AUSTIN...

June 2003 weather in Review

After a very dry May, June 2003 brought more rain, with showers, thunderstorms, and a few severe weather events. In the month, rain making weather systems aloft came from the west and northwest, bringing much needed rain. This trend actually attempted to get started in Mid May, only to break down the weekend of the 17th and 18th of May. A rainy and stormy pattern tried to emerge again in late May, when parts of West Texas received adequate rain, followed by a heavy rain event in Del Rio on May 27th. As June arrived the westerlies developed a little further south, and the trend of rain making disturbances aloft moving over the area from the west and northwest became stronger.  In June 2003, at times these weather systems aloft were accompanied by cool fronts, that helped to moderate daytime highs a little lower than what they could have potentially risen to. Monthly maximums for June were below those of May, moderated by more rains and a few weak, modified cool fronts.  The monthly total rain for June 2003 was above normal over the east and northeast parts of South Central Texas, with below normal rainfall for the month over the western parts of South Central Texas. According to the latest 30 year normals (1971 - 2000), climatologically June is the 3rd wettest month of the year for Austin, the wettest on average for Del Rio and the 2nd wettest on average for San Antonio, from the latest 30 year normals. For June 2003 the following rain amounts were observerd: Austin Camp Mabry had 4.55 inches for the month, 0.74 inches above normal; Austin Bergstrom International Airport 4.06 inches, 0.64 inches above normal; San Antonio International Airport 2.90 inches, 1.40 inches below normal; and Del Rio 1.01 inches, 1.33 inches below normal.    

The first severe weather event for June 2003 came Monday June 2nd, when a line of thunderstorms swept across the area from the north. Very strong winds affected the area at and around the San Marcos Airport. On the 3rd and 4th, scattered showers and thunderstorms affected the area again. In the early to late morning hours of the 5th, a line of thunderstorms swept across the area from the north and northwest again. Skies temporarily cleared in the afternoon, followed by an area of thunderstomrs coming to western parts of the area late the evening of the 5th. In the early to mid morning hours of the 6th, scattered showers and thunderstorms moved through the area again from the north and northwest, followed by clearing skies in the afternoon of the 6th, in wake of an early June cool front. Dry, sunny days and mostly clear nights followed the 7th, 8th, and 9th.

On Tuesday, the 10th, an area of showers and thunderstorms moved across the area from the north and northwest again, associated with another June cool front. The next large thunderstorm and severe weather event came in the afternoon and evening of the 13th. One line of thunderstorms came through the area in the afternoon, followed by another wave of storms in the evening of the 13th. Locally heavy rains affected some areas in this event over the eastern part of South Central Texas. Strong winds and hail also accompanied the thunderstorms. After the line of strong thunderstorms swept through the area on the 14th, relatively calm weather prevailed in the day, followed by another outbreak of thunderstorms the night of the 14th and early morning of the 15th. Between 11 and 1145 PM on Saturday the 14th, an area of thunderstorms broke out over the Texas Hill Country, becoming a line of thunderstorms just after midnight on Sunday the 15th. This line of thunderstorms moved across South Central Texas in the early to mid morning hours of the 15th, bringing strong gusty winds, locally heavy rains, and some hail again. After the line of thunderstorms moved through the area, calmer weather followed in the late morning to early afternoon. By 4 to 5 PM on the 15th, scattered showers and thunderstorms formed from near Austin to near San Antonio, and then moved southeast and dissipated in the early evening hours.

A drier period followed the 16th to the 22nd. Increasing southerly winds Monday the 23rd to Wednesday the 25th, brought higher humidity, warmer nights, and warmer afternoons. The higher humidity added to the heat stress equation, causing a surge in the Heat Index.  Widely scattered showers and thunderstorms developed over the east part of South Central Texas Tuesday the 24th. The next day of large scale thunderstorm activity came Thursday the 26th, when a line of scattered showers and thunderstorms moved over the area from the north.  These showers and thunderstorms produced locally heavy rains over the east and southeast parts of South Central Texas.  By evening the shower and thunderstorm activity broke up and diminished, in wake of a weak, moderated late June cool front.  The day of Friday the 27th began mostly cloudy and became partly cloudy in the afternoon. In the afternoon an area of showers and thunderstorms formed from near Loma Alta in northeast Val Verde County to north of Uvalde. These showers and thunderstorms expanded in area and then begin to move southwest and south, affecting parts of Uvalde, Kinney, Val Verde, Edwards and Real Counties. They produced locally heavy rains and brief gusty winds, then quickly diminished in the evening. 

From the 28th to the 30th, isolated to widely scattered afternoon to evening showers and thunderstorms developed. The isolated to widely scattered showers and thunderstorms the 28th covered most of the area, while on the 29th they were confined to the northern and western part of South Central Texas, and lingered over west parts of South Central Texas near the Rio Grande River in the evening hours. On the last day of the month, isolated showers formed in the afternoon over east parts of the area, while widely scattered afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms formed over the west parts of South Central Texas.