PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
432 PM CST FRI JAN 2 2009

...7TH DRIEST DECEMBER TIED AT ABILENE...

PRECIPITATION WAS WELL BELOW NORMAL ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS IN
DECEMBER. MONTHLY PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WERE LESS THAN ONE
QUARTER OF AN INCH ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION. THIS WAS LESS THAN
25 PERCENT OF NORMAL. ONLY A FEW LOCATIONS RECEIVED MORE THAN ONE
HALF INCH OF PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH.

TEMPERATURES AVERAGED ABOVE NORMAL IN DECEMBER.

AT ABILENE REGIONAL AIRPORT...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR
DECEMBER WAS 46.5 DEGREES. THIS WAS 1.1 DEGREES ABOVE THE
NORMAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 45.4 DEGREES. TOTAL
PRECIPITATION FOR ABILENE IN DECEMBER WAS ONLY 0.01 INCHES. THIS
WAS 1.26 INCHES BELOW THE MONTHLY NORMAL OF 1.27 INCHES. THIS
TIED FOR THE 7TH DRIEST DECEMBER ON RECORD AT ABILENE.

AT SAN ANGELO REGIONAL AIRPORT...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
FOR DECEMBER WAS 48.5 DEGREES. THIS WAS 2.1 DEGREES ABOVE
THE NORMAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 46.4 DEGREES. TOTAL
PRECIPITATION FOR SAN ANGELO IN DECEMBER WAS ONLY 0.04 INCHES.
THIS WAS 0.90 INCHES BELOW THE MONTHLY NORMAL OF 0.94 INCHES.


DECEMBER 2008 WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS...

WITH THE COMBINATION OF DRY AIRMASSES WHICH OCCUPIED THE REGION
ALONG WITH THE PREVAILING TRACK OF STORM SYSTEMS TO THE NORTH OF
THE AREA...LITTLE PRECIPITATION OCCURRED ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
IN DECEMBER. SEVERAL DRY COLD FRONTS MOVED DOWN ACROSS THE AREA
DURING THE MONTH.

A LIT MIX OF SNOW...SLEET AND RAIN OCCURRED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
PART OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS ON THE EARLY EVENING OF THE 9TH...
WHEN A STORM SYSTEM MOVED EAST INTO TEXAS AND INTERACTED WITH
COLDER AIR AND LIMITED MOISTURE. A FEW LOCATIONS ACROSS THE
NORTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU RECEIVED LIQUID PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS
OF ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH.

GUSTY SOUTH WINDS OCCURRED ON THE 13TH. PEAK WIND GUSTS INCLUDE
43 MPH AT JUNCTION...44 MPH AT SAN ANGELO...AND 45 MPH AT ABILENE.
PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF A STRONG COLD FRONT...TEMPERATURES REACHED
THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS ON THE 14TH.
A RECORD HIGH OF 82 DEGREES WAS SET IN SAN ANGELO. MUCH COLDER AIR
INVADED THE REGION AFTER THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. DURING THE DAY
ON THE 15TH...TEMPERATURES STRUGGLED TO REACH THE LOWER 30S. LOWS
ON THE 16TH WERE IN 15 TO 20 DEGREE RANGE ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY.

GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OCCURRED ON THE 27TH...AS AN UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVED INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND A COLD
FRONT ENTERED THE REGION. A 49 MPH PEAK WIND GUST OCCURRED IN
ABILENE...AND SAN ANGELO RECORDED A 47 MPH PEAK GUST.

TRANQUIL WEATHER OCCURRED DURING THE LAST FEW DAYS OF THE MONTH
WITH A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE ON THE 31ST. WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES
AND A VERY DRY AIRMASS IN PLACE...LARGE TEMPERATURE SWINGS
OCCURRED BETWEEN THE DAYTIME HIGHS AND NIGHTTIME LOWS ON THE 28TH
AND 29TH (40 TO 50 DEGREES IN SOME CASES).

$$