67
KATY WOLF HILL HARRIS 5.60 4.10 (1992) 34
KINGSBURY GUADALUPE 4.22 1.85 (2000) 13
LA JOYA HIDALGO 1.97 1.30 (1997) 12
LOCKHART 2 SW CALDWELL 3.48 2.00 (2004) 14
LOS ANGELES 4 WSW LA SALLE 2.20 1.71 (2000) 10
LULING 12 NE CALDWELL 3.18 3.15 (1999) 13
MASON MASON 5.65 4.10 (1974) 58
RIOMEDINA MEDINA 8.25 8.19 (1958) 82
SAN ANTONIO 8 NNE BEXAR 4.19 2.64 (2006) 14
SPRING BRANCH 2SE COMAL 4.05 3.08 (1983) 50
TERLINGUA RCH BREWSTER 1.73 1.00 (2008) 15
THREE RIVERS 8 NE LIVE OAK 3.25 2.75 (2000) 23
VICTORIA RGNL AP VICTORIA 5.97 5.67 (2007) 10
WHEELER WHEELER 3.08 2.10 (2003) 29
WHITSETT LIVE OAK 5.40 3.20 (1968) 46
Lowest Average Daily Temperature (°F)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
ABERNATHY HALE 65.0 65.3 (2005) 10
Highest Average Daily Temperature (°F)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
LONGVIEW E TX RGNL AP GREGG 77.5 75.9 (2003) 11
ROBERT GRAY AAF BELL 81.0 78.1 (1956) 12
CENTER SHELBY 77.5 77.0 (1943) 68
FT HOOD BELL 77.9 75.7 (1962) 12
LAREDO INTL AP WEBB 84.4 84.0 (1959) 26
ATLANTA CASS 75.0 74.4 (1998) 10
HUNTSVILLE WALKER 80.4 79.1 (1996) 95
JEFFERSON MARION 76.2 75.6 (1996) 22
LUFKIN 11 NW ANGELINA 75.3 74.9 (1998) 11
SAM RAYBURN DAM JASPER 77.4 76.8 (1996) 42
WARREN 2 S TYLER 76.7 75.9 (1959) 33
Highest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
LONGVIEW E TX RGNL AP GREGG 90.1 85.9 (2003) 11
ROBERT GRAY AAF BELL 92.0 88.6 (1956) 12
CENTER SHELBY 90.3 90.0 (1943) 70
FT HOOD BELL 88.4 86.1 (1962) 12
CONROE MONTGOMERY CO AP MONTGOMERY 89.3 88.6 (1998) 13
HUNTSVILLE MUNI AP WALKER 88.5 88.4 (2003) 11
LUFKIN ANGELINA CO AP ANGELINA 90.5 90.4 (1996) 91
ATLANTA CASS 87.3 86.8 (1998) 10
CROCKETT HOUSTON 90.4 90.0 (2008) 74
HUNTSVILLE WALKER 90.6 89.3 (1996) 96
JEFFERSON MARION 88.3 87.2 (1998) 22
LIVINGSTON 2 NNE POLK 89.3 88.7 (1996) 71
WACO DAM MCLENNAN 86.8 86.5 (2001) 38
WELDER W'LIFE FOUND SAN PATRICIO 90.3 90.3 (2006) 16
Highest Maximum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
ROBERT GRAY AAF BELL 100 98 (2009) 12
FT HOOD BELL 97 97 (1961) 12
THOMPSONS 3 WSW FORT BEND 101 99 (2003) 46
WARREN 2 S TYLER 97 97 (1937) 33
Lowest Maximum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
FT STOCKTON PECOS AP PECOS 66 66 (1997) 10
HUNTSVILLE MUNI AP WALKER 70 71 (2008) 11
CANDELARIA PRESIDIO 70 72 (1973) 42
CASTOLON BREWSTER 75 75 (1984) 31
DELL CITY 5 SSW HUDSPETH 62 65 (1990) 31
FT HANCOCK 8 SSE HUDSPETH 57 58 (1973) 34
LAJITAS BREWSTER 70 76 (2008) 30
VALENTINE JEFF DAVIS 61 63 (1984) 27
Highest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
ROBERT GRAY AAF BELL 69.9 67.6 (1956) 12
FT HOOD BELL 67.3 66.5 (2007) 12
FT WORTH ALLIANCE AP TARRANT 64.9 64.3 (2006) 10
ATLANTA CASS 62.7 62.4 (2004) 10
HUNTSVILLE WALKER 70.2 69.4 (1927) 103
LA TUNA 1 S EL PASO 64.4 64.4 (2006) 59
SAM RAYBURN DAM JASPER 67.4 67.4 (2003) 42
Highest Minimum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
ROBERT GRAY AAF BELL 79 75 (1957) 12
LAREDO INTL AP WEBB 81 80 (1966) 26
ABERNATHY HALE 68 68 (2000) 10
BROWNFIELD 2 TERRY 69 69 (1965) 55
HART CASTRO 67 66 (1998) 23
JEFFERSON MARION 77 77 (1996) 24
JOE POOL LAKE DALLAS 75 75 (1997) 10
JOHNSON CITY BLANCO 78 77 (1997) 40
LA JOYA HIDALGO 79 79 (2008) 10
LITTLEFIELD LAMB 69 69 (2000) 43
MORTON COCHRAN 69 68 (1996) 44
PLAINVIEW HALE 70 70 (1998) 97
POINT COMFORT CALHOUN 86 82 (1975) 40
TILDEN 4 SSE MCMULLEN 79 79 (1996) 46
Lowest Minimum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
BURNET MUNI AP BURNET 46 46 (2005) 10
ABERNATHY HALE 35 35 (2008) 10
BRACKETTVILLE 22 N KINNEY 42 48 (2008) 11
CASTOLON BREWSTER 44 44 (1982) 28
CHILDRESS 2 CHILDRESS 40 40 (2008) 12
ELGIN BASTROP 44 45 (2005) 47
FT MCKAVETT MENARD 37 37 (2004) 18
HUDSPETH RIVER RANCH VAL VERDE 43 43 (2004) 22
LIPSCOMB LIPSCOMB 29 29 (1967) 44
ROBERT LEE COKE 37 37 (1909) 45
SAN SABA 7 NW SAN SABA 42 42 (2004) 11
SAN ANTONIO/SEAWORLD BEXAR 47 48 (2006) 19
SOMERVILLE DAM BURLESON 43 43 (1971) 45
STILLHOUSE HOLLOW DAM BELL 40 41 (1991) 33

Climatic Averages for June

  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 91.1 110 (1907) 68.5 44 (1919) 3.06 9.60 (1961) 4.35 (1941) 18.7 0.0 6.4 0 442
Amarillo 87.4 108 (1998) 61.1 38 (1917) 3.28 10.73 (1965) 6.15 (1960) 12.8 0.0 8.3 7 285
Austin 90.9 108 (1998) 71.1 51 (1926) 3.81 14.96 (1981) 8.65 (1941) 20.8 0.0 7.5 0 495
Brownsville 90.5 103 (1918) 74.9 56 (1919) 2.93 13.80 (1887) 8.18 (1942) 24.2 0.0 6.6 0 545
College Station 91.7 108 (1901) 71.5 53 (1970) 3.79 15.03 (1905) 6.70 (1905) 20.9 0.0 7.4 0 497
Corpus Christi 90.2 106 (1998) 73.5 56 (1919) 3.53 13.35 (1973) 11.52 (2006) 20.6 0.0 6.7 0 520
Dallas‑Fort Worth 91.1 113 (1980) 70.7 48 (1903) 3.23 11.58 (1928) 4.14 (1928) 20.3 0.0 7.0 0 478
Del Rio 93.7 112 (1988) 72.1 49 (1919) 2.34 13.71 (1935) 8.88 (1935) 24.7 0.0 6.1 0 545
El Paso 95.3 114 (1994) 68.8 46 (1988) 0.87 3.18 (1984) 1.91 (2009) 25.9 0.0 3.5 0 497
Galveston 86.6 99 (1918) 77.8 57 (1903) 4.04 15.49 (1919) 12.56 (1961) 2.8 0.0 8.0 0 515
Houston 90.7 104 (2009) 71.8 52 (1970) 5.35 19.21 (2001) 11.02 (2001) 20.1 0.0 9.7 0 485
Lubbock 90.0 114 (1994) 64.1 39 (1917) 2.98 8.48 (2000) 5.70 (1967) 17.4 0.0 7.4 2 381
Midland 92.7 116 (1994) 66.4 47 (1983) 1.71 5.10 (1940) 3.95 (1940) 21.3 0.0 4.9 0 438
Port Arthur 89.4 106 (1902) 72.3 53 (1903) 6.58 18.90 (1989) 10.20 (1961) 16.6 0.0 9.2 0 480
San Angelo 90.8 110 (1994) 67.6 40 (1912) 2.52 6.01 (1982) 3.88 (1999) 20.0 0.0 6.2 0 442
San Antonio 91.4 107 (1998) 71.6 48 (1919) 4.30 11.95 (1986) 6.30 (1986) 20.6 0.0 7.7 0 505
Victoria 90.3 107 (1934) 73.3 54 (1919) 4.96 13.50 (2004) 9.30 (1977) 20.2 0.0 8.4 0 514
Waco 92.0 109 (1980) 70.6 52 (1964) 3.08 12.06 (1961) 6.40 (1938) 21.9 0.0 7.3 0 497
Wichita Falls 91.7 117 (1980) 67.8 50 (1928) 3.69 8.60 (1989) 5.36 (1985) 19.9 0.0 7.2 0 448
Shreveport, LA 89.8 104 (1936) 69.9 52 (1977) 5.05 17.11 (1989) 8.00 (1902) 17.7 0.0 8.6 0 436
Climatic averages are based on 1971-2000 monthly normals, which are provided by the National Climatic Data Center.
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