WFO San Angelo Climatology

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
859 PM CST WED JAN 9 2008

...WEST CENTRAL TEXAS WEATHER SUMMARY FOR 2007...

TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR WAS ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS WEST
CENTRAL TEXAS...ESPECIALLY FOR EASTERN SECTIONS. THE YEARLY
PRECIPITATION RANGED FROM 20 TO 25 INCHES ACROSS THE AREA FROM
NORTHERN CROCKETT COUNTY INTO STERLING COUNTY...TO OVER 40 INCHES
ACROSS AREAS OF THE HEARTLAND AND NORTHWEST HILL COUNTRY...AND
ACROSS SCATTERED POCKETS IN NOLAN...RUNNELS...AND COLEMAN COUNTIES.
FOR SOME LOCATIONS...THE 2007 PRECIPITATION WAS OVER 150 PERCENT OF
NORMAL.

WITH A VERY ACTIVE PATTERN AND WELL ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION...
A NUMBER OF PRECIPITATION RECORDS WERE ESTABLISHED IN 2007. ABILENE
RECORDED ITS 7TH WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD WHILE SAN ANGELO RECORDED
ITS 11TH WETTEST YEAR. IN ADDITION...ABILENE RECORDED ITS 3RD
WETTEST SUMMER SEASONAL PRECIPITATION. SAN ANGELO RECORDED ITS
ALL-TIME WETTEST SUMMER SEASONAL PRECIPITATION AND 4TH WETTEST
SPRING.

ABILENE RECORDED ITS 3RD WETTEST MARCH...6TH WETTEST JUNE...AND
4TH WETTEST AUGUST. IN ADDITION...ABILENE RECEIVED ITS 3RD HIGHEST
NOVEMBER SNOWFALL ON RECORD. SAN ANGELO RECORDED ITS 3RD WETTEST
MARCH...5TH WETTEST JUNE...AND 7TH WETTEST AUGUST.

THE AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE WAS SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL. ABILENE
RECORDED ITS 8TH COOLEST SUMMER SEASONAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE...
ALONG WITH ITS 8TH COOLEST APRIL AND 4TH COOLEST JULY MONTHLY
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. SAN ANGELO RECORDED ITS 3RD COOLEST SUMMER
SEASONAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE...ALONG WITH ITS 2ND COOLEST JULY
AND 8TH COOLEST JANUARY MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURES.

AT ABILENE REGIONAL AIRPORT...THE ANNUAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR
2007 WAS 63.9 DEGREES. THIS WAS 0.5 DEGREES BELOW THE NORMAL AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE OF 64.4 DEGREES. TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR WAS
35.84 INCHES. THIS WAS 12.06 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL ANNUAL
PRECIPITATION OF 23.78 INCHES. THIS MARKS THE 7TH WETTEST YEAR ON
RECORD FOR ABILENE. TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE YEAR AT ABILENE WAS 7.6
INCHES. THIS WAS 2.7 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL YEARLY SNOWFALL OF
4.9 INCHES.

AT SAN ANGELO REGIONAL AIRPORT...THE ANNUAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR
2007 WAS 64.4 DEGREES. THIS WAS 0.1 DEGREES BELOW THE NORMAL ANNUAL
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 64.5 DEGREES. TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR
WAS 32.05 INCHES. THIS WAS 11.14 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL ANNUAL
PRECIPITATION OF 20.91 INCHES. THIS MARKS THE 11TH WETTEST YEAR ON
RECORD FOR SAN ANGELO. TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE YEAR AT SAN ANGELO WAS
2.8 INCHES. THIS WAS 0.1 INCHES BELOW THE NORMAL YEARLY SNOWFALL OF
2.9 INCHES.


*ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION*

THE ABUNDANT PRECIPITATION WHICH OCCURRED IN 2007 WAS BENEFICIAL TO
AREA CROPS (ESPECIALLY HAY AND COTTON). THIS WAS ALSO BENEFICIAL
TO NATIVE GRASSES ACROSS THE REGION...WHICH EHNANCED THEIR GROWTH.
SURFACE WATER SUPPLIES WERE ABLE TO CATCH SOME RUNOFF AND KEEP
RESPECTABLE LEVELS DURING THE YEAR. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY THE CASE
ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY. MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR
OCCURRED BETWEEN JANUARY AND AUGUST. THE PERCENTAGE OF THE YEAR
2007 PRECIPITATION WHICH OCCURRED FROM JANUARY THROUGH AUGUST
WAS 87 PERCENT AT ABILENE AND 86 PERCENT AT SAN ANGELO. A CHANGE
TO A DRIER PATTERN DEVELOPED DURING SEPTEMBER AND CONTINUED TO THE
END OF THE YEAR.


*WINTER WEATHER*

A FEW SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER EVENTS OCCURRED IN 2007. AN ICE
STORM OCCURRED ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS ON
JANUARY 12TH-14TH. THE GREATEST ICE ACCUMULATIONS AFFECTED THE BIG
COUNTRY. A SNOW EVENT OCCURRED ACROSS SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL SECTIONS
OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS ON JANUARY 16TH AND 17TH. THE HIGHEST SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS FOR THIS EVENT (3-5 INCHES) AFFECTED SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. A SNOWFALL EVENT IN EARLY FEBRUARY BROUGHT 3-4
INCHES TO HASKELL AND THROCKMORTON COUNTIES.

A VERY UNUSUAL LATE SEASON WINTER WEATHER EVENT WITH UNSEASONABLY
COLD AIR OCCURRED ON EASTER WEEKEND. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE
INTERACTED WITH AN UNSEASONABLY COLD AIRMASS AND BROUGHT MIXED
WINTER PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION. THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOSTLY IN
THE FORM OF SNOW ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY AND NORTHERN HEARTLAND...
WHILE A MIX OF SLEET...SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN OCCURRED FARTHER SOUTH.
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OCCURRED ACROSS MUCH OF THE BIG
COUNTRY...WHILE AN AREA OF 3 TO 6 INCH SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OCCURRED
ACROSS COLEMAN AND BROWN COUNTIES. THE HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 36
DEGREES AT ABILENE AND 38 DEGREES AT SAN ANGELO ESTABLISHED NEW
RECORDS FOR THE COLDEST DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES EVER RECORDED IN
APRIL.

A COUPLE OF SNOW EVENTS AFFECTED THE NORTHERN PART OF WEST CENTRAL
TEXAS IN LATE NOVEMBER (OVER THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY WEEKEND). AN
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE BROUGHT A BAND OF SNOW TO THE BIG COUNTRY
ON THANKSGIVING DAY (NOVEMBER 22ND). SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WERE GENERALLY
IN THE 2 TO 4 INCH RANGE...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES
IN NOLAN COUNTY. A SECOND STORM SYSTEM ON NOVEMBER 25TH BROUGHT 2
TO 4 INCHES ACROSS AREAS OF THE BIG COUNTRY. FISHER AND NOLAN
COUNTIES RECEIVED THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS IN THE 4 TO 7 INCH RANGE.

THE COLEST TEMPERATURE FOR THE YEAR AT ABILENE WAS 16 DEGREES ON
FEBRUARY 16TH. AT SAN ANGELO...THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE FOR THE YEAR
WAS 16 DEGREES...ON FEBRUARY 16TH AND DECEMBER 23RD.


*SEVERE WEATHER*

THE VERY ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN IN 2007 NOT ONLY BROUGHT HEAVY RAIN
AND FLOODING...BUT ALSO A NUMBER OF SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS. ONE OF
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OCCURRED ON MAY 2ND. AN UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE AND RETURNING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO
LED TO A ROUND OF WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE LATE
MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS. THE STORMS PRODUCED DAMAGING WINDS OF
65 TO 80 MPH AND A FEW WEAK TORNADOES IN A SWATH ABOUT 50 MILES
WIDE...FROM STERLING CITY TO BROWNWOOD. THE STORMS ALSO PRODUCED
LARGE HAIL FROM NICKEL TO QUARTER SIZE. A TOTAL OF 28 SEVERE WEATHER
REPORTS WERE RECEIVED FOR THIS EVENT.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS OCCURRED IN MARCH...APRIL...
AND JUNE. A TOTAL OF 35 SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOODING REPORTS WERE
RECEIVED FROM AN EVENT ON MARCH 30TH. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SEVERE
WEATHER EVENTS IN APRIL OCCURRED ON THE 23RD AND 24TH...29TH AND
30TH. IN JUNE...SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS OCCURRED ON THE 1ST THROUGH
3RD...14TH TO 17TH...AND 20TH. ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER OCCURRED
BETWEEN JUNE 24TH AND 29TH.


*SUMMER WEATHER*

A COUPLE OF NOTEWORTHY TEMPERATURE STATISTICS WERE REACHED AT SAN
ANGELO AND ABILENE. FOR BOTH LOCATIONS...A NEW RECORD DATE WAS SET
FOR THE LATEST IN THE YEAR TO FIRST REACH OR EXCEED 90 DEGREES. IN
SAN ANGELO...THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 93 DEGREES ON MAY 30TH MARKED
THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF 90 DEGREES OR GREATER FOR THE YEAR. THIS
SURPASSED THE PREVIOUS RECORD DATE OF MAY 28...1977 FOR THIS RECORD.
AT ABILENE...THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 91 DEGREES ON JUNE 5TH MARKED
THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF 90 DEGREES OR GREATER FOR THE YEAR. THIS
SURPASSED THE PREVIOUS RECORD DATE OF MAY 31...1900 FOR THIS RECORD.

FOR BOTH ABILENE AND SAN ANGELO...THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURE FOR THE
YEAR 2007 WAS BELOW 100 DEGREES. THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURE FOR THE
YEAR WAS 97 DEGREES AT ABILENE ON AUGUST 14TH...AND 98 DEGREES AT
SAN ANGELO ON AUGUST 9TH...11TH...12TH...AND 13TH. IT IS A RARE
OCCURRENCE FOR THE HOTTEST ANNUAL TEMPERATURE TO STAY BELOW 100
DEGREES IN WEST-CENTRAL TEXAS. AT SAN ANGELO...ONLY TWO YEARS (1950
AND 1976) PRIOR TO 2007 HAD ANNUAL MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES LESS THAN
100 DEGREES. AT ABILENE...FIVE YEARS (1890...1961...1968...1975...
AND 1992) PRIOR TO 2007 HAD ANNUAL MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES LESS THAN
100 DEGREES.

THE SUMMER MONTHS (JUNE...JULY...AND AUGUST) WERE UNUSUALLY WET AND
COOLER THAN NORMAL FOR WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. THE HOT AND DRY
PATTERN...WHICH USUALLY OCCURS DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS IN WEST
CENTRAL TEXAS...NEVER BECAME ESTABLISHED IN 2007. A NUMBER OF
WEATHER SYSTEMS AFFECTED THE REGION DURING THE SUMMER...AND WERE
OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY RAINFALL. THIS COMBINED WITH A HIGHER
AMOUNT OF CLOUD COVER HELPED TO KEEP TEMPERATURES CONSISTENTLY
BELOW NORMAL.

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AND FLOODING EVENT OCCURRED WITH THE
REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM ERIN IN AUGUST (AUGUST 17TH AND 18TH).
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 9 INCHES OCCURRED ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY...
PARTS OF THE CONCHO VALLEY AND NORTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU. THE
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL CAUSED WIDESPREAD FLASH FLOODING OF STREETS IN
SAN ANGELO AND ABILENE. NUMEROUS ROADS ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
WERE FLOODED AT TIMES. THE AREAS WHICH EXPERIENCED THE WORST
FLOODING INCLUDED ABILENE...MERKEL...BUFFALO GAP...HAMLIN...LAKE
ABILENE...FORT PHANTOM LAKE...AND ROSCOE.


*AUTUMN WEATHER*

A CHANGE IN THE OVERALL PATTERN RESULTED IN MUCH DRIER CONDITIONS
FOR WEST CENTRAL TEXAS DURING THE AUTUMN MONTHS AND DECEMBER.
PRECIPITATION EVENTS WERE LESS WIDESPREAD. SEVERAL WARM AND DRY
EPISODES OCCURRED. AS THE VEGETATION BECAME DRY...A FEW GRASS
FIRES OCCURRED ON A FEW DAYS WHERE GUSTY WINDS WERE COMBINED WITH
VERY DRY AIR.

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