WFO San Angelo Climatology

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
747 AM CST SAT JAN 1 2005

...WEST CENTRAL TEXAS WEATHER SUMMARY HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2004...

RAINFALL FOR THE YEAR WAS MUCH ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS WEST CENTRAL 
TEXAS. MOST OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS RECEIVED BETWEEN 30 AND 40 INCHES
OF RAIN FOR THE YEAR. SOME LOCATIONS IN EASTERN PARTS OF WEST 
CENTRAL TEXAS RECEIVED OVER 40 INCHES. THIS WAS THE WETTEST YEAR FOR 
ABILENE SINCE 1941...AND FOR SAN ANGELO SINCE 1987.

THIS MARKS THE 4TH WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD FOR ABILENE...AND THE 15TH
WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD FOR SAN ANGELO.

AT ABILENE REGIONAL AIRPORT...THE ANNUAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR 
2004 WAS 63.7 DEGREES. THIS WAS 0.7 DEGREES BELOW THE NORMAL AVERAGE 
TEMPERATURE OF 64.4 DEGREES. TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR WAS 
37.37 INCHES. THIS WAS 13.59 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL ANNUAL 
PRECIPITATION OF 23.78 INCHES. TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE YEAR AT 
ABILENE WAS 7.7 INCHES. THIS WAS 2.8 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL YEARLY 
SNOWFALL OF 4.9 INCHES.  

AT SAN ANGELO REGIONAL AIRPORT...THE ANNUAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR 
2004 WAS 65.0 DEGREES. THIS WAS 0.5 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL ANNUAL 
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 64.5 DEGREES. TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE 
YEAR WAS 30.48 INCHES. THIS WAS 9.57 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL ANNUAL 
PRECIPITATION OF 20.91 INCHES. TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE YEAR AT SAN 
ANGELO WAS 0.8 INCHES. THIS WAS 2.1 INCHES BELOW THE NORMAL YEARLY 
SNOWFALL OF 2.9 INCHES.


*RAINFALL/FLOODING*

THE RAINFALL WAS NOT ONLY MUCH ABOVE NORMAL FOR 2004...BUT WAS ALSO 
MORE EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE YEAR. A FAVORABLE PATTERN 
ALLOWED NUMEROUS STORM SYSTEMS TO TRACK EAST OR NORTHEAST INTO
TEXAS. THESE SYSTEMS OFTEN INTERACTED WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE IN THE
REGION...AND THE COVERAGE OF RAIN WAS WIDESPREAD. THE FIRST 
SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT OF THE YEAR OCCURRED IN MID-JANUARY.

VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ON SOME OCCASIONS RESULTED IN FLASH FLOODING 
AND RIVER FLOODING. THE MOST NOTABLE EVENTS OCCURRED IN JUNE...
AUGUST...OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER. 

A SIGNIFICANT FLASH FLOODING EVENT AFFECTED PARTS OF THE HEARTLAND 
AND NORTHWEST HILL COUNTRY ON JUNE 9TH...RAINFALL OF 5 TO 10 INCHES 
OCCURRED IN SAN SABA AND EASTERN MASON COUNTIES. WIDESPREAD FLOODING 
IN SABA COUNTY CLOSED ROADS...AND NUMEROUS HOMES ALSO EXPERIENCED 
FLOODING. FLOODING OF ROADS ALSO OCCURRED IN MASON AND BROWN 
COUNTIES.   

DURING A VERY WET PERIOD FROM AUGUST 19TH TO 22ND...THE GREATEST
RAINFALL OCCURRED ACROSS THE HEARTLAND...SOUTHEASTERN BIG COUNTRY
AND EASTERN CONCHO VALLEY. AMOUNTS GENERALLY RANGED FROM 3 TO 6 
INCHES...WITH POCKETS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN IN BROWN...SAN
SABA...AND CALLAHAN COUNTIES. THIS CAUSED CONSIDERABLE STREET AND
ROAD FLOODING IN THE HEARTLAND AND PARTS OF THE BIG COUNTRY...
INCLUDING THE ABILENE AREA. FLOODWATERS ENTERED SOME RESIDENCES
IN BROWNWOOD. 

WITH A VERY HEAVY RAIN EVENT ON OCTOBER 25TH AND 26TH...FLASH
FLOODING OF STREETS IN THE ABILENE AREA NECESSITATED NUMEROUS 
WATER RESCUES. ABILENE RECORDED 2.59 INCHES OR RAIN. FLOODING WAS 
ALSO REPORTED ALONG A FEW HIGHWAYS IN WESTERN SUTTON COUNTY...WHERE 
OVER 4 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. 

WITH A SIGNIFICANT AND WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAIN EVENT FROM NOVEMBER 
13TH THROUGH THE 16TH...RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES WERE 
COMMON. THIS CAUSED FLOODING OF ROADS IN CROCKETT AND KIMBLE
COUNTIES...AND STREET FLOODING IN COLEMAN. THE WIDESPREAD COVERAGE
OF HEAVY RAIN LED TO CONSIDERABLE RUNOFF INTO AREA LAKES AND 
STREAMS. THIS RESULTED IN RIVER FLOODING ALONG THE LLANO RIVER 
NEAR JUNCTION AND MASON...THE SAN SABA RIVER NEAR SAN SABA...AND
THE COLORADO RIVER NEAR SILVER. THE RUNOFF INCREASED THE WATER 
LEVELS ON THE AREA RESERVOIRS. 


*WINTER WEATHER*

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER EVENTS OCCURRED IN EARLY
JANUARY...THE MIDDLE AND LATE PARTS OF FEBRUARY...AND IN LATE
DECEMBER. 

THE EARLY JANUARY EVENT CONSISTED OF A VERY COLD AIR INTRUSION 
ALONG WITH BRISK WINDS. LOW TEMPERATURES ON JANUARY 6TH WERE IN 
THE 15 TO 20 DEGREE RANGE ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL SECTIONS 
OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. 

ON FEBRUARY 13TH AND 14TH...THE BIG COUNTRY RECEIVED 1 TO 3 INCHES 
OF SNOW. ON THE NIGHT OF FEBRUARY 24TH...ANOTHER 1 TO 3 INCHES OF 
SNOW FELL ACROSS MUCH OF THE BIG COUNTRY. 

THE DECEMBER EVENT WAS A COMBINATION OF VERY COLD TEMPERATURES AND 
WINTRY PRECIPITATION. DURING THE EARLY MORNING OF DECEMBER 22ND...
A MIX OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW OCCURRED IN PARTS OF THE 
HEARTLAND AND NORTHWEST HILL COUNTRY...WITH SNOW IN THE BIG 
COUNTRY. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WERE GENERALLY AN INCH OR LESS IN THE 
CONCHO VALLEY AND HEARTLAND...BUT A BURST OF SNOW BROUGHT UP TO 6 
INCHES IN RUNNELS AND NORTHERN COLEMAN COUNTIES. IN THE BIG 
COUNTRY...SNOWFALL AMOUNTS RANGED FROM 3 TO 6 INCHES. NIGHTTIME 
TEMPERATURES DIPPED INTO THE TEENS FROM THE 23RD TO THE 25TH AT 
NUMEROUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. 

THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES FOR THE YEAR WERE 15 DEGREES AT ABILENE 
(JANUARY 6TH)...17 DEGREES AT SAN ANGELO (DECEMBER 25TH)...AND 18 
DEGREES AT JUNCTION (DECEMBER 25TH).   


*SEVERE WEATHER*

THE MOST WIDESPREAD AND SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENT OCCURRED
ON MARCH 4TH...AS A VERY POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM MOVED
INTO WESTERN TEXAS FROM NORTHERN MEXICO. ON THE EARLY MORNING OF 
MARCH 4TH...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN TEXAS 
ORGANIZED INTO A SQUALL LINE AND THEN RACED EASTWARD ACROSS ALL OF
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...IN A TIME SPAN OF ABOUT 3 HOURS. THE SQUALL
LINE PRODUCED DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 TO 80 MPH WHICH CAUSED 
WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE. IN ADDITION...SEVERAL STORMS WITHIN THE
SQUALL LINE PRODUCED TORNADOES. THE TORNADOES OCCURRED AT LAKE
SWEETWATER...BRADSHAW...TUSCOLA...POTOSI...10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
HASKELL...AND MORAN. THE STRONGEST TORNADO (RATED F2 ON THE FUJITA
SCALE) OCCURRED 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HASKELL. IN ALL...A TOTAL OF
41 SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS WERE RECEIVED...FROM NEARLY EVERY COUNTY
IN WEST CENTRAL TEXAS.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS OCCURRED DURING VARIOUS 
TIMES OF THE YEAR. 

TORNADOES OCCURRED IN BOTH JANUARY AND DECEMBER...WHICH IS UNUSUAL 
FOR WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. ON JANUARY 15TH...A TORNADO (RATED F0 ON 
THE FUJITA SCALE) OCCURRED IN NOVICE (COLEMAN COUNTY). THIS WAS 
THE FIRST TORNADO OCCURRENCE IN THE UNITED STATES FOR THE YEAR. 
TWO TORNADOES ON DECEMBER 6TH WERE THE FIRST TO EVER BE RECORDED 
FOR DECEMBER IN WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. THE TORNADOES OCCURRED AT 
SANTA ANNA (COLEMAN COUNTY) AND LAKE BROWNWOOD (BROWN COUNTY). 
THE STRONGEST TORNADO...AT LAKE BROWNWOOD...WAS RATED F1 ON THE 
FUJITA SCALE.        

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON FEBRUARY 29TH PRODUCED A 77 MPH WIND 
GUST AT KENNEDY PARK (RUNNELS COUNTY). SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS
OCCURRED ON APRIL 23RD AND APRIL 30TH. ON APRIL 23RD...TORNADOES
WERE REPORTED IN HASKELL AND THROCKMORTON COUNTIES...ALONG 
WITH BASEBALL SIZE HAIL IN HASKELL COUNTY. A TOTAL OF 37 SEVERE
WEATHER AND FLASH FLOODING REPORTS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE APRIL
23RD EVENT. ON APRIL 30TH...A SUPERCELL SEVERE STORM PRODUCED 
BASEBALL SIZE HAIL IN ALBANY. THE HAIL BROKE WINDOWS OUT OF 
NUMEROUS VEHICLES AND SOME HOMES. ANOTHER SUPCERCELL STORM 
PRODUCED SOFTBALL SIZE HAIL AT HOARDS CREEK LAKE (JUST SOUTHEAST 
OF GLEN COVE IN COLEMAN COUNTY)...AND A BRIEF TORNADO NEAR GLEN 
COVE. 

IN MAY...THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS OCCURRED ON
THE 13TH...AND ON THE 26TH AND 27TH. ON MAY 13TH...BRIEF TORNADOS 
OCCURRED NEAR NEINDA (JONES COUNTY)...SEVEN MILES SOUTHWEST OF 
THROCKMORTON...TWO MILES EAST OF HAWLEY (JONES COUNTY)...AND FOUR 
MILES SOUTH OF MASON. BASEBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN LOYAL
VALLEY (MASON COUNTY). A COUPLE OF BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS WERE 
REPORTED 4 MILES WEST OF ROBY IN FISHER COUNTY ON MAY 26TH. ON MAY 
27TH...A TORNADO NEAR CHAMPION (NOLAN COUNTY) SNAPPED POWER 
POLES...DESTROYED A BARN...AND DAMAGED IRRIGATION EQUIPMENT. BRIEF 
TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS OCCURRED 5 MILES SOUTH OF ROSCOE (NOLAN 
COUNTY)...AND ON THE EAST SIDE OF MERKEL (TAYLOR COUNTY). A 
COMBINATION OF 80 MPH WINDS AND GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL CAUSED 
CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOMES AND BUSINESSES ON THE SOUTH 
SIDE OF SWEETWATER.

IN JUNE...THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS OCCURRED ON
THE 4TH...12TH...AND ON THE 21ST-22ND. ON JUNE 4TH...HAIL TO 
BASEBALL SIZE FELL AROUND ALBANY...AND THUNDERSTORM WINDS OF 60 
TO 80 MPH OCCURRED IN PARTS OF BROWN COUNTY. NUMEROUS POWER LINES 
WERE BLOWN DOWN IN BROWNWOOD. ON JUNE 12TH...WINDS OF 60 TO 80 MPH 
OCCURRED IN FISHER...JONES...THROCKMORTON AND SHACKELFORD COUNTIES. 
THIS DOWNED TREES AND POWERLINES IN SOME AREAS. VERY STRONG WINDS
OF 80 TO 100 MPH WERE REPORTED IN HASKELL COUNTY. IN ADDITION...
A HEATBURST EVENT OCCURRED IN THE SOUTH PART OF SAN ANGELO...
WHEN STRONG WINDS FROM A DISSIPATING THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED A 56 MPH
GUST AT THE SAN ANGELO REGIONAL AIRPORT. ON JUNE 21ST...A 76 MPH
WIND GUST WAS RECORDED AT THE BROWNWOOD AIRPORT. IN MCCULLOCH 
COUNTY...SEVERE STORMS PRODUCED WINDS TO 70 MPH AND DOWNED TREES 
IN LOHN...AND A CAR WAS BLOWN OFF A ROAD NEAR DOOLE.   

SEVERE STORMS ON AUGUST 20TH PRODUCED BASEBALL SIZE HAIL WHICH
CAUSED DAMAGE IN BALLINGER. 


*SUMMER WEATHER*

THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURES FOR THE YEAR WERE 103 DEGREES AT 
ABILENE...106 DEGREES AT SAN ANGELO...AND 104 DEGREES AT JUNCTION 
(ALL RECORDED ON JUNE 1ST).

THE SUMMER MONTHS (JUNE...JULY...AUGUST) OVERALL WERE UNUSUALLY 
WET AND COOLER THAN NORMAL FOR WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. THE USUAL HOT 
AND DRY WEATHER PATTERN WAS FREQUENTLY INTERRUPTED. AN UPPER 
LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WAS SITUATED NORTHWEST OF THE REGION 
AND EXERTED ITS INFLUENCE DURING THE EARLY AND MIDDLE PARTS OF 
JULY...AND IN EARLY AUGUST. THE GREATER DISPLACEMENT OF THIS UPPER 
LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM FROM THIS REGION...HOWEVER...WAS NOT 
CONDUCIVE FOR HOT AND DRY WEATHER TO PERSIST FOR LONG PERIODS OF
TIME. 

THE NUMBER OF DAYS WHERE HIGH TEMPERATURES REACHED 100 DEGREES OR 
MORE INCLUDE ONLY TWO AT ABILENE...SIX AT SAN ANGELO AND SEVEN AT 
JUNCTION. 

FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF AN UNUSUAL COLD FRONT IN LATE JULY...A 
NUMBER OF COOL TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET AT ABILENE AND SAN 
ANGELO. MOST NOTABLY ON JULY 25TH...HIGHS AT ABILENE AND SAN 
ANGELO TIED THEIR RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES FOR THE ENTIRE 
MONTH OF JULY. 

IN ADDITION TO THESE FACTORS...THE PRESENCE OF MOISTURE AND THE 
FAVORABLE TRACK OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES BROUGHT SHOWERS...
THUNDERSTORMS AND INCREASED CLOUDINESS TO WEST CENTRAL TEXAS ON 
NUMEROUS OCCASIONS DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. 

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