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!
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.
