November 2011 Weather Highlights for West-Central Texas

...Temperatures averaged above normal and precipitation was mostly below normal across 
West Central Texas in November...

Precipitation for the month was below normal across most of west-central Texas. This
was most noteable across two areas:  the southern Big Country, northern Concho Valley
and northern Heartland, and across some of the Northern Edwards Plateau east into
Menard County. Across these areas, the monthly amounts of less than one half inch were
less than 25 percent of normal. For the rest of the area with below normal 
precipitation, the monthly amounts generally ranged from one half to 1.5 inches.  For
a few small areas, the monthly amounts (in the range of 2 to 4 inches) were above 
normal.  These small areas were in Kimble County, southern Brown County, and extreme
eastern Throckmorton County.   

At Abilene Regional Airport, the average temperature for November was 55.4 degrees.  
This was 0.8 degrees above the normal average temperature of 54.6 degrees.  Total 
precipitation for Abilene in November was only 0.18 inches.  This was 1.23 inches 
below the normal of 1.41 inches.  

At San Angelo Regional Airport, the average temperature for November was 57.9 degrees.
This was 2.6 degrees above the normal average temperature of 60.5 degrees.  Total 
precipitation for San Angelo was 0.32 inches.  This was 0.82 inches below the normal 
of 1.14 inches.  

November 2011 Weather Highlights...

The weather pattern was fairly active in November, bringing a wide variety of weather
ranging from near record highs to overnight freezes, and from blowing dust to dense 
fog.

Warm daytime temperatures on the 1st were accompanied by gusty south winds.  Afternoon
highs were in the upper 70s to lower 80s. Temperatures reached the mid 80s for highs
on the 2nd, across central and southern sections of west central Texas ahead of an
approaching cold front.  The high of 87 degrees at San Angelo tied the record high for
the 2nd.  A strong cold front pushed south across west central texas on the 2nd, 
entering the Big Country around midday and reaching the Interstate 10 corridor during
the evening.  Gusty north winds followed the frontal passage. Peak wind gusts reached 
46 mph at Abilene and 40 mph at San Angelo.  Some dust was carried aloft into western 
parts of the region.  Much cooler air invaded the area in the wake of the frontal
passage, and temperatures dropped into the 30s by the early morning of the 3rd.

A freeze occurred across a large part of west central Texas on the early morning of 
the 4th, as a high pressure system settled across the area.  This followed a freeze
which occurred across the region on October 29th. The combination of clear skies,
light winds and very dry air allowed temperatures to dip into the 20s across much of
the area south of Interstate 20.  The coldest readings were in the lower 20s at Fort
Griffin State Park and Menard.  This marked the first freeze of the fall season at
some locations across the Big Country, including Abilene.  Ozona and Sweetwater 
narrowly escaped a freeze, where low temperatures were in the 33-36 degree range.

A quick warming trend in temperatures followed with gusty south winds on the 5th and 
6th. With gusty south winds on the 5th, the Abilene Regional Airport recorded
a peak gust of 46 mph.  Record warm minimum temperatures were set at San Angelo on
the 6th and 7th, and at Abilene on the 7th.  The south winds continued and helped to 
bring a return of moisture to the region on the 7th, out ahead of a strong upper level
disturbance over the southwestern states.   

With the approach of this strong disturbance, a few showers and thunderstorms occurred
across the eastern Big Country on the 7th.

More widespread coverage of showers and thunderstorms occurred on the 8th, between 
the hours of Midnight and 8 am, as the disturbance entered the region. A few strong to
severe storms occurred, with strong gusty winds and large hail.  Quarter size hail was
reported at Vancourt (Tom Green County) and Lowake (Concho County). A peak wind gust 
of 61 mph was measured by a Mesonet station 1 mile east-southeast of Wall (Tom Green 
County). 

The coverage was greatest across the northern and western Big Country, and across
the Concho Valley into western parts of the Heartland.  Across these areas, rainfall
amounts were mostly in the range of one quarter to three quarters of an inch, but a
few locations received more than one inch. Across the rest of west-central Texas, the
amounts varied under one quarter of an inch.  

With the departure of this system, a high pressure system with cooler and drier air 
moved into the region. Highs were in the upper 50s to lower 60s across much of the 
area on the 9th. Early morning lows were at or below the freezing mark across most of 
the area on the 10th, and across areas of central and southern sections of west-
central Texas on the 11th.

Temperatures were warm with partly cloudy skies and south to southwest winds on the 
13th. Afternoon highs reached the lower to mid 80s across west-central Texas.  These
highs were only a degree or two short of the records for this date at San Angelo and
Abilene.

A limited moisture return into the region occurred by the 14th, as another upper level
disturbance approached from the southwestern states and northern Mexico.  This 
disturbance tracked east across Rio Grande Valley and southern Texas the 15th, 
bringing showers and a few thunderstorms to southeastern sections of west-central
Texas. Most of these occurred southeast of a line from Sonora to Brownwood. The 
heaviest rainfall between 1.5 and 2.5 inches occurred across parts of Kimble County.
Most of the Northwest Hill Country received between one half and one inch of rain.  
Elsewhere the amounts varied under one half inch.

A cold front pushed south across west-central Texas on the 16th, brining a return to
cooler conditions.

Gusty south winds occurred on the 18th and 19th...and Abilene recorded a peak wind
gust of 41 mph on the 18th. The south winds brought an increase in moisture to the
region from the Gulf of Mexico.  A weak cold front moved south across west-central
Texas on the 20th before stalling. 

The front then lifted back north as a warm front into central sections of west-central 
Texas on the 21st.  Low clouds with patchy fog and drizzle occurred north of the warm 
front on the 21st.  Temperatures were quite cool and only reached the mid to upper 40s
for highs across the Big Country on the 21st.  Meanwhile, south of the warm front, 
skies partially cleared across southern sections of west-central Texas, where highs
were in the range of 76 to 81 degrees.      

With the approach of an upper level disturbance from New Mexico, scattered showers and
thunderstorms also occurred on the 21st across the Big Country, northern and eastern 
Concho Valley, Heartland, and Northwest Hill Country. The heavier rainfall amounts, 
mainly in the range of one half to 1.5 inches, occurred across parts of Brown, San 
Saba, Mason, and Kimble Counties.  The amounts across the rest of the area varied 
under one half inch. 

Temperatures remained cool across the Big Country where cloud cover persisted on the 
22nd.  Areas of fog, locally dense, occurred during the early morning hours of the 
23rd. Visibility dropped to less than one quarter of a mile in the dense fog.

With the influence of high pressure, mostly clear skies and pleasant daytime 
temperatures occurred on the 23rd and 24th.

South winds brought limited moisture into the area on the 25th, ahead of an
upper level disturbance approaching from the west.  Light Rain showers occurred from
the evening of the 25th into the post-Midnight hours of the 26th, as the upper level
disturbance moved east across Texas.  Rainfall amounts of one tenth to one quarter of
an inch occurred across some of the area east of an Ozona to Abilene to Throckmorton
line.  A few locations in the Heartland and Northwest Hill Country received quarter to
half inch amounts.  The highest amounts of one half to three quarters of an inch 
occurred in extreme southeastern Kimble County.

Following a cold frontal passage on the 26th, cooler and much drier air invaded the
region, accompanied by strong gusty north winds. Peak wind gusts reached 48 mph at
Abilene and 41 mph at San Angelo. 

The changeable weather pattern continued to the end of the month.  Gusty north to
northwet winds continued on the 27th, but to a lesser extent than on the 26th. 
After highs in the 50s on the 27th, a quick warmup occurred on the 27th, with
very dry air in place and developing west winds.  Highs were in the 60s across 
northern and eastern sections of west-central Texas, and in the 70 to 75 degree range
across the Concho Valley, Northwest Hill Country, and Northern Edwards Plateau. 
Following a dry cold frontal passage, temperatures were cooler on the 29th.