WFO San Angelo Climatology

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
1024 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2007

...8TH COOLEST APRIL ON RECORD FOR ABILENE...

AT ABILENE REGIONAL AIRPORT...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR APRIL
WAS 60.8 DEGREES. THIS WAS 3.8 DEGREES BELOW THE NORMAL AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE OF 64.6 DEGREES. THIS  MARKS THE 8TH COOLEST APRIL
ON RECORD FOR ABILENE. TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR APRIL WAS 2.14
INCHES. THIS WAS 0.47 INCHES ABOVE THE MONTHLY NORMAL OF 1.67
INCHES.

AT SAN ANGELO REGIONAL AIRPORT...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR
APRIL WAS 62.7 DEGREES. THIS WAS 2.3 DEGREES BELOW THE NORMAL
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 65.0 DEGREES. TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR
APRIL WAS 2.66 INCHES. THIS WAS 1.06 INCHES ABOVE THE MONTHLY
NORMAL OF 1.60 INCHES.


APRIL 2007 WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS...

APRIL WAS NOTED FOR A RATHER ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN ACROSS
THE REGION. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENTS INCLUDED
A VERY UNUSUAL LATE SEASON WINTER WEATHER EVENT ON EASTER
WEEKEND...A LIGHT FREEZE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH...AND
SEVERAL SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS.

** WINTER WEATHER EVENT **

A VERY UNUSUAL WEATHER EVENT WITH UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR AND
WINTER WEATHER OCCURRED ON EASTER WEEKEND. WINTER WEATHER
EVENTS ARE A RARE OCCURRENCE IN THIS REGION DURING APRIL.
AFTER A WARM PERIOD AT THE START OF APRIL WHERE HIGH
TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE 80S...AN ABRUPT CHANGE WAS
BROUGHT ABOUT BY A SIGNIFICANT PATTERN CHANGE ACROSS THE
NORTHERN PLAINS...MIDWEST AND GREAT LAKES. UNSEASONABLY COLD
AIR DEVELOPED ACROSS THESE REGIONS. A STRONG HIGH PRESSURE
SYSTEM DROPPED SOUTH FROM CANADA AND PUSHED THIS COLD AIR
SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS STATES AND INTO TEXAS.

TEMPERATURES DROPPED INTO THE 30 TO 35 DEGREE RANGE ACROSS
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS BY THE EARLY MORNING OF SATURDAY...APRIL
7TH. THE TEMPERATURES HELD STEADY OR DROPPED A FEW DEGREES
DURING THE DAY SATURDAY...AND REMAINED IN THE UPPER 20S TO
LOWER 30S SATURDAY NIGHT. AT THE SAME TIME...AN UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE APPROACHED TEXAS FROM SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO...AND
INTERACTED WITH THE COLD AND MOIST AIR IN THE REGION. THIS
BROUGHT A FEW ROUNDS OF MIXED WINTER PRECIPITATION TO THE
AREA. THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOSTLY IN THE FORM OF SNOW
ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY AND NORTHERN HEARTLAND. FARTHER TO
THE SOUTH...A MIX OF SLEET...SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN FELL.
THE PRECIPITATION WAS HEAVY AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY WHEN IT
WAS ACCOMPANIED BY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MOVED
EAST ACROSS THE AREA.

SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OCCURRED ACROSS MUCH OF
THE BIG COUNTRY. AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW AND SLEET FELL
ACROSS THE CONCHO VALLEY AND SOUTHERN HEARTLAND. AN AREA
OF HEAVIER SNOW WITH 3 TO 6 INCH ACCUMULATIONS OCCURRED
ACROSS COLEMAN AND BROWN COUNTIES.

THE SNOW...SLEET AND ICE ACCUMULATED ON ROAD SURFACES AS
WELL AS GRASSY SURFACES AND ROOFTOPS...DESPITE THE WARM
GROUND TEMPERATURES. THIS CAUSED HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS
AND RESULTED IN NUMEROUS TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.

** RECORD COLD **

A NUMBER OF HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET AT
ABILENE AND SAN ANGELO ON EASTER WEEKEND. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT
RECORD WAS WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES ON APRIL 7TH. THE HIGHS OF
36 DEGREES AT ABILENE AND 38 DEGREES AT SAN ANGELO ESTABLISHED
NEW RECORDS FOR THE COLDEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES EVER RECORDED
IN APRIL.

THE AIRMASS QUICKLY MODIFIED BY THE EARLY PART OF THE
FOLLOWING WEEK. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVED EAST INTO
TEXAS FROM NEW MEXICO BY THE 10TH. THE APPROACH OF THIS SYSTEM
BROUGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS OF THE 9TH AND 10TH. THE SHOWERS WERE MOST
NUMEROUS ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE MOSTLY LESS THAN ONE TENTH OF AN INCH. A
FEW LOCATIONS ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
RECEIVED ONE TENTH TO ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH OF RAIN.

A STRONGER UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM TRACKED EAST ACROSS NEW
MEXICO INTO NORTHWESTERN TEXAS...ON THE 13TH. THIS SYSTEM
BROUGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL
TEXAS...FROM THE AFTERNOON TO EARLY NIGHTTIME HOURS OF THE
13TH. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOST NUMEROUS ACROSS THE
REGION SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM ALBANY TO EDEN TO OZONA.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS AFFECTED THE BIG COUNTRY AND
NORTHWESTERN CONCHO VALLEY. THE COVERAGE WAS SPARSE ACROSS
THE AREA FROM COLEMAN TO SAN ANGELO INTO CROCKETT COUNTY.
A STORM IN THE NORTHERN BIG COUNTRY PRODUCED A BRIEF TORNADO
IN HASKELL COUNTY...ABOUT 3 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE
TOWN OF RULE. A SEVERE STORM IN BROWN COUNTY PRODUCED LARGE
HAIL UP TO GOLFBALL SIZE...IN THE TOWN OF BLANKET. SCATTERED
LOCATIONS RECEIVED ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH OF RAIN. THE
HEAVIEST RAINFALL OF ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OCCURRED AT A FEW
LOCATIONS ACROSS THE EASTERN BIG COUNTRY AND HEARTLAND.
RATHER GUSTY WINDS FOLLOWED PASSAGE OF THE DRYLINE. ABILENE
RECORDED A WIND GUST TO 45 MPH...AND A 40 MPH GUST OCCURRED
AT SAN ANGELO.

AS THIS SYSTEM DEPARTED...A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WITH COLD
AIR SETTLED SOUTH INTO WEST CENTRAL TEXAS FROM THE 14TH INTO
THE 15TH. WITH CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS...TEMPERATURES
DROPPED INTO THE 30 TO 35 DEGREE RANGE FOR LOWS (ON THE 15TH)
ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. AREAS OF FROST WITH A LIGHT FREEZE
OCCURRED...AS MANY LOCATIONS RECORDED LOW TEMPERATURES OF 32
DEGREES OR LESS. THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE REPORTED WAS 28
DEGREES AT FORT MCKAVETT.

SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED ACROSS
THE NORTHERN HALF OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS ON THE 17TH...AS
A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND DRYLINE MOVED EAST
INTO THE REGION. SEVERAL OF THE STORMS WERE SEVERE. HAIL
UP TO QUARTER SIZE OCCURRED AROUND ROBY. WINDS TO 60 MPH
CAUSED WIND DAMAGE TO A TREE...HOUSE AND POWER LINES JUST
NORTH OF BROWNWOOD. THE COVERGE OF STORMS AND RAINFALL WAS
GREATEST ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20. IN
THIS AREA...SCATTERED AMOUNTS OF ONE HALF TO ONE INCH
OCCURRED...AND A FEW LOCATIONS RECEIVED OVER AN INCH OF RAIN.
WITH THE GUSTY WINDS WHICH FOLLOWED PASSAGE OF THE DRYLINE...
ABILENE RECORDED A PEAK WIND GUST OF 43 MPH.

** SEVERE WEATHER EVENT ON THE 23RD AND 24TH **

AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM MOVED EAST INTO NORTHEASTERN
NEW MEXICO BY THE 24TH...AND THEN TRACKED INTO WESTERN KANSAS
BY THE EVENING OF THE 24TH. AS THIS SYSTEM APPROACHED AND THE
AIRMASS BECAME UNSTABLE ACROSS THE REGION...A FEW STORMS
DEVELOPED ACROSS WEST AND NORTHWEST TEXAS DURING THE EVENING
OF THE 23RD. A SUPERCELL STORM MOVED EAST ALONG AND NORTH
OF INTERSTATE 20 ACROSS MUCH OF THE BIG COUNTRY. THIS STORM
PRODUCED LARGE HAIL AND SEVERAL TORNADOES ALONG ITS PATH.
TORNADOES WERE REPORTED IN FAR NORTHWESTERN NOLAN COUNTY...
5 MILES NORTHEAST OF ROSCOE...2 MILES NORTH OF TRENT (TAYLOR
COUNTY)...AND NEAR HODGES (JONES COUNTY). FORTUNATELY...NO
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS REPORTED WITH THE TORNADO. HOWEVER...
STRONG STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS FROM THIS STORM OVERTURNED A SEMI-
TRUCK ON INTERSTATE 20 NEAR MERKEL. IN ADDITION...THE STORM
PRODUCED GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL 3 MILES NORTH OF SWEETWATER AND
JUST EAST OF NOODLE. BASEBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED NORTH
OF SWEETWATER...NEAR THE NOLAN/FISHER COUNTY BORDER.

THE THUNDERSTORMS AND SEVERE WEATHER OCCURRED OVER A LARGER
AREA ON THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING OF THE 24TH. THE SEVERE
STORMS AFFECTED THE THE BIG COUNTRY...EASTERN CONCHO VALLEY
AND HEARTLAND. LARGE HAIL WAS REPORTED FROM THE SEVERE STORMS.
THE LARGEST HAIL REPORTED WAS GOLFBALL SIZE IN SOUTHWESTERN
AND SOUTH-CENTRAL CONCHO COUNTY...AT WOODSON (THROCKMORTON
COUNTY)...AT MELVIN AND BRADY (MCCULLOCH COUNTY)...AND 3
MILES SOUTH OF BRONTE (COKE COUNTY). SCATTERED LOCATIONS
RECEIVED ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF RAIN WHILE A FEW LOCATIONS
RECEIVED OVER AN INCH.

** SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN ON THE 29TH AND 30TH **

NEAR THE END OF THE MONTH...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND
HEAVY RAINFALL ACCOMPANIED A STORM SYSTEM WHICH MOVED FROM
SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO ACROSS NORTHWESTERN TEXAS INTO SOUTHWESTERN
OKLAHOMA. WITH THE TRACK OF THIS SYSTEM...SEVERAL ROUNDS OF
THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...FROM THE
AFTERNOON OF THE 29TH THROUGH THE 30TH INTO THE EARLY MORNING
HOURS OF MAY 1ST. SEVERAL OF THE STORMS WERE SEVERE ACROSS
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL SECTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. A TORNADO
CAUSED DAMAGE 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BALLINGER. THIS TORNADO
DAMAGED HANGARS AT BRUCE FIELD AIRPORT...DAMAGED A FEW ROOFS
AND TREES...AND OVERTURNED A TRACTOR-TRAILER. IN ADDITION...
SOME LIVESTOCK WERE KILLED BY THE TORNADO. WITH THIS TORNADIC
STORM...GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 75 MPH OCCURRED
IN THE TOWN OF BALLINGER. GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL ALSO WAS REPORTED
FROM STORMS IN MILES (RUNNELS COUNTY)...AND 5 MILES SOUTH OF
ABILENE. THE HEAVY RAINFALL CAUSED FLOODING OF STREETS IN
ABILENE...AND FLOODED PARTS OF A FEW ROADS IN JONES COUNTY.

RAINFALL TOTALS FROM APRIL 29TH INTO THE EARLY MORNING OF MAY
1ST WERE WELL OVER AN INCH ACROSS MOST OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS.
SCATTERED LOCATIONS RECEIVED 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN...WITH
EMBEDDED POCKETS OF 3 TO 5 INCH AMOUNTS. THE HIGHEST RAINFALL
AMOUNT REPORTED WAS 6.11 INCHES...FROM A LOCATION 8 MILES NORTH
OF ALBANY.

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