February 2003 lived up to February's Climatic History of Temperature Extremes. Although some Februarys have had more temperature extremes, like 1980, 1981 and 1996, February 2003 brought a variety of precipitation types, and wetter than normal over the eastern parts of South Central Texas. The month ended up with the average temperature below normal.

The month of February began with a warming trend, as afternoon highs peaked on Monday the 3rd, for the early part of the month. Afternoon highs on the 3rd rose to the 70s over the hill country to lower and mid 80s across parts of South Central Texas. A cold front came to the area quickly thereafter and cooled things back to seasonable normals. Highs the next day were near 15 to 25 degrees cooler. The clear day turned to mostly cloudy on Wednesday the 5th, as light rain began to formed in the late morning and early afternoon, then continued the rest of the day. Thursday the 6th saw a brief warming trend that ended late in the afternoon over the Texas Hill Country and in the late afternoon and early evening over South Central Texas, as much colder weather came. A winter mix of precipitation followed on Friday the 7th, and early Saturday morning the 8th.

On Thursday, February 6th, a surge of Arctic Air moved across the Texas Hill Country in the afternoon, and across South Central Texas in the late afternoon and early evening. Overnight to early morning temperatures by Friday morning, February 7th, fell to the 30s across the Texas Hill Country to upper 30s and around 40 over South Central Texas. Temperatures then fell throughout the rest of the day from the cold north winds and thick overcast skies. A precipitation making weather system came from west and southwest after sunrise on the 7th, and moved over the area, causing scattered areas of precipitation.

By 9 am Friday, the 7th, light snow was reported at Comstock in Val Verde County. It was not sticking to the ground at the time. By 1210 pm, snow was reported in Real County, as the band of snow had moved from parts of Val Verde County to parts of Edwards and Real County. Just after 12 Noon snow was also reported at Concan in Northern Uvalde County. By 133 pm snow was reported at Camp Wood, Rio Frio, and Leakey in Real County. For the rest of the afternoon, snow was reported over the Texas Hill Country. Snow was reported 9 miles west of Harper in West Gillespie County at 215 pm and at 315 pm light to moderate snow was reported at Ingram in Kerr County. Further south, sleet was reported at Lytle at 350 pm in Atascosa County. By Friday evening temperatures had fallen to lower 30s over the hill country to the mid 30s over South Central Texas. Another upper level disturbance moved over the area from the west and southwest causing another wave of precipitation. Scattered Snow continued in the evening to midnight over the hill country, being reported at Kerrville. Sleet was reported mixed with rain from near Hondo to San Antonio and New Braunfels in the evening hours. After midnight, snow was reported at Kerrville, Fredricksburg, New Braunfels, San Antonio, Austin Mabry, Austin Bergstrom, Georgetown, and San Marcos. Further south from Austin to San Antonio, the light snow was mixed with drizzle and light rain and sleet, as temperatures were in the low to mid 30s.

Around and after sunrise on Saturday the 8th, light rain and drizzle prevailed over the area, Freezing rain was observed at Burnet. By late morning to early afternoon, patchy light drizzle was observed as temperatures went above freezing. Early morning lows Saturday the 8th, varied from near 30 over the Hill Country to the lower and mid 30s across South Central Texas. Daytime highs under overcast skies on the 8th, were in the mid to upper 30s over the hill country to around 40 over South Central Texas.

Snow amounts in this event were as follows: Harper 6 inches; Mountain Home 5 inches; Hunt 4 inches; Ingram 3 inches; Kerrville near 2 inches; 1 mile north of Boerne 1 inch; near 2 inches 6 miles north of Fredricksburg; 1 to 3 inches over Blanco County; near 1 inch at Marble Falls; one half inch or less over parts of Williamson County; Leakey near 2 inches; Austin Mabry a Trace; Austin Bergstrom International Airport 0.4 inches; San Antonio International Airport 0.1 inches; Del Rio International Airport had a Trace, while some parts of Val Verde County received 0.5 to 1 inch of snow; New Braunfels Municipal Airport a Trace; and 0.5 inches 3 miles northwest of New Braunfels.

After a stretch of mild weather from the 9th to the 15th, cooler weather returned the 16th, followed by milder conditions the 18th and 19th, ahead of a strong upper level disturbance that brought a rain event to the area February 20th to 21st. In this event 2 to near 5 inches of rain fell over the eastern parts of South Central Texas, while near a tenth of an inch was observed over western parts of South Central Texas. Extremes February 20th and 21st varied from 0.10 inches at Del Rio to 5.19 inches at Dime Box in Lee County. On February 20th, heavy rains affected parts of the hill country to parts of Central Texas, including the Austin Area. Austin Bergstrom International Airport picked up 3.53 inches of rain the 20th, while Austin Mabry had 2.56 inches. Rainfall occurred further south also, where San Antonio International Airport had 0.80 inches. The final main part of this mid to late February Rain maker came through the area during the day of February 21st, causing more rain. On February 21st, a large area of rain formed between 200 AM and 230 AM between Hondo and Del Rio. The showers increased to become numerous showers and thunderstorms by 400 AM from east of Uvalde to south of Hondo, and north to the Hill Country. The thunderstorms caused heavy rains, and continued to increase and move east by 600 AM, where rain affected the Austin, San Marcos, New Braunfels and San Antonio Areas. This wave of rain moved east affecting the east part of South Central Texas after sunrise. The main weather maker for the 21st was locally heavy rain, that caused flooding over ground saturated by Autumn and Early Winter Rains. The greater than normal number of cloudy days also contributed to less evaporation, and thus more soil moisture. In the day of February 21st, a 2nd wave of showers and thunderstorms moved over the area, followed by a 3rd wave in the late afternoon and early evening, that moved over the hill country and parts of Central Texas.

After the 3rd wave of rain, skies cleared out the night of the 21st and early morning of the 22nd. Mostly sunny conditions prevailed over the weekend, with warm conditions Sunday the 23rd, as afternoon highs rose to the mid and upper 70s.

The warm weather ended quickly Sunday night the 23rd, as a surge of cold arctic air came in from the north and northeast, sending temperatures into the 30s to near 40 by sunrise Monday the 24th, a drop of nearly 40 degrees from afternoon highs the 23rd. It continued to get colder throughout the day of Monday the 24th, one of the true identifiers of Arctic Air. The late February 2003 Arctic Blast came nearly a year after the late February 2002 cold outbreak, only the February 2003 outbreak was cloudier and brought precipitation, where the February 2002 event was dry and cold. Freezing rain, sleet and some snow came with this event. Freezing and frozen precipitation began in the afternoon of the 24th over the hill country and spread east and south to the Austin and San Antonio areas by the evening of the 24th. In the Austin Area, sleet and snow were mixed in with occasional freezing rain. The freezing rain and drizzle, mixed with sleet shutdown many roads and highways, making travel hazardous. In the night of the 24th to early morning hours of the 25th, some of the waves of frozen precipitation was accompanied by thunder, as the environment was unstable above the shallow Arctic Air. As an area of low pressure formed in the northwest Gulf of Mexico the morning of the 25th, the Arctic Air over Central and South Central Texas increased slightly, keeping northerly winds and chilly conditions over the area. Scattered areas of freezing drizzle continued in the morning of the 25th, especially over the hill country and parts of Central Texas. Record Low Maximum Temperatures occurred the 24th, at Austin Bergstrom, 30, Austin Mabry, 30, San Antonio 33, and Del Rio 37. These highs were the coldest daytime highs of record for the last 4 days of February. The freezing drizzle occurred off and on over northern parts of South Central Texas in the afternoon of the 25th, and diminished slowly the night of the 25th to morning of the 26th, ending by late morning of the 26th. Record Low Maximum Temperatures occurred again on the 26th at Austin Bergstrom with 37; Austin Mabry with 36; and San Antonio with 41. In this cold event, the area was below freezing for a number of hours.

In this event the frozen precipitation consisted of mostly freezing rain and drizzle, with some sleet, and some areas had more sleet and snow, mixed with some freezing rain. In the Austin Area, a mix of sleet and snow, with some freezing rain was observed. Austin Mabry picked up 0.6 inches of snow, while Austin Bergstrom has 0.4 inches of snow on February 24th.

Although conditions gradually moderated a little on the 26th; however, it still was cold. In the day of the 26th, skies cleared in the Del Rio area, while clouds continued farther east. On the 27th, warmer conditions came, as skies became mostly clear in the afternoon, with highs rising to the 50s over the east parts of the area to mid and upper 60s over the west parts of the area. On the last day of the month, cloudy skies prevailed with cool condtions, and afternoon highs were near 60 over western sections of South Central Texas to the lower 50s over eastern parts of the area.

Spring this year begins Saturday, March 20th at 700 PM CST. Although warmer weather comes in March and April, there have been periods of cold or cool outbreaks in March and April during the past. See History of Late March and April Cold Outbreaks. Even as spring begins, there have been extremes that showed up over the region in the past. Go To Early Spring Exreme Weather Events

The latest 30 day outlook for March 2003 from the National Center of Environmental Prediction calls for the Average Temperature to be below normal and for Precipitation to be Above Normal over Central and South Central Texas. The latest 3 Month or 90 Day Outlook for March 2003 to May 2003 calls for Below Normal Temperatures and Above Normal Precipitation over Central and South Central Texas. These latest 30 day and 90 day Outlooks were issued on Thursday, February 20, 2002, from the National Center of Environmental Prediction. To see the latest 30 and 90 day Monthly/Seasonal Outlooks Go to the Latest 30 and 90 Day Monthly/Seasonal Forecast from the National Center of Environmental Prediction.