The average December temperature was 53.9 degrees, 1.5 degrees above normal. The average high was 67.1, and the average low was 40.6. Heating degree days 345 and cooling degree days 7. The highest temperature reached 77 on the 22nd. The lowest was 27 on the 30th. Highest wind gust was 38 mph from the west, northwest in wake of a Pacific Cold Front on the 9th. Rainfall was 0.11 inches, 1.85 inches below normal, and was the 7th driest December of Record. Rainfall from January 1st to December 31st, 2003... 28.45 inches or 4.47 inches below normal.

December 2003 was much drier than normal, continuing a trend that began in mid to late November. It was the 7th driest December of record for San Antonio and tied for the 4th driest December of Record for Del Rio, with December of 1922 and 1966. In addition, several windy days came to the area in wake of rapidly moving, dry Pacific Cold Fronts. On several occasions, dust accompanied these cold fronts. Warmer daytime highs, supported by more sunny days than usual, helped to make the average temperature for the month generally warmer than normal. A few locations over the northeast part of South Central Texas ended up with average monthly temperature near to just below normal, where overnight lows were colder and afternoon highs did not warm up as much, Even though there were a number of freezes in the month, more than usual at some locations, the warmer afternoons offset things to make the average monthly temperature higher. The number of freezes at the following locations was as follows: Austin Bergstrom International Airport 15; Austin Mabry 3; Burnet 11; Del Rio International Airport 8; Fredericksburg 14; Georgetown 13; Hondo 16; Kerrville 11; La Grange 10; New Braunfels 11; San Antonio International Airport 9; San Antonio Stinson 9; and San Marcos 10.

2003 rainfall was varied, beginning very dry, and then increasing in the summer months and through part of September. By late October, rainfall began to fade. After November 17th, a very dry fall/winter weather pattern settled over the area, and continued through December. For Austin Bergstrom 2003 was the 10th driest year of record, 1943 to 2003, with 23.38 inches of rain. For Austin Mabry 2003 was the 13th driest of record, 1856 to 2003, with 21.43 inches of rain. For San Antonio 2003 was near the middle of all years, however rainfall was slightly below normal. With 28.45 inches of rain, 2003 for San Antonio was the 64th driest year of record or 67 wettest of record, 1871 to 2003. Further west, plentiful rains from late May to the early and mid part of October, produced a different rainfall environment for Del Rio. On the flip side, 2003 was one of Del Rio's wetter years. Abundant late May rains that continued through the summer, and from September to the early and mid part of October, helped to make 2003 the 18th wettest year at Del Rio of record, 1906 to 2003. Heavy rains caused flooding in the Del Rio Area on May 27th and October 11th.

Returning to the month of December 2003, December began as a cloudy day on the first, with widely scattered areas of light rain in the morning, and clouds in the afternoon. As the weak rain making system on Monday the first quickly moved away from South Central Texas, skies cleared Tuesday the 2nd, as daytime highs warmed to the 70s. The mild early December weather continued through Wednesday the 3rd, then ended late in the day and night of the 3rd, as cooler air filtered over the area from the north, in wake of a weak, fast moving upper level disturbance. As a result, although a mostly sunny day followed December 4th, it was not quite as warm in the day. This was just an introduction to colder conditions that followed shortly thereafter. A stronger, dry upper level disturbance brought partly cloudy skies and colder weather on Friday the 5th. In wake of this cold front on Friday the 5th, daytime temperatures fell in the day, and a freeze followed the night of the 5th and early Saturday morning the 6th. Lows fell to the 20s over the hill country and adjacent parts of South Central Texas; upper 20s to lower 30s over parts of Central Texas to the east parts of South Central Texas; and in the 30s to near 40 near the Rio Grande. Afternoon highs were in the 50s. Another freeze came the night of the 6th and early morning of the 7th, except for the west part of the area near the Rio Grande where lows were in the 30s. Daytime highs warmed up to the 60s on Sunday the 7th.

Moisture attempted to return early in the day of the 8th, and was rapidly mixed out into drier air after sunrise, as a sunny and warm day pushed afternoon highs well into the 70s. On the night of the 8th and morning of the 9th, a moderate amount of low level humidity returned, ahead of a strong and fast moving weather system aloft, that caused only light rain over the eastern half of the area. On the 9th, showers and thunderstorms began to form east of San Antonio and from the Austin Area south to parts of Fayette, Gonzales, Lavaca and Dewitt Counties around 8 to 930 am. These widely scattered showers and thunderstorms then moved east toward Southeast Texas, and diminished in the late morning. Another strong, dry weather system aloft brought another fast moving front across the area, leaving dry and windy conditions from the late morning through the afternoon and early evening hours. Winds gusts to 46 mph at Del Rio and Austin Mabry, 41 mph at Austin Bergstrom and 38 mph at San Antonio in the day. The winds slowly died down after sunset, as colder air spread across the area from the north and northwest, along with a band of dust. This brought a freeze in the early morning of the 10th over northern and western parts of South Central Texas. A cooler day followed on Wednesday the 10th, and a freeze came the night of the 10th and early morning of the 11th. Middle to High level clouds formed over the area Thursday the 11th from the west and southwest. These clouds formed ahead of an upper level disturbance, that helped to bring rains to the area on Friday the 12th. On the 12th cloudy skies prevailed, along with mostly light rain. Patchy fog showed up in the afternoon hours. As evening came, rain showers came with a cold front, that swept across the area from the northwest, bringing cooler temperatures once again. Clear skies followed Saturday the 13th, with cooler temperatures. Afternoon highs were in the 50s over Central Texas and the Texas Hill Country, while further south, afternoon highs managed to get to the 60s over most of South Central Texas. On the night of the 13th and early morning of Sunday the 14th, another freeze came to the area.

On the 15th, daytime highs warmed up ahead of another fast moving cold front, that swept across the area in the evening and late night hours, bringing strong northerly winds and occasional blowing dust again. This cold front was followed by another cold front Thursday the 18th. These patterns kept mainly clear skies over the area from the 16th through the 19th and 20th.

On the night of the 20th, moisture returned rapidly, and with the moisture came clouds. Low clouds on Monday morning of the 22nd, broke out, and another cold front followed the night of the 22nd and early morning of the 23rd. Widely scattered showers and thunderstorms showed up over the extreme east part of South Central Texas in the evening and moved out of the area after midnight, in the very early morning hours of Tuesday the 23rd. Mostly clear skies and breezy conditions followed during the day of the 23rd, with much lower humidity. High clouds increased during the day of December 24th, ahead of a quick moving upper level weather system that brought a few sprinkles to the area on December 25th. Cloudy skies prevailed Friday the 26th through Sunday the 28th, along with occasional light rain. On Monday the 29th, mostly clear skies returned in wake of a Cold Front. Another widespread freeze came the night of the 29th and early morning of Tuesday the 30th. Clouds increased in the early morning of December 31st, to become cloudy in the day of Wednesday the 31st. Light drizzle began falling late in the day and the evening, on New Years Eve.

December 2003 was much drier than normal. Dry fall weather that showed up in the Fall of 2003 was different from the wet and stormy fall weather that was so characteristic of the Falls of 2000, 2001, and 2002. The last time the area had dry fall weather came in the Fall of 1999. The year before very wet fall weather in September and October of 1998 turned drier from Mid November 1998 through December 1998, except for a freezing precipitation event just before Christmas of 1998. Dry fall weather in the fall of 1997 turned stormy from late December 1997 through March 1998, associated with the 1997 to Mid 1998 El Nino.

Winter 2003/2004 began on December 22nd at 104 AM CST and will end March 20, 2004 at 1249 AM CST, when Spring 2004 officially begins.