Climate Of Upper Texas Coast

General Weather Discussions and Analysis
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Ptarmigan
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Wonder what is the typical climate of Upper Texas Coast. Let's start with the annual statistics from 1895 to 2009.

Upper Texas Coast Rainfall
Average Rainfall Total
47.88

Median Rainfall Total
46.36

Standard Deviation
10.359931

Top 10 Wettest
1919 72.97
1946 70.70
1979 70.47
1973 68.72
1991 67.94
1905 67.73
1900 67.02
1941 66.91
2004 64.66
1997 64.39

Top 10 Driest
1954 26.20
1917 27.01
1956 28.59
1988 30.88
1948 30.98
1999 33.05
1924 33.28
1963 33.61
1962 34.69
1901 34.98


Temperature
Average Temperature
69.427681

Median Temperature
69.433333

Standard Deviation
0.931823

Top 10 Warmest
1921 71.8667
1927 71.6500
1998 71.3833
1911 71.3833
1933 71.3667
1999 71.0583
1922 70.8583
1950 70.8500
2006 70.8000
2000 70.7000

Top 10 Coolest
1976 67.1167
1979 67.1833
1940 67.3833
1983 67.4083
1895 67.6250
1968 67.9083
1936 67.9250
1978 67.9500
1903 68.0250
1912 68.1417

The 1970s seem to be cooler than normal.

Here is a graph.
Image

Next time, I will focus on seasonsl climate. Was this past winter the coolest winter ever? Stay tuned on your next Bat Channel. :mrgreen: :lol:

Source:
http://www7.ncdc.noaa.gov/CDO/CDODivisionalSelect.jsp
Last edited by Ptarmigan on Tue May 04, 2010 7:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ptarmigan
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Since, we focused on annual climate. Now, let's look at by seasons in Upper Texas Coast. Wondered what is the wettest and driest season ever in the Upper Texas Coast?

Winter
Average Rainfall Total
10.69

Median Rainfall Total
10.17

Standard Deviation
3.469628

Top 10 Wettest Winter
1991-1992 23.72
1990-1991 18.35
1923-1924 18.31
1931-1932 18.06
1933-1934 17.56
1960-1961 17.20
1965-1966 16.48
1902-1903 16.32
1945-1946 16.10
1997-1998 15.94

I remember winter of 1991-1992 being very wet. Winter of 1923-24 is a stark contrast to summer of 1924.

Top 10 Driest Winter
2008-2009 2.84
1970-1971 3.89
1961-1962 4.51
1917-1918 5.46
1975-1976 5.57
1906-1907 5.90
1901-1902 6.00
2005-2006 6.01
1999-2000 6.02
1908-1909 6.11

I notice drier winters tend to be warmer in general. Dry and warmer winters are typical in La Nina.

Spring
Average Rainfall Total
10.76

Median Rainfall Total
10.37

Standard Deviation
4.452003

Top 10 Wettest Spring
1997 22.26
1900 21.97
1957 19.39
1922 19.38
1993 19.28
1944 19.04
1941 18.99
1905 18.31
1914 18.26
1991 17.62

I remember spring of 1997 being quite wet. Heavy rain would fall every week from March to May.

Top 10 Driest Spring
2003 2.56
1963 2.91
1996 3.13
1978 3.26
1998 3.32
1960 4.57
1899 5.02
1958 5.30
1961 5.33
1898 5.59

Some years with dry springs have given way to wet summers, like 1960 and 1961.

Summer
Average Rainfall Total
13.066522

Median Rainfall Total
12.2

Standard Deviation
4.904957

Top 10 Wettest Summer
1960 24.46
1981 24.06
2007 24.01
2001 23.16
1942 23.10
1961 23.06
1919 22.82
1983 21.93
1945 21.66
1973 21.49

Summer of 2007 was quite wet from what I remember. It rained almost everyday. A summer without the Sun and heat for the most part. Not surprisingly, all the wet summers had tropical cyclones making landfall on the Upper Texas Coast during the summer or in the fall.

Top 10 Driest Summer
2009 5.17
1924 5.79
1980 5.87
2000 5.89
1954 6.18
1956 6.19
1896 6.28
1930 6.49
1948 6.55
1951 6.56

Gees, not only Summer of 2009 was hot, it was bone dry! :o It was even drier than 1980, which is one of the hottest summers! 2009 also has the driest winter on record. Talk about a crazy year! A wet winter of 1923-24 gives way to dry summer of 1924. 1998 is not one of the top 10 driest summer, despite being one of the hottest summer.

Fall
Average Rainfall Total
13.31

Median Rainfall Total
12.39

Standard Deviation
5.399548

Fall is the wettest season of the year. Not surprisingly, major floods have occurred from September to November. Tropical cyclones make landfall usually in September.

Top 10 Wettest Fall
1913 29.03
1998 27.60
2002 26.15
1919 24.82
1946 23.94
1941 23.05
1925 22.76
1986 22.40
1973 22.40
1984 21.92

Fall of 1998 was very wet. First there was Tropical Storm Frances, than heavy rain in October and November on top of a very warm month, on heels of a hot summer.

Top 10 Driest Fall
1924 3.28
1950 4.86
1956 5.34
1917 5.42
1999 5.47
1939 5.56
1903 6.06
1916 6.43
1933 6.95
1988 7.00

Wondered what is the warmest and coolest season ever in the Upper Texas Coast?

Top 10 Warmest Winter
1949-1950 60.9333
1906-1907 60.7333
1910-1911 60.5333
1951-1952 60.1333
1956-1957 60.1333
1922-1923 59.9333
1931-1932 59.8000
1926-1927 59.7333
1998-1999 59.1333
1999-2000 59.0000

A string warm winters from 1998-2000, due to a persistent La Nina.

Top 10 Coolest Winter
1977-1978 48.900
1894-1895 49.200*
2009-2010 49.733
1904-1905 49.833
1898-1899 50.133
1963-1964 50.233
1976-1977 50.233
1983-1984 50.567
1978-1979 50.700
1939-1940 51.033
*No data for December of 1894

If you were feeling colder this past winter, it was cooler than normal. 2009-2010 winter is one of the coldest winters ever for the Upper Texas Coast. It is up there with 1977-1978 and 1894-1895. February 1895 had the big blizzard on February 13-14, 1895. 2009 was quite a contrast from hot summer to cold winters. Interesting to note from 1976 to 1979, there were strings of cooler winters.

Top 10 Warmest Spring
1908 72.3667
1967 72.2000
1963 72.1667
2006 72.0333
1929 71.7000
1991 71.4333
1953 71.4333
2000 71.4000
1927 71.4000
1911 71.2000

Usually, wetter means cooler, but not always the case. Spring of 1991 was one of the warmest springs on record. Also, it is one of the wettest.

Top 10 Coolest Spring
1931 63.8000
1915 65.9000
1926 65.9667
1983 66.1333
1969 66.5667
1952 66.9333
1993 66.9667
1960 67.0333
1924 67.0333
1970 67.1333

Top 10 Warmest Summer
1998 85.1000
2009 84.8667
1958 84.2667
1902 84.2000
1951 84.1333
1980 84.0667
1924 83.8333
2000 83.8333
2005 83.7000
1918 83.6667

Summer of 2009 was very hot. It is only second to the Summer of 1998. It even beats Summer of 1980, a notoriously hot summer. 2000 is also one of the hottest summers on record and it produced many heat waves.

Top 10 Coolest Summer
1976 80.7667
1903 80.8333
1961 80.8667
1940 80.9667
1919 81.1667
1973 81.2000
1974 81.2000
1972 81.2667
1946 81.3333

Cool summers are rare. Some summers do not reach 100 degrees. Since 1998, every summer has hit 100. 1976 had the coolest summer recorded. Also, there were strings of cool summers from 1972 to 1974.

Top 10 Warmest Fall
1931 74.5000
1927 74.3000
1973 73.8667
1921 73.6333
1998 73.6333
1900 73.6000
2004 73.5333
1919 73.4000
2005 73.1667
1963 73.1333

Fall 1998 was very wet, yet very warm.

Top 10 Coolest Fall
1976 64.7000
1932 67.5333
1952 67.9000
1943 68.2333
1979 68.3333
1917 68.3667
1898 68.6333
1936 68.7333
1957 68.8333

1976 had the coolest fall as well. No surprise that 1976 was the coolest year ever recorded from 1895 to 2010.

Next time I will focus on monthly averages and records. Enjoy your Houston Weather. :lol:
Last edited by Ptarmigan on Wed May 05, 2010 7:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Great info PT. Kudos! Got to love our Houston weather. Never boring...for long...
Carla/Alicia/Jerry(In The Eye)/Michelle/Charley/Ivan/Dennis/Katrina/Rita/Wilma/Humberto/Ike/Harvey

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ai9d
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Ya'll keep pumping stats like that I'm going to have to move down there!!
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Ptarmigan
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Rainfall By Month for the Upper Texas Coast.

January
Average Rainfall Total
3.51

Median
3.08

Standard Deviation
1.952761

Top 10 Wettest
1991 10.46
1944 9.12
1934 8.63
1992 7.97
2007 7.52
1932 6.51
1989 6.47
1979 6.45
1993 6.43
1998 6.37

Top 10 Driest
1971/2009 0.37
1907 0.39
1914 0.84
1909 0.97
1928 1.05
1957 1.12
1952 1.15
1902 1.22
1953 1.23
1927 1.25

February
Average Rainfall Total
3.21

Median
2.96

Standard Deviation
1.783778

Top 10 Wettest
1959 9.46
1903 8.60
1992 7.97
1952 7.19
1923 6.53
1905 6.25
1983 5.64
1949 5.61
1969 5.60
1931 5.41

Top 10 Driest
1916 0.21
1954 0.27
1925 0.46
1976 0.50
1947 0.71
2001 0.74
1989/1996 0.76
2002 0.91
1962 0.92
1926 1.03

March
Average Rainfall Total
2.90

Median
2.52

Standard Deviation
1.835765

Top 10 Wettest
1957 8.32
1926 8.29
1997 8.06
1944 7.64
1900 6.53
1985 6.34
1993 6.30
1922 5.91
1903 5.79
1905 5.72

Top 10 Driest
1916 0.22
1955 0.35
1953 0.41
1963 0.42
1899 0.49
1939 0.63
1978 0.69
1987/1996 0.74
1959 0.76
1961 0.78

March is the driest month for the Upper Texas Coast.

April
Average Rainfall Total
3.39

Median
2.80

Standard Deviation
2.061787

Top 10 Wettest
1900 8.97
1991 8.50
1973 8.22
1997 7.97
1957 7.75
1905 7.64
1949 7.39
1911 7.30
2009 7.20

Top 10 Driest
1987 0.19
1984 0.37
1983 0.39
1937 0.52
1998 0.83
1933 0.84
1951/2003 0.88
1944 0.93
2001 0.97

May
Average Rainfall Total
4.47

Median
3.97

Standard Deviation
2.70543

Top 10 Wettest
1907 12.25
1936 10.75
1944 10.47
1946 9.34
1970 9.06
1953 8.79
1941 8.76
1974 8.71
1929 8.71
2004 8.70

Top 10 Driest
2003 0.04
1998 0.05
1937 0.39
1898 0.42
1903 0.56
1996 0.59
1978 0.73
1988 0.96
1960 0.97
1896 1.09

June
Average Rainfall Total
4.65

Median
4.02

Standard Deviation
3.088558

Top 10 Wettest
1968 13.16
1960 12.85
1989 12.61
1899 12.33
2004 12.25
2001 11.57
1961 11.44
1981 11.35
1973 11.28
1987 10.38

June gets its rainfall from tropical systems or cutoff lows.

Top 10 Driest
1907 0.63
2009 0.71
1967 0.73
2005 0.78
1936 0.87
1934 0.90
1980 0.99
1896 1.09
1944 1.10
1908 1.15

July
Average Rainfall Total
4.33

Median
3.75

Standard Deviation
2.871727

Top 10 Wettest
1979 14.06
2007 13.72
1933 11.87
1942 11.82
1903 11.42
2006 10.63
1902 9.70
1900 9.57
1943 9.24
1983 9.06

Top 10 Driest
1924 .00
1899 .00
1925 .74
1930 .81
2000 .89
1986 1.00
1993 1.09
1956 1.15
1898 1.16
1918 1.18

Two years in July had no rain at all! 1924 and 1899. Talk about a month with no rain! :shock:

August
Average Rainfall Total
4.09

Median
3.42

Standard Deviation
2.256093

Top 10 Wettest
1945 13.47
1953 11.39
1996 9.06
1920 8.90
1914 8.87
2001 8.69
1960 8.33
1959 8.23
1983 8.18
1966 7.48

Top 10 Driest
1927 .55
1921 .57
1999 .86
1902 1.08
1952 1.12
1951 1.32
1990 1.52
1956 1.71
2000 1.73
1943 1.80

Notice the wettest Augusts happen due to tropical storms or hurricanes making landfall.

September
Average Rainfall Total
5.13

Median
4.64

Standard Deviation
2.939454

Top 10 Wettest
1979 15.08
1913 14.67
1998 13.16
1958 12.72
1973 11.75
1941 11.38
1961 11.24
1971 10.26
1951 10.02
1983 9.85

Top 10 Driest
1953 0.90
1956 1.11
1947 1.26
1960 1.41
1931 1.46
1989 1.62
1982 1.75
1895 1.84
1899 1.93
1993 1.99

September is the wettest month in the Upper Texas Coast. Lot of it is from hurricanes.

October
Average Rainfall Total
4.29

Median
3.35

Standard Deviation
3.367105

Top 10 Wettest
1949 17.97
1919 14.49
1984 13.33
1994 13.28
2002 12.53
2006 12.05
1925 10.89
2009 10.13
1986 9.60
1941 9.46

Top 10 Driest
1924 .00
1952 .00
1908 0.13
1948 0.39
1987 0.44
1950 0.48
1961/1978 0.58
1921 0.66
1917 0.67
1943 0.72

October 1949 is the wettest month ever in the Upper Texas Coast due to a hurricane and a few days later, heavy rain. Many floods have occurred in October, like in 1994. Also, October had 0 inches of rain in 1924 again and 1952. Having 2 months with 0 inches of rain is just crazy.

November
Average Rainfall Total
3.89

Median
3.56

Standard Deviation
2.403102

Top 10 Wettest
2004 12.55
1946 11.06
1902 9.89
2000 9.57
1907 8.63
1982 8.38
1940 8.22
1974 7.83
1934 7.76
1986 7.71

Top 10 Driest
1903 0.32
1949 0.49
1988 0.70
2006 0.87
1999 0.94
1967 0.96
1950 0.97
1924 1.02
1994 1.08
1970 1.10

December
Average Rainfall Total
4.02

Median
3.69

Standard Deviation
1.861841

Top 10 Wettest
1923 9.26
1911 9.00
1912 8.36
1960 8.00
1991 7.78
1935 7.71
1913 7.61
1949 7.54
1931 7.08
1995 6.99

Top 10 Driest
1948 0.76
1970 0.98
1989 1.04
1980 1.33
2008 1.36
1954 1.45
1957 1.47
2007 1.55
1917 1.67
1950 1.67

Notice months with snow are also some of the driest Decembers on record, 1989 and 2008. 1989 was also one of the coldest Decembers on record, when the lows reach into the single digits! December 1991 had a huge flood event from Central Texas to East Texas. Quite a flood event it was for Texas.

Next, we shall look at monthly temperatures for the Upper Texas Coast. I shall return.
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Ptarmigan
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Temperature By Month

January
Average Temperature Total
53.8

Median
53.3

Standard Deviation
4.073002

Top 10 Warmest
1907 63.2
1950 63.1
1952 62.3
1911/1923 62.1
1921 60.2
1933 60.1
1916 59.5
2006 58.9
1998 58.5
1989/2000 58.4

Top 10 Coolest
1940 42.5
1978 44.3
1977 45.0
1979 45.7
1985 47.2
1963 47.3
1948 47.5
1918 47.6
1970/1984 48.3
1930/1966/1988 48.5


February
Average Temperature Total
56.3

Median
56.4

Standard Deviation
4.073002

Top 10 Warmest
1932 64.4
1957 63.6
1962 63.5
1911/1927 63.2
2000 63.0
1999 62.7
1930 61.9
1944/1950 61.8
1925 61.7
2009 61.5

Top 10 Coolest
1905 44.9
1895 45.1
1978 46.5
1899 46.8
2010 49.1
1947 49.9
1968 50.3
1964 50.7
1960 50.8
1985 50.9

March
Average Temperature Total
62.7

Median
62.5

Standard Deviation
3.263675

Top 10 Warmest
1907 71.0
1921 68.9
1945 68.8
1938 68.4
1904 68.3
1908 68.2
1953 68.1
1897 67.9
1935 67.6
1918 67.2

Top 10 Coolest
1915 53.7
1969 55.8
1931 56.4
1941 56.8
1947 57.0
1960 57.1
1996 57.6
1932 57.7
1965 58.0
1937 58.1

April
Average Temperature Total
69.1

Median
68.9

Standard Deviation
2.220042

Top 10 Warmest
1967 75.3
1963 74.0
1929 73.6
2002 73.4
2006 73.2
1908 72.9
1981 72.8
1927/1999 72.5
1965 72.4
1922/1925/1991 72.3

Top 10 Coolest
1931 64.0
1983 65.0
1898/1997 65.1
1901/1926 65.3
1973 65.4
1928 65.5
1936/1952 65.9
1980 66.0
1993 66.1
1949 66.5

May
Average Temperature Total
75.6

Median
75.5

Standard Deviation
1.779739

Top 10 Warmest
2003 79.7
1899 79.3
1996 79.1
1896/1933 78.9
1998 78.7
1905/1927 78.6
2000 78.4
1950 78.2
1949 78.1
1902 77.9

Top 10 Coolest
1931 71.0
1976 72.0
1917 72.4
1903 72.5
1907 72.6
1954/1970/1979 72.8
1924 72.9
1993 73.1
1919 73.2
1895/1944 73.3

June
Average Temperature Total
81.2

Median
81.3

Standard Deviation
1.218468

Top 10 Warmest
1998 84.6
1990 83.8
1953 83.7
1958 83.5
1915/2008 83.3
2009 83.2
1902 83.1
1911/1918 83.0
1980 82.9
1906 82.7

Top 10 Coolest
1903 77.8
1919 78.6
1946 79.0
1976 79.1
1940 79.2
1912/1913/1933/1970/1983 79.3
1973/1974/1988 79.4
1955 79.5
1961/1966 79.6
1968 79.7

July
Average Temperature Total
83.2

Median
83.2

Standard Deviation
1.029205

Top 10 Warmest
1998/2009 86.1
1980 85.5
1969 85.2
2000 85.0
1957/1958 84.8
1925/1932/1954 84.7
1996 84.6
1897/1909/1918/1951 84.5
1986/1997 84.4
1948/1962/1982 84.3

Top 10 Coolest
2007 80.9
1976 81.1
1972 81.2
1942 81.3
1936 81.4
1904/1968 81.7
1903 81.8
1919/1985 81.9
1900/1940/1961 82.0
1905/1967/1990 82.1

August
Average Temperature Total
83.3

Median
83.2

Standard Deviation
1.16889

Top 10 Warmest
1999 86.1
1902/1951 86.0
1962 85.6
1924/2009 85.3
1910 85.1
1993 84.9
1987 84.8
2000 84.7
1899/1921/1954/1958/1988/1998/2005 84.6

Top 10 Coolest
1992 80.3
1967 80.7
1973 80.8
1931 80.9
1961 81.0
1971 81.3
1900/1904/1940/1974/1975 81.7
1989/1994 81.8
1966 81.9
1914/1920/1949/1972 82.0

September
Average Temperature Total
79.2

Median
79.4

Standard Deviation
1.605528

Top 10 Warmest
2005 83.2
1911 82.9
1933/1980/1998 82.1
1900 82.0
1921/1986 81.7
1954 81.6
1977 81.5
1920/1926 81.3
1962/1972 81.2
1931 81.1

Top 10 Coolest
1974 75.0
1979 75.9
1975 76.0
1940 76.3
1899/1918 76.6
1942/1967 76.7
1943 76.8
1984 76.9
1897/1913/1989 77.0
1968/1983 77.1

October
Average Temperature Total
71.2

Median
71.3

Standard Deviation
2.258452

Top 10 Warmest
1919 76.6
2004 76.5
1941/1947 75.8
1931 75.2
1962 75.0
1926 74.7
1963 74.6
1928 74.2
1900 74.0
1934 73.9

Top 10 Coolest
1976 62.6
1952 65.5
1906 66.7
1917 67.3
1895 67.7
1908/1957/1964/1980 67.8
1913/1970/1987 68.3
1932/1936 68.4
1965 68.7
1943/1945/2001 68.8

November
Average Temperature Total
62.2

Median
61.8

Standard Deviation
3.246653

Top 10 Warmest
1927 70.3
1973 68.6
1965 68.4
1909/1921 68.3
1913 67.7
1902 67.4
1931 67.2
1985 67.1
1994 66.7
2003 66.2

Top 10 Coolest
1976 53.4
1932 55.9
1972 56.4
1929 56.6
1959 57.0
1991 57.2
1898/1979 57.5
1936/1939/1992 57.7
1980 57.9
1907 58.0

December
Average Temperature Total
55.4

Median
55.4

Standard Deviation
3.16434

Top 10 Warmest
1933 64.4
1984 63.6
1922 62.1
1970 61.7
1921 61.5
1971 61.0
1906 60.5
1956 59.4
1948 59.3
1923 59.0

Top 10 Coolest
1989 45.4
1983 47.5
1963 47.9
1914 49.1
1905 49.4
2000 49.7
1909 50.1
2009 50.2
1898 50.3
1976 51.0

Seems like some years have many record warmth like 1998, while some have record coolness, like 1976 and 1978. I will explore if there is a connection between January-May rainfall and temperature and tropical cyclone landfalls on the Upper Texas Coast.
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