Weekly Climate Summary 10/25/2021
The past two weeks in Texas weather saw dry conditions in the west and north, wetter conditions to the east, and very wet conditions directly south of Austin and Travis County. The Panhandle and Big Bend Region saw the least amount of precipitation over this period at 0-0.5”. Presidio County and Brewster County were the exceptions in these regions as these two counties saw precipitation up to 4” in some areas. The Prairies and Lakes Region was wetter during this period with most of the counties in this region recording 1-3” of precipitation. The South Texas Plains and Piney Woods Region had some counties record 0.1-1” of precipitation, while some counties recorded 1-3” of precipitation. The wettest area in the state during this week was the region directly south of Travis County. This region recorded 6-9” of precipitation over this period. Specifically, Gonzales County, Wilson County, Guadalupe County, and Bexar County saw the most precipitation in the state recording up to 9”.
The past two weeks in Texas weather saw above-average temperatures across the state. To the west saw slightly lower temperature departure in the Panhandle and around the Edwards Plateau. These regions experienced temperatures 0-2 °F above the normal. In the Big Bend Region, as well as to the east in the Prairies and Lakes Region, the northern Piney Woods Region, and the Gulf Coast, temperature departure was higher at 2-4 °F above the normal. The southern Piney Woods Region and South Texas Plains saw the highest temperature departure in the state at 4-6 °F above the normal. Specifically, Angelina County recorded the highest departure at 8 °F above the long-term mean.
Looking specifically at the week of October 18th, 2021, through October 24th, 2021, Texas weather saw dry conditions across the state. For the majority of the state precipitation averaged less than 0.1”. In the South Texas Plains, precipitation was slightly higher with areas experiencing 0.25-1”. Furthermore, areas along the Gulf Coast also experienced increased precipitation at 0.25-1.5”. Outside of these regions, Hopkins County in the Piney Woods region recorded 3-3.5”, while Presidio County and Brewster County in the Big Bend region recorded 3.5-4”. The remainder of the state saw less than 0.1” of precipitation.
Looking specifically at the week of October 18th, 2021, through October 24th, 2021, Texas weather saw warmer than normal temperatures across the state. Central Texas around the Edwards Plateau, The South Texas Plains, The Gulf Coast, and The Piney Woods Region saw temperatures 0-4 °F warmer than the normal. Counties in these regions such as Kimble, Live Oak, Henderson, and Harrison experienced a negative temperature departure at 0-2 °F cooler than the normal, however, these were the only areas in the state which saw negative departure. The remainder of the state including along the Rio Grande River, The Big Bend Region, The Panhandle, and the Prairies and Lakes Region saw higher positive temperature departure. These regions saw temperatures 4-8 °F warmer than normal. Borden County and Lubbock County saw the warmest temperature departure in the state at 8-10 °F above the normal.
During the week of October 11th, 2021, through October 18th, 2021, a cold front developed and passed through the state. At 00 UTC on October 15th, a couple of low-pressure zones were observed on either side of the panhandle with a cold front stretching between them. Throughout the next 30 hours, the front made its way across the state and had passed all the way through by 06 UTC on October 16th. The front brought physically cooler temperatures across the state with temperatures reaching the low 50’s and 60’s during the first weekend of this period.
Another important development looking forward is the development of La Nina conditions in the Pacific. The Climate Prediction Center issued their La Nina Advisory stating that there is an 87% chance of La Nina conditions from December 2021-February 2022. For Texas, this would mean dryer weather and warmer temperatures this upcoming winter.
