* 2nd warmest December on record tied at San Angelo *

* 10th warmest December on record at Abilene *

Precipitation was below normal across most of west-central Texas in December. Temperatures averaged well-above normal for the month.

Table 1 (below) summarizes December 2014 temperature, precipitation, and departure from normal for Abilene and San Angelo. 

Table 1: December Climate Data for Abilene and San Angelo.

The weather pattern was fairly quiet during the first 10 days of December. Following a strong cold frontal passage, temperatures were much colder on the 1st. Daytime temperatures were mostly in the 30s across west-central Texas.  Dense fog occurred northwest of a Throckmorton to Sweetwater line, during the post-Midnight hours of the 4th.  With mostly clear skies and southwest to west winds, temperatures warmed into the mid to upper 70s across much of the area on the 5th, just ahead of a cold front.  

With cool air and considerable low-level moisture over the area, low cloud cover and fog developed during the post-Midnight and early morning hours of the 6th and 7th, and during the overnight hours of the 7th and 8th.  An upper level disturbance brought a few light rain showers to the northern half of west-central Texas on the 7th.

With considerable low-level moisture over the area, mostly cloudy skies prevailed December 10-13, with lower daily temperature ranges between the early morning lows and afternoon highs.  Nighttime temperatures were well-above normal, and a record high minimum temperature (60 degrees) was set at Abilene on the 13th.    

A few rainshowers occurred across northern and central parts of west-central Texas on the 14th, as an upper level storm system moved northeast across the Texas Panhandle.  Rainfall amounts were less than two tenths of an inch. Following passage of a dryline, gusty southwest winds brought an intrusion  of much drier air into the Big Country and Concho Valley during the afternoon. 

Areas of fog, locally dense with visibilities of one quarter of a mile or less, occurred during the post-Midnight and early morning hours of the 18th. Most of the fog occurred across the region south of Interstate 20. 

With the approach of an upper level disturbance from the west, scattered showers and thunderstorms occurred across the area southeast of a line from Ozona to San Angelo to Abilene, during the post-Midnight and early morning hours of the 19th. Rainfall amounts mostly varied under one half inch, although a few locations received between one half and three quarters of an inch.

Breezy and warm conditions occurred just ahead of a cold front, across central and southern parts of west-central Texas on the 22nd. Temperatures reached the lower to mid 70s for highs across that area. The cold front entered the Big Country area along and north of Interstate 20 during the day, and then advanced south across the rest of west-central Texas during the evening and early nighttime hours. 

The main rain event for the month occurred on the 23rd, as a strong upper level disturbance developed southeast across the Southern Plains and Texas. Temperatures were much cooler on the 23rd (mostly in the 40s), and were accompanied by gusty north winds.  Rainfall amounts of one half to one inch occurred across the northern Big Country. For the rest of west-central Texas, rainfall amounts varied mostly under one third of an inch. 

A significant ice event occurred at the end of December, with much colder temperatures. Following passage of an arctic front, temperatures were much colder on the 30th and 31st. With the influence of upper level disturbances, areas of freezing drizzle and some light freezing rain occurred with temperatures dropping to well-below freezing. This resulted in icy conditions across west-central Texas, with some of the worst conditions in the San Angelo area.  With ice-covered roads, many traffic accidents were reported.  An increase in hospital admissions in San Angelo was partly due to injuries from people falling on the ice. A record low maximum temperature (25 degrees) was tied at San Angelo on the 31st.