WFO San Angelo Climatology

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
655 PM CST MON JAN 4 1999

...WEST CENTRAL TEXAS WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS SUMMARY FOR 1998...

WHILE ISOLATED SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENTS STAND OUT SUCH AS THE 
VERIBEST TORNADO AND GRAPE CREEK/QUAIL VALLEY FLOOD OF MAY 26...THE 
FLOODING OF THE LLANO RIVER AND SONORA IN LATE AUGUST DUE TO REMNANTS OF 
TROPICAL STORM CHARLEY...AND THE HAZE IN THE SPRING DUE TO WILDFIRES IN 
MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA...THE BIGGEST WEATHER STORY FOR 1998 FOR WEST 
CENTRAL TEXAS WAS THE LONG AND HOT SUMMER WITH SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS 
ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION FROM THE SPRING THROUGH THE FALL SEASONS.

AT ABILENE REGIONAL AIRPORT...THE ANNUAL MEAN TEMPERATURE FOR 1998 WAS 
66.7 DEGREES...WHICH WAS 2.1 DEGREES ABOVE THE AVERAGE MEAN ANNUAL 
TEMPERATURE OF 64.6 DEGREES. THIS RANKS AS THE FIFTH WARMEST YEAR ON 
RECORD. TOTAL RAINFALL FOR ABILENE IN 1998 WAS ONLY 13.88 
INCHES...WHICH WAS 10.52 INCHES BELOW THE NORMAL YEARLY RAINFALL OF 
24.40 INCHES. THIS RANKS AS THE FOURTH DRIEST YEAR ON RECORD.

AT SAN ANGELO REGIONAL AIRPORT/MATHIS FIELD...THE ANNUAL MEAN 
TEMPERATURE FOR 1998 WAS 66.9 DEGREES...WHICH WAS 2.0 DEGREES ABOVE THE 
AVERAGE MEAN ANNUAL TEMPERATURE OF 64.9 DEGREES. THIS RANKS AS THE 9TH 
WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. TOTAL RAINFALL FOR SAN ANGELO IN 1998 WAS ONLY 
12.98 INCHES...WHICH WAS 7.47 INCHES BELOW THE NORMAL YEARLY RAINFALL 
OF 20.45 INCHES. THIS RANKS AS THE 15TH DRIEST YEAR ON RECORD.

THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF 1998 IN WEST CENTRAL TEXAS WERE ABSENT OF ANY
ARCTIC AIR MASSES AS TEMPERATURES AVERAGED ABOVE NORMAL...ESPECIALLY
IN JANUARY. RAINFALL IN JANUARY WAS ABOVE NORMAL OVER CENTRAL AND
EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION...WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL AMOUNTS
OVER THE HEARTLAND AND THE NORTHWEST HILL COUNTRY. IN FEBRUARY...THE
HEAVIEST RAIN CONTINUED TO FALL IN AREAS SOUTH AND EAST OF A SONORA 
TO BROWNWOOD LINE...WHERE MONTHLY TOTALS OF 2 TO 6 INCHES WERE 
RECORDED FROM SEVERAL RAIN AND THUNDERSTORM EVENTS. THE REMAINDER OF 
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS WAS DRIER THAN NORMAL. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SEVERE 
WEATHER EVENT IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OCCURRED IN BRADY ON JANUARY 
5...WHEN HAIL UP TO TWO INCHES IN DIAMETER BROKE MANY WINDOWS IN THE 
CITY. OTHERWISE...ONLY A FEW MINOR SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS WERE 
RECEIVED MAINLY OVER THE SOUTHEAST PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. 
THE MAIN EFFECTS OF EL NINO OVER WEST CENTRAL TEXAS WERE THE ABOVE 
NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND THE INCREASED RAINFALL OVER SOUTHERN AND 
EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION...RELATIVELY MINOR EFFECTS COMPARED TO 
OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

THE OVERALL WEATHER PATTERN REVERSED ITSELF IN MARCH AS WEST CENTRAL 
TEXAS EXPERIENCED BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND ABOVE NORMAL 
RAINFALL...ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE RAINFALL OCCURRED IN ONLY TWO EVENTS 
DURING THE MONTH. THE FIRST EVENT OCCURRED ON MARCH 6-7 AS LOCALLY 
HEAVY RAIN FELL OVER THE NORTHEAST PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. 
SMALL HAIL FELL IN PARTS OF SAN ANGELO...BUT ONLY ISOLATED SEVERE 
WEATHER OCCURRED ACROSS THE REGION. FOLLOWING THIS RAIN EVENT AN 
ARCTIC AIR MASS PRODUCED FIVE DAYS OF DRY AND UNSEASONABLY COLD 
WEATHER WITH AVERAGE TEMPERATURES BETWEEN THE 8TH AND THE 12TH 
RANGING FROM 15 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THE SECOND SIGNIFICANT 
RAIN EVENT OF THE MONTH ON MARCH 15-16 WAS MORE WIDESPREAD WITH MOST 
LOCATIONS RECEIVING 1-3 INCHES OF RAIN WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 5 
INCHES IN PORTIONS OF THE HEARTLAND. DRY AND WARMER WEATHER RETURNED 
DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE MONTH...INCLUDING A TIED RECORD HIGH IN 
ABILENE ON THE 23RD. STRONG WINDS ACCOMPANIED THE WARM WEATHER FOR 
THE FINAL WEEK OF MARCH WITH FREQUENT GUSTS EXCEEDING 35 MPH.

APRIL STOOD OUT AS A VERY DRY MONTH FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL 
TEXAS...ESPECIALLY IN THE CONCHO VALLEY. SAN ANGELO RECEIVED ONLY A 
TRACE OF RAIN WHICH WAS THE SECOND DRIEST APRIL ON RECORD...WHILE 
ABILENE RECORDED THE 8TH DRIEST APRIL WITH 0.35 INCH OF RAIN. 
SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION RECEIVED RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS ON 
THE MORNING OF THE 8TH...WITH SONORA ALSO RECEIVING GOLFBALL SIZE 
HAIL. SCATTERED STRONG AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALSO STRUCK THE 
CENTRAL AND EASTERN BIG COUNTRY AND THE HEARTLAND...DURING THE 
AFTERNOON OF THE 26TH. HARDEST HIT AREAS WERE HASKELL COUNTY WHICH 
RECEIVED BASEBALL SIZE HAIL AND A BRIEF TORNADO...AND NORTHERN 
SHACKELFORD COUNTY WHERE ANOTHER TORNADO WAS SIGHTED.
 
MAY AND JUNE WERE HOT AND DRY ACROSS MOST OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS AS SAN 
ANGELO ENDURED 59 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT MEASURABLE RAIN BETWEEN 
MARCH 28 AND MAY 26...SETTING A RECORD FOR THE LONGEST CONTINUOUS DRY 
SPELL FOR THE SPRING SEASON. ABILENE HAD ITS WARMEST MAY ON RECORD 
WHILE SAN ANGELO HAD ITS SECOND WARMEST MAY. DUE TO WIDESPREAD 
WILDFIRES IN MEXICO AND SOUTHERLY WINDS ALOFT...THE SKY WAS UNUSUALLY 
HAZY OVER WEST CENTRAL TEXAS DURING THE FIRST HALF OF MAY. TEMPERATURES 
REMAINED WELL ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE MONTH OF JUNE...WITH THE ONLY 
RESPITE FROM THE HEAT OCCURRING BETWEEN JUNE 5 AND 7 AFTER PASSAGE OF A 
STRONG COLD FRONT. DESPITE THE GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS...SEVERAL 
EPISODES OF SEVERE WEATHER AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURRED THROUGH 
MAY AND JUNE. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS OCCURRED ON 
MAY 25 AND 26 WHEN A TORNADO STRUCK THE TOWN OF VERIBEST IN TOM GREEN 
COUNTY...FLOODING OCCURRED IN GRAPE CREEK...AND HAIL OF GOLFBALL SIZE 
OR LARGER STRUCK EASTERN PORTIONS OF SAN ANGELO AND WESTERN PORTIONS 
OF THE CONCHO VALLEY AND BIG COUNTRY. OTHER NOTABLE SEVERE WEATHER 
EVENTS OCCURRED ON MAY 8 IN HASKELL AND THROCKMORTON COUNTIES WITH 
BASEBALL SIZE HAIL AND BRIEF TORNADOES...ON JUNE 4 AND 5 IN PORTIONS 
OF THE HEARTLAND AND EASTERN CONCHO VALLEY WITH HAIL UP TO GOLFBALL 
SIZE AND MINOR WIND DAMAGE...ON JUNE 12 ACROSS THE HEARTLAND AND 
EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE BIG COUNTRY AND CONCHO VALLEY WITH SEVERAL 
REPORTS OF WIND DAMAGE AND HAIL...AND ON JUNE 20 IN HAMLIN WHERE 2.5 
INCH DIAMETER HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OF 80 MPH WERE REPORTED.  

THE HOT SUMMER CONTINUED THROUGH JULY AS BOTH ABILENE AND SAN ANGELO 
RECORDED THEIR THIRD WARMEST JULY ON RECORD...WHILE THE DROUGHT 
INTENSIFIED AFTER ANOTHER MONTH OF BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL OVER MOST OF 
THE REGION. A FEW LOCATIONS RECEIVED LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...INCLUDING 
A 4-6 INCH RAINFALL IN BROWN COUNTY ON JULY 4TH...BUT THE HOT JULY SUN 
QUICKLY EVAPORATED THESE RAINS. SEVERE DOWNBURST THUNDERSTORM WINDS 
OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES IN JULY...WITH THE MOST NOTABLE WIND DAMAGE 
OCCURRING AROUND ABILENE ON JULY 12...AND AT MILES IN SOUTHWEST RUNNELS 
COUNTY ON THE 16TH.

THE HEAT WAVE SUBSIDED DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST AS TEMPERATURES 
RETURNED TO NEAR NORMAL LEVELS. RAINFALL ALSO INCREASED OVER CENTRAL 
AND SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS AS MORE MOISTURE FROM THE 
GULF OF MEXICO WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO THE REGION. AREAS SOUTH OF A 
STERLING CITY TO SAN ANGELO TO SAN SABA LINE RECEIVED THE MOST RAINFALL 
IN AUGUST...WITH THE MOST NOTABLE RAIN EVENT OCCURRING OVER THE 
NORTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU AND NORTHWEST HILL COUNTY DUE TO REMNANTS OF 
TROPICAL STORM CHARLEY. RAINFALL FROM THIS SYSTEM CAUSED FLOODING ALONG 
THE LLANO RIVER ON AUGUST 23...WHILE 6-10 INCHES OF RAINFALL PRODUCED 
ADDITIONAL FLOODING AROUND SONORA AND PORTIONS OF SCHLEICHER AND 
CROCKETT COUNTIES ON AUGUST 25.  

TYPICALLY SEPTEMBER IS THE WETTEST MONTH OF THE YEAR...BUT FOR ABILENE 
AND SAN ANGELO IN 1998 IT WAS ONE OF THE DRIEST WITH BOTH LOCATIONS 
RECEIVING 1/10 INCH OR LESS OF RAINFALL...WHICH WAS THE 7TH DRIEST 
SEPTEMBER ON RECORD FOR BOTH CITIES. ALTHOUGH UP TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN 
FALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH OVER SOUTHEAST PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL 
TEXAS...THE DROUGHT CONTINUED OVER MOST OF THE REGION AS TEMPERATURES 
SOARED ABOVE MONTHLY NORMALS...WITH ABILENE RECORDING ITS FOURTH 
WARMEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD.

OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER CONTINUED WITH WARMER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES 
BUT THE EXTREME HEAT WAS FINALLY BROUGHT TO AN END ON OCTOBER 5TH BY A 
COLD FRONT THAT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL OVER THE 
SOUTHEAST HALF OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. PORTIONS OF SAN ANGELO RECEIVED 
HAIL UP TO GOLF BALL SIZE...WHILE ROWENA IN RUNNELS COUNTY RECEIVED 
BASEBALL SIZE HAIL FROM THIS STORM. OTHERWISE...MOST OF OCTOBER AND 
NOVEMBER WAS DRY UNTIL THE EVENING AND NIGHT OF HALLOWEEN WHEN 
THUNDERSTORMS DUMPED MORE THAN AN INCH OF RAIN ON ALL OF WEST CENTRAL 
TEXAS...WITH ISOLATED REPORTS OF WIND DAMAGE FROM THESE STORMS. THE 
ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT THAT PRODUCED THESE STORMS LED TO A COOL AND DAMP 
FIRST WEEK OF NOVEMBER...BUT THE REMAINDER OF THE MONTH WAS GENERALLY 
WARM AND DRY.

THIS WARM WEATHER LASTED INTO THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER...BUT A COLD 
AIR MASS FINALLY BROUGHT THE FIRST FREEZE OF THE FALL SEASON TO WEST 
CENTRAL TEXAS ON THE MORNING OF THE 8TH...ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER THAN 
THE AVERAGE DATE FOR THE FIRST FALL FREEZE. SOME LOCATIONS THEN JUMPED 
STRAIGHT INTO WINTER AS A SNOWSTORM PRODUCED UP TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW 
OVER THE WESTERN BIG COUNTRY AND STERLING COUNTY ON THE 11TH. THIS SNOW 
MISSED THE CITIES OF ABILENE AND SAN ANGELO...BUT AN ARCTIC AIR MASS 
PLUNGING INTO ALL OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS ON THE 21ST COINCIDED WITH THE 
OFFICIAL START OF THE WINTER SEASON WITH MUCH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES 
THROUGH CHRISTMAS EVE. FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET PRODUCED SLICK ROADS 
OVER EASTERN PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS ON THE MORNING OF THE 
23RD...WHILE THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE REGION RECEIVED ABOUT 1/4 INCH 
LAYER OF ICE FROM THE EVENING OF THE 23RD INTO THE EARLY MORNING OF THE 
24TH. THE ICE WAS MELTED BY CHRISTMAS DAY AS THE FINAL WEEK OF THE YEAR 
RETURNED TO THE FAMILIAR WARM AND DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS...WHICH IS  
GENERALLY EXPECTED IN WINTER OVER WEST CENTRAL TEXAS DURING A LA NINA 
PATTERN THAT IS NOW IN PLACE.    

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DEUTSCHENDORF