Texas Climate Report: February 2014

With the help of a strong stationary pattern in the jet stream, powerful cold fronts, with arctic air in tow, dropped temperatures down well below normal for the eastern portions of the state. Near record low temperatures were recorded all over the state, and winter weather events occurred as far south as Houston and San Antonio. In stark contrast to last year's "Year with no winter," several northern cities, such as Lubbock, Amarillo, Dallas, Wichita Falls, and Waco, never climbed above 65 degrees for the whole month. Precipitation with the cold fronts was light, and the whole state, save far southeast Texas, saw a less than normal month for precipitation. This allowed the drought to expand over much of the state, and for areas where it was already bad, such as the Panhandle, only saw it get worse.

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	57.5	‑3.0	86	31.9	‑4.8	11	44.7	‑3.9	5	0.49	36%	0.34	565	5
Amarillo	52.2	‑2.0	77	23.2	‑3.2	1	37.7	‑2.6	5	0.36	64%	0.16	755	0
Austin	66.5	+1.3	86	43.3	‑1.5	26	54.9	‑0.1	4	0.38	19%	0.15	313	38
Brownsville	71.8	‑1.9	87	53.0	‑1.7	34	62.4	‑1.8	3	0.08	7%	0.04	166	99
College Station	62.2	‑2.6	83	42.5	‑1.9	26	52.4	‑2.2	8	0.89	31%	0.32	368	21
Corpus Christi	69.6	‑0.8	91	48.6	‑1.9	31	59.1	‑1.4	8	0.24	12%	0.11	232	75
Dallas‑Fort Worth	57.5	‑2.9	84	36.4	‑3.0	17	46.9	‑3.0	5	0.41	15%	0.17	498	0
Del Rio	70.4	+1.8	92	43.7	‑1.3	25	57.0	+0.2	2	0.22	25%	0.19	260	45
El Paso	69.3	+6.2	83	44.1	+7.0	20	56.7	+6.6	0	0.00	0%	0.00	232	7
Galveston	60.7	‑3.6	77	48.1	‑2.8	36	54.4	‑3.2	5	1.69	66%	0.43	295	7
Houston	64.0	‑2.3	80	45.4	‑1.1	29	54.7	‑1.7	11	2.39	75%	0.70	315	34
Lubbock	57.4	‑1.5	87	27.6	‑2.5	7	42.5	‑2.0	3	0.16	21%	0.12	624	0
Midland	62.9	+0.5	85	33.6	‑0.9	13	48.3	‑0.2	2	0.26	37%	0.24	462	2
Port Arthur	63.6	‑1.7	79	45.3	‑1.2	28	54.4	‑1.5	8	5.45	152%	2.02	313	24
San Angelo	65.0	+1.5	89	33.9	‑3.1	16	49.4	‑0.9	1	0.06	4%	0.06	432	3
San Antonio	69.2	+2.3	92	46.0	+1.8	29	57.6	+2.0	5	0.42	23%	0.13	261	62
Victoria	66.9	‑1.2	85	45.9	‑0.5	30	56.4	‑0.9	8	0.52	25%	0.21	288	55
Waco	60.1	‑1.7	84	35.5	‑4.3	20	47.8	‑3.0	5	0.46	17%	0.22	473	0
Wichita Falls	52.6	‑5.7	82	28.9	‑4.6	11	40.7	‑5.2	3	0.35	20%	0.23	673	0
Shreveport, LA	58.0	‑3.5	80	37.5	‑2.2	24	47.8	‑2.8	8	2.62	55%	0.60	482	6
Dep.: Departure of the monthly average temperature from the 1981-2010 monthly normal, which is provided by the National Climatic Data Center. Perc. Norm.: Monthly precipitation total divided by 1981-2010 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
EL PASO INTL AP	EL PASO	0.00
HUMBLE PUMP STN 5 WN	SUTTON	0.00
LAKE ABILENE STATE PARK	TAYLOR	0.00
LOCKHART 2 SW	CALDWELL	0.00
LONDON 3 N	MENARD	0.00
MARFA MUNI AP	PECOS	0.00
MT LOCKE	JEFF DAVIS	0.00
PAINT ROCK	CONCHO	0.00
RIO GRANDE VILLAGE	BREWSTER	0.00
TERLINGUA	BREWSTER	0.00
WATER VALLEY	TOM GREEN	0.00
Greatest Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches)
Station	County	Value
BAYTOWN	HARRIS	5.84
Greatest Precipitation in 24 Hours (inches)
Station	County	Value
LAMESA 1 SSE	DAWSON	3.00
Lowest Average Daily Temperature (°F)
Station	County	Value
LIPSCOMB	LIPSCOMB	30.7
Highest Average Daily Temperature (°F)
Station	County	Value
MCALLEN MILLER INTL AP	HIDALGO	62.5
Lowest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F)
Station	County	Value
PERRYTON	OCHILTREE	44.4
Highest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F)
Station	County	Value
PRESIDIO 2	PRESIDIO	77.8
Highest Maximum Temperature (°F)
Station	County	Value
HONDO MUNI AP	MEDINA	95
Lowest Maximum Temperature (°F)
Station	County	Value
PAMPA 2	GRAY	5
Lowest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station	County	Value
BRAVO	HARTLEY	16.4
Highest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station	County	Value
PORT ISABEL CAMERON AP	CAMERON	53.9
Highest Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station	County	Value
PORT ISABEL CAMERON AP	CAMERON	72
Lowest Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station	County	Value
BRAVO	HARTLEY	-1
BUSHLAND 1 WSW	POTTER	-1
GRUVER	HANSFORD	-1
PERRYTON	OCHILTREE	-1

New Monthly Records

Least Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches)
Station	County	Value	Previous Record	Yrs. Data
BURNET MUNI AP	BURNET	0.01	0.07 (2008)	15
DENTON MUNI AP	DENTON	0.39	0.46 (1999)	14
ELDORADO	SCHLEICHER	0.05	0.23 (2008)	11
EL PASO INTL AP	EL PASO	0.00	0.00 (2009)	72
FT WORTH ALLIANCE AP	TARRANT	0.31	0.55 (2007)	15
HUMBLE PUMP STN 5 WN	SUTTON	0.00	0.00 (2012)	58
LAKE ABILENE STATE PARK	TAYLOR	0.00	0.00 (1999)	43
LOCKHART 2 SW	CALDWELL	0.00	0.00 (2007)	18
LONDON 3 N	MENARD	0.00	0.00 (2007)	11
MT LOCKE	JEFF DAVIS	0.00	0.00 (2013)	77
PAINT ROCK	CONCHO	0.00	0.00 (2001)	83
SAN ANGELO WFO	TOM GREEN	0.07	0.33 (2013)	13
TERLINGUA	BREWSTER	0.00	0.00 (2011)	10
WATER VALLEY	TOM GREEN	0.00	0.00 (1999)	60
Greatest Precipitation in 24 Hours Ever in the Month (inches)
Station	County	Value	Previous Record	Yrs. Data
LAMESA 1 SSE	DAWSON	3.00	1.70 (1911)	100
SCOTLAND	ARCHER	2.50	1.75 (2012)	15
Highest Maximum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F)
Station	County	Value	Previous Record	Yrs. Data
EL PASO INTL AP	EL PASO	83	83 (2009)	72
FT DAVIS	JEFF DAVIS	86	85 (1904)	34
KENT 8 SE	JEFF DAVIS	83	82 (2011)	15
MT LOCKE	JEFF DAVIS	79	79 (2009)	65
PERSIMMON GAP	BREWSTER	94	94 (2008)	30
PLAINVIEW WATER PRODUCTION	HALE	83	83 (2011)	13
Lowest Maximum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F)
Station	County	Value	Previous Record	Yrs. Data
BALLINGER 2 NW	RUNNELS	20	20 (1951)	106
BUSHLAND 1 WSW	POTTER	6	7 (2011)	13
CANYON	RANDALL	6	9 (2011)	57
CLARENDON	DONLEY	10	10 (1929)	94
FREER	DUVAL	36	36 (1973)	37
HUNT 10 W	KERR	28	28 (2011)	14
PAMPA 2	GRAY	5	6 (1982)	49
TURKEY	HALL	16	16 (2011)	39
Lowest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station	County	Value	Previous Record	Yrs. Data
ARLINGTON MUNI AP	TARRANT	34.5	34.8 (2010)	15
ASPERMONT	STONEWALL	25.9	26.4 (1978)	51
DENTON MUNI AP	DENTON	31.2	31.6 (2010)	17
FT WORTH ALLIANCE AP	TARRANT	31.1	31.5 (2002)	17
JAYTON	KENT	24.3	24.4 (2011)	38
LAKE ALAN HENRY	GARZA	26.5	27.5 (2011)	20
TERRELL MUNI AP	KAUFMAN	35.4	36.2 (2010)	14
Highest Minimum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F)
Station	County	Value	Previous Record	Yrs. Data
CANYON DAM 2	COMAL	64	63 (2009)	11
EL PASO INTL AP	EL PASO	58	58 (1990)	72
KENT 8 SE	JEFF DAVIS	60	59 (2011)	16
LANGTRY	VAL VERDE	63	63 (2011)	41
Lowest Minimum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F)
Station	County	Value	Previous Record	Yrs. Data
BRACKETTVILLE 22 N	KINNEY	21	23 (2010)	14

Climatic Averages for March

	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	68.6	98 (1916)	44.1	9 (1948)	1.74	5.16 (1979)	2.78 (1943)	0.6	3.6	6.0	298	29
Amarillo	62.5	96 (1907)	33.3	‑3 (1948)	1.39	4.14 (2000)	3.13 (1922)	0.1	13.0	6.0	532	2
Austin	72.2	98 (1971)	51.3	18 (1948)	2.76	7.54 (2006)	3.46 (2006)	0.2	0.6	9.2	162	61
Brownsville	78.9	106 (1984)	59.6	28 (1901)	1.23	6.46 (1903)	5.38 (2007)	1.0	0.0	4.4	43	174
College Station	71.7	96 (1946)	51.0	17 (2002)	3.17	8.66 (2012)	4.20 (1980)	0.1	0.9	8.3	172	59
Corpus Christi	75.9	102 (1989)	56.3	24 (1980)	1.89	7.69 (1903)	4.66 (1903)	0.7	0.2	5.3	81	115
Dallas‑Fort Worth	68.2	100 (1916)	47.0	10 (1943)	3.49	7.39 (2002)	4.43 (2002)	0.2	1.8	7.8	261	32
Del Rio	76.2	103 (1928)	52.1	19 (1922)	1.14	3.48 (2004)	2.33 (1935)	2.0	0.6	5.4	114	87
El Paso	70.3	93 (1907)	42.9	14 (1971)	0.26	2.26 (1958)	1.32 (1883)	0.0	2.5	2.4	270	10
Galveston	70.2	87 (2008)	56.6	26 (1980)	3.16	9.49 (1973)	8.10 (1973)	0.0	0.0	6.6	103	53
Houston	73.0	96 (1946)	52.5	21 (1943)	3.41	10.66 (1922)	7.47 (1972)	0.0	0.6	8.8	141	71
Lubbock	66.7	95 (1989)	37.0	‑2 (1922)	1.10	5.94 (2007)	1.98 (2007)	0.3	8.6	5.0	415	7
Midland	70.2	97 (1946)	41.0	9 (1980)	0.60	2.86 (1970)	2.20 (1970)	0.4	4.7	3.6	307	16
Port Arthur	71.8	95 (1946)	52.2	23 (2002)	3.53	10.21 (1949)	6.04 (1979)	0.0	0.5	7.4	148	55
San Angelo	71.1	98 (1908)	44.4	8 (1980)	1.50	5.00 (1953)	4.65 (1953)	0.6	3.5	5.6	257	33
San Antonio	73.5	100 (1991)	50.8	19 (2002)	2.31	7.24 (2007)	3.59 (1992)	0.4	1.0	8.8	154	65
Victoria	74.2	98 (1939)	52.5	21 (2002)	2.77	11.61 (1997)	5.04 (1997)	0.2	0.7	7.1	125	74
Waco	69.2	100 (1971)	47.1	15 (1948)	3.15	9.76 (2007)	6.17 (2012)	0.1	1.8	8.3	246	34
Wichita Falls	67.0	100 (1971)	41.2	6 (1948)	2.20	6.29 (1999)	4.32 (1988)	0.7	4.9	6.7	357	19
Shreveport, LA	69.5	92 (1974)	46.3	15 (1943)	4.14	11.99 (1945)	5.43 (1945)	0.0	1.9	9.2	251	31
Climatic averages are based on 1981-2010 monthly normals, which are provided by the National Climatic Data Center.