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Extreme Heat and Tropical Storm Bertha Impacts

Dangerous heat will expand from the Gulf Coast into the Southern Plains and Desert Southwest through week's end. Additional extreme heat impacting the Pacific Northwest will shift to the northern Plains by the weekend. Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to continue to impact portions of the northern Gulf Coast from the western Florida Panhandle to southeastern Louisiana through tonight. Read More >

Quick Shot of Chilly Rain
30-31 December 2012

24-hour radar estimated rainfall ending at 9 am on Monday, 31 December 2012. Click on the image for a larger view.
24-hour radar estimated rainfall ending at 9 am on Monday, 31 December 2012. Click on the image for a larger view. A regional view of the radar estimated rainfall for this same period can be FOUND HERE.
 

A quick moving storm system combined with increasing moisture and temperatures in the 30s to bring a chilly rain to much of the South Plains region to close out 2012. The precipitation fell during the late evening hours of the 30th (Sunday) and early morning hours of the 31st (Monday). As the above and below maps show, nearly everyone experienced a little precipitation.  The heaviest rain, from 1/3 to over 1/2 of an inch, fell in a southwest to northeast swath across the South Plains.

In addition, the temperature did fall to or just below the freezing mark across parts of the western South Plains into the southwest Texas Panhandle. These cold temperatures allowed a little freezing rain, sleet and snow to develop, though accumulations were very light and resulted in minimal travel difficulties.

 
 
Rainfall totals from the end of the year cold rain event. Reports are courtesy of the West Texas Mesonet.