February 2013 Weather Highlights for West-Central Texas

Precipitation was below normal across nearly all of west-central Texas in February.  The only exception (with near to above normal February precipitation) was across parts of Shackelford and Throckmorton Counties.  Where the monthly precipitation was less than 25 percent of normal (Figure 1), the amounts were less than one half inch (Figure 2). 

Figure 1:  Percent of normal precipitation for February.  

Figure 2:  Total precipitation for February.

Temperatures averaged above normal for the month.

At Abilene Regional Airport, the average temperature for February  was 50.1 degrees. This was 1.5 degrees above the normal average temperature of 48.6 degrees. Total precipitation for Abilene in February was 0.58 inches. This was 0.78 inches below the normal of 1.36 inches.

At San Angelo Regional Airport, the average temperature for February was 52.3 degrees. This was 3.0 degrees above the normal average temperature of 49.3 degrees. Total precipitation for San Angelo was 0.39 inches. This was 0.96 inches below the normal of 1.35 inches.

Total snowfall for February was a trace at both San Angelo and Abilene.

No daily record high, record low, record high minimum, or record low maximum temperatures were set or tied at Abilene or San Angelo during February.   

A fairly tranquil weather pattern occurred during the first week of February.  Temperatures were well-above  normal on the 4th-7th.  Afternoon highs were mostly in the 70s on February 4-6, and across central and southern sections of west-central Texas on the 7th.  Junction recorded highs in the lower 80s on the 5th and 7th.  Isolated showers and thunderstorms developed on the 6th, bringing one quarter to one half inch of rainfall in southern Brown and eastern Mason Counties.

Gusty south winds developed on the 9th, out ahead of a potent upper level storm system over the southwestern U.S.  San Angelo recorded a peak gust to 43 mph.  As the storm system lifted northeast across Colorado, a cold front moved east into west-central Texas on the night of the 9th.  Along this front, a line of thunderstorms rapidly developed from just west of San Angelo to near Abilene.  This line of storms moved east across much of west-central Texas during the overnight hours.  Many of the storms contained frequent lightning, gusty winds, and small hail.  A couple of severe storms produced hail up to golfball size 10 miles south of San Angelo, and a 60 mph wind gust in Eden.  Most of the rainfall occurred east of a line from Ozona to Abilene to Haskell (Figure 3).

Figure 3:  Rainfall for the 24-hour period ending 6 am Sunday, February 10, 2013.

The heavier rainfall (between 0.50 and 1.50 inches) occurred in a band extending from just north of Eldorado to just east of San Angelo to just north of Brownwood.

With the approach of another storm system from the southwestern states, scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms occurred across parts of west-central Texas, during the overnight hours of the 11th and 12th.  The coverage  was greatest across the northern Concho Valley and Big Country.  The below radar animation (Figure 4) shows the development and coverage of showers and a few thunderstorms, between 1158 PM (February 11) and 108 AM CST (February 12).  

                                               Figure 4:  National Weather Service Radar Mosiac- Southern Plains Sector. 

A few of the storms contained small hail.  Rainfall amounts for the overnight period of February 11-12 are shown in Figure 5.  Scattered locations received between a tenth of an inch and one half inch, while a few locations north of Interstate 20 received one half to one inch of rainfall.   

Figure 5:  Rainfall for the overnight period of February 11-12.  

During the late morning and afternoon hours, gusty west winds  brought an intrusion of much drier air into west-central Texas.  Wind gusts reached 41 mph at San Angelo and 39 mph at Junction.  Relative humidity values dropped below 20 percent across central and southern sections of west-central Texas.  This was followed by a cold frontal passage during the late afternoon afternoon and evening hours.    

Dry conditions occurred February 13-16, with a larger range in temperatures between the early morning lows and afternoon highs. Cooler temperatures followed a dry cold frontal passage, which occurred during the overnight hours of the 14th and 15th.       

With gusty south winds during the overnight hours of the 17th and 18th, a 41 mph wind gust was recorded at San Angelo.  With the arrival of a weak upper level disturbance from the southwestern states, rain showers occurred across most of the northern half of west-central Texas on February 19-20, while isolated showers occurred across the southern half.  Although a few locations across the northern Big Country received between one half and three quarters of an inch, the amounts across most of the Big Country ranged from one tenth to one quarter of an inch.  Some light rain and fog occurred during the day on the 20th. 

With the approach of an upper level storm system from New Mexico, showers and thunderstorms occurred during the post-Midnight hours of the 21st.  Much of the Big Country north and east of Abilene received between one tenth of an inch and one half inch of rainfall, while a few locations received between one half and one inch.  For central and southern sections of west-central Texas, the amounts varied under one quarter of an inch.  Gusty west winds followed passage of a Pacific cold front. Peak wind gusts of 51 mph at San Angelo and 41 mph at Abilene, were recorded during the day on the 21st.  

A quick warmup in temperatures occurred on the 24th, out ahead of a developing upper level storm system over the southwestern states.  Afternoon highs were in the mid to upper 70s  across  much of west-central Texas.  As the storm system approached late in the day, gusty south winds brought a quick return of moisture to the region.  Showers and thunderstorms occurred during the overnight hours of the 24th and 25th across much of west-central Texas, mostly along a line and just ahead of a Pacific cold front.  Some of the storms were accompanied by gusty winds and brief heavy rain. Pea size hail was reported near Christoval.  Scattered locations (mostly across the southern half of west-central Texas) received between one tenth and one half inch of rainfall.     

A high wind event occurred on the 25th, as a very strong upper level storm system tracked east across northern Texas and passed just north of Haskell and Throckmorton Counties.  Numerous wind damage reports were received for this event.

Some light snow occurred across the northern Big Country on the 25th, as precipitation wrapped around the potent upper level storm system and into that area.  Snowfall amounts were less than one inch across the northern Big Country.  A few light snowshowers occurred farther south across the Big Country and Concho Valley.  Temperatures were much colder on the 25th, and ranged from the 30s across the Big Country to the 40s farther south across west-central Texas.     

Cool and dry conditions occurred during the final days of the month.  A couple of cold fronts brought reinforcements of cooler air and kept temperatures below normal.