WFO San Angelo Climatology

...WEST CENTRAL TEXAS WEATHER SUMMARY FOR 2009...

TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR VARIED FROM ABOVE TO
BELOW NORMAL ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. THIS VARIABILITY
EXTENDED ACROSS INDIVIDUAL COUNTIES. FOR MUCH OF THE
REGION...THE YEARLY AMOUNTS WERE BELOW NORMAL. THE ABOVE
NORMAL AMOUNTS OCCURRED IN SCATTERED AREAS ACROSS THE
NORTHWESTERN CONCHO VALLEY...NORTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU...
SOUTHERN HEARTLAND...AND NORTHWEST HILL COUNTRY.

THE AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE NORMAL.

AT ABILENE REGIONAL AIRPORT...THE ANNUAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR
2009 WAS 65.1 DEGREES. THIS WAS 0.7 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 64.4 DEGREES. TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE
YEAR WAS 21.56 INCHES. THIS WAS 2.22 INCHES BELOW THE NORMAL
ANNUAL PRECIPITATION OF 23.78 INCHES. TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE YEAR
AT ABILENE WAS 6.5 INCHES...UNOFICIALLY. THIS WAS 1.6 INCHES ABOVE
THE NORMAL YEARLY SNOWFALL OF 4.9 INCHES.

AT SAN ANGELO REGIONAL AIRPORT...THE ANNUAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
FOR 2009 WAS 66.8 DEGREES. THIS WAS 2.3 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL
ANNUAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 64.5 DEGREES. TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR
THE YEAR WAS 25.54 INCHES. THIS WAS 4.63 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL
ANNUAL PRECIPITATION OF 20.91 INCHES. TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE YEAR
AT SAN ANGELO WAS 1.7 INCHES. THIS WAS 1.2 INCHES BELOW THE NORMAL
YEARLY SNOWFALL OF 2.9 INCHES.

* wINTER WEATHER *

FOR THE WINTER MONTHS OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY...A WARMER
AND DRIER THAN NORMAL PATTERN PREVAILED. FEBRUARY WAS
THE 4TH WARMEST ON RECORD FOR SAN ANGELO AND 8TH WARMEST
FOR ABILENE. ON JANUARY 22ND...THE COMBINATION OF UNSEASONABLY
WARM TEMPERATURES...SOMEWHAT GUSTY WINDS AND A VERY DRY AIRMASS
RESULTED IN AN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER ACROSS MUCH OF WEST
CENTRAL TEXAS. WITH THESE CONDITIONS...A GRASS FIRE OCCURRED
ABOUT 10 TO 15 MILES NORTH OF ABILENE...IN JONES COUNTY. THIS
FIRE PROMPTED EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS. THE FIRE CONSUMED EIGHT
HOMES...AND ABOUT 20 BARNS AND OUTBUILDINGS.

A WINTER MIX OF PRECIPITATION OCCURRED ON JANUARY 26-27.

THE MAIN WINTER WEATHER EVENTS...HOWEVER...OCCURRED IN DECEMBER.
ABILENE RECORDED ITS 9TH COLDEST DECEMBER. WITH A RATHER ACTIVE
WEATHER PATTERN IN THE EARLY AND LATE PARTS OF DECEMBER...SEVERAL
WINTER PRECIPTATION EVENTS OCCURRED IN WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. THE
ARRIVAL OF A STORM SYSTEM ON DECEMBER 2ND BROUGHT A CHANGE FROM
RAIN TO SNOW ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS UP TO 2
INCHES OCCURRED IN THE ABILENE AREA...AND A FEW LOCATIONS EAST
OF ABILENE RECEIVED 2.5 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW.

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE BROUGHT SNOW TO A LARGE PART OF
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 ON THE 3RD. SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WERE REPORTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE CONCHO
VALLEY...SOUTHERN HEARTLAND...AND INTO SOUTHERN PARTS OF WEST
CENTRAL TEXAS. SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE OCCURRED ACROSS THE BIG
COUNTRY ON DECEMBER 7-8.

A MAJOR WINTER WEATHER EVENT OCCURRED LATE IN DECEMBER...WHEN AN
INTENSIFYING STORM SYSTEM TRACKED FROM NEW MEXICO EAST ACROSS
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. THIS SYSTEM BROUGHT A COMBINATION OF
MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO THE BIG COUNTRY
ON THE 24TH. THIS CREATED WHITEOUT AND NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.
THOSE CONDITIONS ARE VERY RARELY OBSERVED THIS FAR SOUTH IN THE
U.S. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS RANGED FROM 4 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS THE BIG
COUNTRY. FARTHER TO THE SOUTH...SNOWFALL OF 2 INCHES OCCURRED IN
THE NORTHERN HEARTLAND.

ANOTHER SNOW EVENT OCCURRED ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTHERN HALF OF
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS ON THE 29TH...WITH THE APPROACH AND ARRIVAL OF
A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AROUND 1 INCH
OCCURRED ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY...WITH AN INCH OR LESS FARTHER
SOUTH ACROSS PARTS OF THE CONCHO VALLEY AND HEARTLAND.

* SPRING AND SEVERE WEATHER *

THE MORE NOTABLE WEATHER EVENTS FROM MARCH TO JUNE INCLUDED A
FEW HIGH WIND EVENTS...A COUPLE OF HEATBURSTS...AND SEVERAL
SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS.

STRONG GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OCCURRED IN ASSOCIATEION WITH
A VERY POTENT UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WHICH MOVED INTO THE
REGION ON FEBRUARY 10TH. PEAK WIND GUSTS INCLUDED 55 MPH AT SAN
ANGELO...AND 52 MPH AT ABILENE AND JUNCTION. THESE STRONG WINDS
DOWNED SEVERAL POWER LINES IN ABILENE...AND DOWNED SOME TREES IN
SAN ANGELO.

A POTENT UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM AND ARRIVAL OF A COLD FRONT
BROUGHT STRONG GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS TO NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL SECTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...ON APRIL 2ND. PEAK WINDS
REACHED 58 MPH AT SAN ANGELO AND 57 MPH AT ABILENE.

ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM BROUGHT STRONG GUSTY WINDS...WARM AND VERY
DRY AIR ON APRIL 9TH. THE STRONGEST WINDS AFFECTED THE BIG
COUNTRY. PEAK WIND GUSTS REACHED 58 MPH AT ABILENE AND 52 MPH AT
SAN ANGELO. WITH THE COMBINATION OF WINDS...WARM TEMPERATURES AND
VERY DRY AIR...SEVERAL GRASS FIRES OCCURRED ACROSS THE REGION.

VERY STRONG WINDS OCCURRED ACROSS A SMALL PART OF THE CONCHO
VALLEY...FROM BIG LAKE TO SAN ANGELO...ON THE APRIL 26TH. THIS
MAY HAVE BEEN THE RESULT OF SUBSIDING AIR FROM SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TO THE SOUTH...AND POSSIBLY FROM A LOCALIZED
HEATBURST EVENT. HEATBURSTS ARE UNCOMMON WEATHER EVENTS. A PEAK
WIND GUST OF 63 MPH WAS RECORDED AT THE SAN ANGELO REGIONAL
AIRPORT. THESE HIGH WINDS CAUSED MULTIPLE POWER OUTAGES IN THE
SAN ANGELO AREA.

ON JUNE 6TH...A HEATBURST EVENT OCCURRED FROM THE SWEETWATER TO
THE ABILENE AREAS. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED ALONG A
DRYLINE AND MOVED EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN CONCHO VALLEY AND
SOUTHERN BIG COUNTRY. AS THESE STORMS DISSIPATED...THEY PRODUCED
A HEATBURST.  A HEATBURST IS AN UNCOMMON PHENOMENON...ACCOMPANIED
BY A RAPID RISE IN TEMPERATURES AND A RAPID DROP IN RELATIVE
HUMIDITY. A HEATBURST PRODUCES STRONG AND SOMETIMES DAMAGING
WINDS. WITH THIS HEATBURST...WIND GUSTS REACHED 61 MPH AT
SWEETWATER AND 63 MPH AT ABILENE. SOME WIND DAMAGE TO TREES AND
POWER LINES WAS REPORTED IN THE ABILENE AREA.

THE MOST CONCENTRATED SEVERE WEATHER OCCURRED DURING MAY AND
THE FIRST HALF OF JUNE.

ON MAY 1ST...A FEW SUPERCELL SEVERE STORMS DEVELOPED AND MOVED
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ACROSS PARTS OF THE BIG COUNTRY. A TORNADO
WAS REPORTED WITH THE FIRST STORM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OBRIEN
(HASKELL COUNTY) AND 3 MILES NORTH OF RULE. THIS STORM ALSO
PRODUCED VERY LARGE HAIL...FROM BASEBALL TO SOFTBALL SIZE...IN
WESTERN HASKELL COUNTY.

A TORNADO WAS REPORTED FROM ANOTHER STORM 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF
HAMBY (SHACKELFORD COUNTY). GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED FROM
A STORM 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF ROBY (FISHER COUNTY).

A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENT OCCURRED ACROSS THE HEARTLAND
ON MAY 8TH. A LARGE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM...WHICH DEVELOPED
NORTHEAST OF BROWN COUNTY...MAINTAINED ITSELF WHILE CONTINUALLY
DEVELOPING DOWN AN ADVANCING COLD FRONT. THE TRACK OF THIS STORM
WAS TO THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST ACROSS BROWN...NORTHWESTERN SAN SABA
COUNTY AND MCCULLOCH COUNTY.

THIS SUPERCELL STORM MAY HAVE PRODUCED A COUPLE OF TORNADOES
ALONG ITS PATH. THE TOWNS OF BROWNWOOD AND EARLY WERE IMPACTED
BY STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE. IN BROWNWOOD...WIDESPREAD WIND
DAMAGE OCCURRED ACROSS THE EAST-CENTRAL PART OF TOWN. THE DAMAGE
WAS CONSISTENT WITH WINDS OF 80 TO 85 MPH. THE EAST SIDE OF EARLY
ALSO EXPERIENCED WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE. THIS DAMAGE WAS ALSO
CONSISTENT WITH WINDS OF 80 TO 85 MPH. IN SAN SABA COUNTY...
WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH WERE REPORTED 3 MILES WEST OF RICHLAND
SPRINGS. IN MCCULLOCH COUNTY...A WIND GUST OF 62 MPH WAS
MEASURED BY THE WIND EQUIPMENT AT THE BRADY AIRPORT...AND 70 MPH
WINDS WERE REPORTED IN PLACID. LARGE HAIL ALSO ACCOMPANIED THIS
STORM. GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS
ACROSS BROWN COUNTY...AND AT A COUPLE OF LOCATIONS IN MCCULLOCH
COUNTY.

VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING ALSO OCCURRED WITH THIS
LARGE STORM. THE VERY HEAVY RAIN CAUSED FLASH FLOODING OF
ROADS IN THE BROWNWOOD AREA...ALONG WITH THE FLOODING OF SOME
HOMES.

A SEVERE WEATHER EVENT OCCURRED ON JUNE 2ND AFFECTED THE BIG
COUNTRY...ESPECIALLY THE TOWN OF ROBY. A SEVERE STORM OVER
FISHER COUNTY PRODUCED HAIL OF BASEBALL TO SOFTBALL SIZE IN THE
TOWN OF ROBY...ALONG WITH DAMAGING WINDS. THE COMBINATION OF
THIS VERY LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS CAUSED DAMAGE TO MANY
BUILDINGS IN ROBY. QUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN CALLAHAN
COUNTY...AND WIND DAMAGE TO POWER LINES WAS REPORTED JUST WEST
OF MERKEL.

DURING THE EARLY NIGHTTIME HOURS OF THE 2ND...A COMPLEX OF
STRONG STORMS MOVED SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CONCHO VALLEY...
HEARTLAND...AND INTO THE NORTHWEST HILL COUNTRY. THE VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL FROM THESE STORMS CAUSED FLASH FLOODING OF
STREETS IN BROWNWOOD.

A SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN EVENT AFFECTED MAINLY THE
BIG COUNTRY ON JUNE 10TH. NUMEROUS STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY. THE LARGEST
HAIL WAS GOLFBALL SIZE...REPORTED AT A COUPLE OF LOCATIONS.
WINDS TO 70 MPH WERE REPORTED 5 MILES WEST OF HASKELL. AN
ISOLATED SEVERE STORM PRODUCED GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN CROCKETT
COUNTY.

IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE WEATHER...HEAVY RAINFALL FROM THE
STORMS CAUSED FLASH FLOODING OF SOME ROADS IN HASKELL COUNTY.
IN ALL...A TOTAL OF 17 COMBINED SEVERE WEATHER AND FLASH
FLOODING REPORTS WERE RECEIVED FOR THIS EVENT.

A SEVERE WEATHER EVENT OCCURRED ACROSS PARTS OF THE HEARTLAND
AND NORTHWEST HILL COUNTRY ON JUNE 12TH. A CLUSTER OF STORMS
DEVELOPED OVER BROWN COUNTY...AND THEN CONTINUALLY REDEVELOPED
SOUTH-SOUTHWESTWARD INTO MASON COUNTY. IN MCCULLOCH COUNTY...
A ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF OF A HOUSE BY STRONG WINDS IN SOUTHWESTERN
BRADY. HEAVY RAINFALL CAUSED FLASH FLOODING AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS
IN BRADY. IN MASON COUNTY...A LARGE SUPERCELL STORM PRODUCED
TENNIS BALL SIZE HAIL 13 MILES NORTH OF MASON...AND AT KATEMCY.
GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL OCCURRED 10 MILES EAST OF MASON. WITH STRONG
WINDS...A FEW ROOFS WERE BLOWN OFF AND TREE LIMBS WERE BROKEN
IN KATEMCY. IN ALL...A TOTAL OF 20 SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS WERE
RECEIVED FOR THIS EVENT...ALONG WITH ONE FLASH FLOODING REPORT.

A SEVERE WEATHER EVENT AFFECTED AREAS OF THE BIG COUNTRY
ON THE 13...MOSTLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN BIG COUNTRY. A SUPERCELL
STORM PRODUCED A TORNADO IN HASKELL COUNTY...IN THE VICINITY OF
RULE. THE TORNADO WAS ONE QUARTER OF A MILE WIDE AND HAD
A PATH LENGTH OF ABOUT 6 MILES. THIS STRONG TORNADO WAS RATED
EF-2 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE...WITH ESTIMATED WINDS
AROUND 120 MPH. THIS TORNADO CAUSED DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOMES
AND OUTBUILDINGS...IRRIGATION SPRINKLERS AND MANY POWER
POLES. LARGE HAIL...RANGING FROM NICKEL TO HALF DOLLAR SIZE...
WAS ALSO REPORTED IN RULE. A TORNADO WAS ALSO REPORTED 3 MILES
EAST OF STAMFORD (JONES COUNTY). HAIL TO HALF DOLLAR SIZE WAS
REPORTED ON THE EAST SIDE OF ROSCOE (NOLAN COUNTY). A WIND
GUST OF 68 MPH WAS MEASURED BY WIND EQUIPMENT OF A MESONET
STATION 1 MILE NORTHWEST OF HASKELL...BEFORE COMMUNICATION WAS
LOST WITH THE MESONET STATION. A TELEPHONE POLE WAS BLOWN DOWN
AT THIS LOCATION.

* SUMMER WEATHER *

THE 10TH WARMEST SUMMER ON RECORD WAS TIED AT SAN ANGELO.

AFTER AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN IN THE FIRST PART OF JUNE...A
HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM ALOFT EXPANDED FROM TEXAS ACROSS MUCH OF
THE SOUTHERN STATES DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH...AND
DOMINATED THE WEATHER PATTERN. THIS BROUGHT HOT AND DRY WEATHER
TO WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. HIGH TEMPERATURES REACHED OR EXCEEDED
100 DEGREES FOR A NUMBER OF DAYS. THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURES
WERE EXPERIENCED ON JUNE 11-13. AT SAN ANGELO...A RECORD HIGH
TEMPERATURE WAS SET ON THE 13TH. AT ABILENE...A RECORD
TEMPERATURE WAS TIED ON THE 13TH. SAN ANGELO RECORDED ITS 8TH
WARMEST JUNE.

THE WEATHER PATTERN ACROSS THE REGION DURING JULY WAS MOSTLY
INFLUENCED BY TWO ALTERNATING WEATHER REGIMES:  A HIGH PRESSURE
SYSTEM ALOFT...AND A NORTH TO NORTHWESTERLY UPPER LEVEL FLOW
PATTERN. WHEN THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM ALOFT WAS POSITIONED
CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE REGION...HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS OCCURRED.
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS DURING JULY...THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM
SHIFTED TO THE WEST...AND ALLOWED UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES AND
WEAK COLD FRONTS TO MOVE INTO WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. HEAVY AND
BENEFICIAL RAINFALL OCCURRED DURING THOSE OCCASIONS. AS A
RESULT...TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH WAS WELL ABOVE
NORMAL FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...AND SAN ANGELO RECORDED
ITS 9TH WETTEST JULY. 

IN AUGUST...A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM ALOFT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH IN
PROXIMITY TO THE REGION TO HAVE THE MAIN WEATHER INFLUENCE
DURING MOST OF AUGUST. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
OCCURRED ON SEVERAL DAYS DURING AUGUST. ALTHOUGH PRECIPITATION
WAS BELOW NORMAL ACROSS MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS FOR THE
MONTH...ABILENE RECORDED ITS 10TH WETTEST AUGUST.

* AUTUMN WEATHER *

IN THE FALL...A NUMBER OF WET WEATHER EVENTS OCCURRED IN
SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER. IN NOVEMBER...PRECIPTATION WAS BELOW
NORMAL ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. ACROSS THE REGION...
TEMPERATURES AVERAGED BELOW NORMAL IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER...
AND ABOVE NORMAL IN NOVEMBER. ABILENE RECORDED ITS 7TH
COOLEST OCTOBER ON RECORD.

IN SEPTEMBER...A WET WEATHER PERIOD OCCURRED FROM THE 10TH TO
13TH. FROM SEPTEMBER 8-13...RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE IN THE RANGE
OF 3-6 INCHES ACROSS A LARGE AREA IN WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. THE
WIDEPSREAD COVERAGE OF THE RAINFALL DURING THIS TIME FRAME
WAS BENEICIAL TO THE REGION...BRINGING SHORT TERM RELIEF TO
THE AREAS WHICH WERE EXPERIENCING DROUGHT CONDITIONS. THE
WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OF CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION HELD DAYTIME
TEMPERATURES DOWN DURING THIS TIME AS WELL...WHEN HIGHS WERE
IN THE 70S ACROSS MOST OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS ON SEPTEMBER 9-11.

A FEW SEVERE STORMS OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 20-21...ALONG WITH
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

AFTER A PERIOD OF CONSIDERABLY COOLER TEMPERATURES WITH HIGHS
IN THE 70S ON SEPTEMBER 22-24...TEMPERATURES DIPPED INTO THE
MID 40S TO LOWER 50S FOR LOWS ON THE 25TH OF SEPTEMBER.

A WET PERIOD OCCURRED DURING EARLY OCTOBER...WHEN SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN OCCURRED ACROSS WEST CENTRAL
TEXAS. HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE MUCH BELOW NORMAL IN THE 50S...
ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY AND PARTS OF THE HEARTLAND ON OCTOBER
9-11.

LOW TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE 30S ON OCTOBER 31ST...AND A LIGHT
FREEZE OCCURRED AT A FEW LOCATIONS...INCLUDING SAN ANGELO.

DRY WEATHER PREVAILED IN NOVEMBER...WITH THE INFLUENCE OF
SEVERAL HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEMS. ABILENE AND SAN ANGELO BOTH
RECEIVED LESS THAN 0.05 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH.

WITH THE APPROACH AND ARRIVAL OF AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE ON
NOVEMBER 19-20...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1.5 TO 3 INCHES
OCCURRED IN PARTS OF SAN SABA COUNTY.

$$