Texas Climate Report: August 2021

Highlights

The month of August 2021 was cooler than normal for the majority of the state. Across the state, temperatures were 1-3 degrees below the normal. Precipitation accumulation was between 1-4 inches for most of the state. For most of the state, precipitation was 3 inches less or more than normal. Drought conditions continued to remain steady for the majority of the state.

Severe Weather

Over the course of the month, several storm systems moved across the Panhandle. These storm systems brought wind speeds which were recorded between 58-72 mph around the Amarillo area. Furthermore, these systems brought several hail events to the region. On August 1st, in Tarrant County, a storm system caused several reports of golf ball-sized hail. On August 2nd a waterspout tornado was seen moving onshore of Galveston Island. On August 12th, airborne debris was reported in Harris county with significant structural damage to telephone lines caused in the area.

Precipitation

Precipitation was relatively normal in much of the state. Almost all counties experienced precipitation within the range of 1.5-3 inches more or less than the normal. Starting in the Big Bend region, moving across central Texas and the Edwards Plateau, then moving northeast through the Prairie and Lakes region and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex saw a strip of above-average precipitation. Furthermore, the southwestern border of Texas and Mexico also saw above-average precipitation. Elsewhere across the state saw precipitation below average. Hudspeth and Culberson county in western Texas saw the greatest increase in precipitation compared to the normal at 7.5 inches.

Total precipitation accumulation across the majority of the state was between 1-4 inches. The Edwards Plateau region, Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and central Piney Wood region saw increased precipitation from 5-7 inches. The southern tip of the state saw the least amount of accumulation with some areas recording 0.1 inches. Hudspeth and Culberson County both saw the greatest accumulation at 7-8 inches.

Drought

Most of the state of Texas is experiencing no drought conditions at this time of year. Some areas in the Big Bend region as well as the Panhandle are experiencing abnormally dry conditions. Presidio and Brewster are experiencing the worst dry conditions as the southern portion of these county’s are classified as being in a moderate drought.

As for change, drought conditions saw minimal differences. Although not abundant, some counties in the Big Bend region and Edwards Plateau area saw class 1 drought improvement. However, the majority of Presidio and Brewster counties saw no change. The reverse was seen in the Panhandle where scarce areas of class 1 degradation were seen.

Temperature

August 2021 was a generally cooler month than normal. Across the majority of the state, temperatures were seen to be 1-2 degrees cooler than the normal. The southern portion of the Piney Woods region and the eastern Gulf coast, the panhandle, and the northwest area of the South Plains were some of the only areas with temperatures above the normal at 1-3 degrees warmer. Hudspeth and Culberson's county saw the greatest extreme difference from the normal at 4 degrees cooler. As for the actual temperature, most of the state averaged around 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit. The western side of the state had lower average temperatures between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Outlook

The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) released its September precipitation and temperature outlook on the 31st of August. In the southeast United States, the CPC indicated a region with a 40-50% probability of below-average temperatures. Part of this region includes the southeastern tip of the Piney Woods region of Texas. As for the rest of the state, no prediction was issued. As for precipitation, along the Gulf Coast and up through the piney woods the CPC issued a 33-50% probability of above-normal precipitation in the state. Furthermore, in the western corner of the state around El Paso, a similar pocket of above-normal precipitation was indicated at 33-40%.