For South Central Texas, 2004 was in the top 10 wettest years of record at many locations. The wet weather patterns of 2004 came from heavy rain events associated with the westerlies, with no assistance from any Tropical Storms from the Gulf of Mexico.

For Austin Bergstrom it was the 3rd wettest of record, 1942 to 2004 with 51.89 inches; for Austin Mabry also the 3rd wettest year of record, 1856 to 2004, with 52.27 inches; for Del Rio the 4th wettest year of record, 1905 to 2004, with 30.98 inches; and for San Antonio the 6th wettest year of record, 1871 to 2004, with 45.33 inches. After an unusually wet year, December 2004 was much drier than normal. The statewide average precipitation for Texas in December was only 0.79 inches. This will go down as the 13th driest December in 110 years of record keeping since 1895. For South Central Texas, since 1970, this has also occurred in 1973, 1981, and 1985. This also showed up in 1998, after a wet winter, very dry spring and summer, and very wet late summer and fall, that turned very dry in December. In 1998 Del Rio had its wettest rainfall month of record in August and San Antonio had its wettest rainfall month of record in October.

A table of rainfall amounts for 2004 at Austin, Del Rio and San Antonio is listed below in inches.

AUSTIN CITY/AUSTIN MUELLER AIRPORT/AUSTIN MABRY, TEXAS
1856 to 2004 

    WETTEST YEARS           DRIEST YEARS
 
 1.  1919 - 64.68       1.  1954 - 11.42 
 2.  1900 - 53.99       2.  1956 - 15.41
 3.  2004 - 52.27       3.  1917 - 15.58           
 4.  1991 - 52.21       4.  1963 - 17.30
 5.  1888 - 51.79       5.  1879 - 18.34
 6.  1921 - 51.73       6.  1893 - 19.04
 7.  1957 - 51.30       7.  1988 - 19.21
 8.  1923 - 51.24       8.  1901 - 19.50
 9.  1913 - 49.00       9.  1856 - 19.63
10.  1946 - 47.28      10.  1912 - 20.37

--------------------------------------------------

AUSTIN BERGSTROM
1942 to 2004

    WETTEST YEARS           DRIEST YEARS

 1.  1957 - 55.74       1.  1954 - 09.98  
 2.  1991 - 55.24       2.  1947 - 11.87  
 3.  2004   51.89       3.  1948 - 13.92 
 4.  1965 - 50.12       4.  1956 - 15.65 
 5.  1992 - 47.11       5.  1963 - 15.99  
 6.  1974 - 46.47       6.  1943 - 18.64  
 7.  1969 - 44.94       7.  1955 - 18.91  
 8.  1994 - 43.50       8.  1989 - 21.00  
 9.  2001 - 43.12       9.  1977 - 21.42  
10.  1976 - 42.51      10.  1988 - 25.24
  
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DEL RIO...
1905 to 2004

     WETTEST YEARS           DRIEST YEARS
 
 1.  37.75 - 1914       1.   4.34 - 1956 
 2.  34.62 - 1935       2.   6.79 - 1933 
 3.  33.22 - 1969       3.   7.65 - 1917
 4.  30.98 - 2004       4.   7.67 - 1952
 5.  30.47 - 1949       5.   8.84 - 1951 
 6.  30.15 - 1919       6.   8.91 - 1938 
 7.  28.91 - 1998       7.   9.06 - 1910
 8.  28.05 - 1944, 1958 8.   9.24 - 1989
 9.  27.75 - 1957       9.   9.69 - 2001
10.  27.41 - 1981      10.   9.91 - 1962 
  
------------------------------------------

SAN ANTONIO
1871 to 2004

     WETTEST YEARS          DRIEST YEARS
 
 1.  52.28  - 1973      1.  10.11  - 1917 
 2.  50.30  - 1919      2.  13.70  - 1954 
 3.  48.83  - 1957      3.  14.31  - 1956 
 4.  46.49  - 1992      4.  14.92  - 1909 
 5.  46.27  - 2002      5.  14.99  - 1925 
 6.  45.33  - 2004      6.  15.92  - 1897 
 7.  45.17  - 1946      7.  16.22  - 1910
 8.  42.93  - 1935      8.  16.44  - 1901
 9.  42.76  - 1991      9.  16.63  - 1999 
10.  42.73  - 1986     10.  17.32  - 1947 

The winter months of 2004 was characterized by wetter than usual weather pattern for most of the area, and more cloudy days than usual. Some locations over the east part of the area had less than usual rain in the winter; however, this changed by spring and summer. The rainier and cloudier pattern began in late December 2003 and extended through the Winter of 2004. This was from a result of a more active than usual southern stream westerlies, that was influenced by more MJO Activity than usual from the Pacific. A few very cold outbreaks came in the Winter of 2004, followed by longer stretches of very mild periods, except for parts of February, where the cold stayed around a little longer. February 2004 was the coldest winter month for the year at Austin and San Antonio, while for Del Rio January was the coldest winter month.

Year 2004 began with cloudy and mild weather on the 1st, to sunny and warm conditions on the 2nd and 3rd. Much colder weather came in the afternoon and evening of the 4th. Warmer days followed by the middle of January, followed by colder days late in the month. Overall January was warmer and wetter than normal. February began warm also, and was quickly followed by much colder weather and a snow event. By the 9th one cold wave after another moved across the area, putting the area in an Arctic Airmass. This was followed by a snow event on the 13th and the night of the 13th to early morning of the 14th. The snowfall on the night of the 13th and early morning of the 14th covered a wide area from the Texas Hill Country east to Austin and parts of Central Texas, then south to San Marcos, New Braunfels, and San Antonio. The most snow fell from Llano, Burnet, Blanco, and West Comal Counties east to the Austin Area and to parts of Williamson and Lee Counties. It was the largest snow event for the east half of South Central Texas since January of 1985. The last significant snow event for Del Rio was in January of 1986, coming after a significant snow event also in January of 1985. Snowfall events came to the Texas Hill Country as recent as February 1996 and November 1996. The snow amounts in Austin on February 3, 1996 was less than the the February 13 and 14, 2004 event.

The following is a list of snowfall amounts reported for the night of Feb. 13th and early morning of Feb. 14, 2004:

VAL VERDE COUNTY...TRACE
REAL COUNTY........TRACE
KERR COUNTY........0.5 INCHES TO NEAR 1 INCH
  INGRAM....0.5 INCHES
BANDERA COUNTY.....1 INCH OF SNOW AND SLEET
MEDINA COUNTY......TRACE OF SNOW AND SLEET
BEXAR COUNTY.......TRACE SOUTH TO 0.5 INCHES TO 1 INCH NORTH
  SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...0.7 INCHES
KENDALL COUNTY.....TRACE TO 1 INCH
  6 MILES NORTH OF BOERNE....0.5 INCHES
  COMFORT................. ..0.25 INCHES
GILLESPIE COUNTY...TRACE TO 0.5 INCHES
  FREDERICKSBURG...0.5 INCHES
LLANO COUNTY.......1 TO 2 INCHES
BURNET COUNTY......1 TO 1.50 INCHES.
  INKS DAM...1 INCH OF SNOW
BLANCO COUNTY......1 INCH
COMAL COUNTY.......0.5 INCHES TO 1.50 INCHES
  NEW BRAUNFELS...0.5 INCHES TO 1.50 INCHES
  SPRING BRANCH...1.50 INCHES
HAYS COUNTY........1 INCH
GUADALUPE COUNTY...0.5 INCHES
WILSON COUNTY......TRACE OF SLEET
BASTROP COUNTY.....TRACE
CALDWELL COUNTY....TRACE TO ONE INCH
TRAVIS COUNTY......1 TO 2 INCHES
  AUSTIN MABRY...1.6 INCHES
  AUSTIN BERGSTROM...0.7 INCHES
  AUSTIN GREAT HILLS...1.8 INCHES
LEE COUNTY.........TRACE TO 1 INCH
  6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COUPLAND 1 INCH
WILLIAMSON COUNTY..1 TO 3 INCHES
  ROUND ROCK......2 INCHES
  GEORGETOWN......2 INCHES
  NEAR GRANGER....2 TO 3 INCHES

February ended up cooler than normal for South Central Texas. At Austin and San Antonio, February 2004 had the coolest average monthly temperature for 2004. At Del Rio, December ended up with the coolest average monthly temperature. When March came the rain events continued; with most areas getting more than usual rain, and some areas over the east part of South Central Texas receiving less than usual rains. More cloudy days than usual for March showed up.

As Spring came, more stormy events and rain came than usual, accompanied by active cold fronts. In the Spring several Severe Weather Events came. The first was April 4th, with flooding and severe weather. A strong cold front came the weekend of the 10th and 11th, with more severe weather and flooding in the afternoon of the 10th to the early morning hours of Sunday the 11th. A strong cold front made for record low daytime highs at several locations on Sunday, April 11th. Another flood and severe weather event came May 13th, followed by severe weather and tornadoes in Val Verde County on May 27th. Another thunderstorm event came May 31st, after very hot afternoon temperatures. Thunderstorms formed quickly the afternoon of Memorial Day the 31st from Austin to New Braunfels, causing high winds, brief heavy rains and deadly lightning. Frequent lightning and strong winds were observed in New Braunfels and extended northeast to Austin. The thunderstorms left 1 to 1.5 inches of rain in the Austin Area.

It took much longer than usual for many locations to reach 90 Degrees in the Spring of 2004. This was caused by more cloud cover than usual; more rain than usual from winter and in the Spring; and a series of cold fronts, Finally a dry stretch of weather and more sunny days came in Mid to Late May, when temperatures soared. The First 90 Degree Day came in Mid to Late May, quickly followed by a few 100 Degree Days at the end of the month on the 30th and on Memorial Day, the 31st. For the area to go so long in Spring without a 90 degree day, followed quickly by 100 degree days was a rare event. The high was 106 at Del Rio on the 30th, and 107 on the 31st, Memorial Day. On May 31st the high reached 104 in San Antonio, a record high for the Month of May. May 31st was also the only 100 degree day for San Antonio for all of 2004. May 31st was the hottest day of the year for not only San Antonio, with 104, also for Del Rio, with the high at 107. At Austin Mabry the high May 31st was 100. At Austin Bergstrom the May 31st, 2004 high was 99. Temperatures reached near the century mark in the Austin Area again in early August, and in Del Rio 3 times in June, 3 times in July and 5 times in August. August 5th ended up the hottest day of the year for Austin.

As June came the heat moderated, and rains increased once again. June ended up a very wet month, not only for South Central Texas, also for the state of Texas. This brought flooding to the area, as Spring merged into Summer. June ended up the 2nd wettest of record at Austin Bergstrom; the 4th wettest of record at Ausitn Mabry and the 3rd wettest of record at San Antonio. Normally a dry period in late June, was not the case in 2004, as many cloudy and rainy days showed up. The flooding in June was widespread, because it came after plentiful rains in the Winter and Spring. June 2004 rains also fell over a large area, and affected most places in Texas. Areawide June 2004 ended up the wettest of record for Texas, since records of this sort have been kept in 1895.

The summer of 2004 was overall cooler than usual. It began much wetter and stormier than usual in late June, then the rains calmed down in July, with mostly drier than usual conditions for most places. A few weak cool fronts began to move over the north part of the area in late July, and then retreated quickly north.

After a quiet July, August began with a few very hot hot days. August 5th was one of the hottest days of the year over a large area. August 5th was the only time in 2004 that Austin Bergstrom reached a 100 degree day, with the high of 100. August 5th was the 2nd time Austin Mabry had a 100 degree day, in 2004, with a high of 101. At Del Rio, 13 100 Degree Days came in 2004, 2 at the end of May, 3 in June, 3 in July, and 5 in August. For San Antonio, the only 100 degree day in 2004 was on Memorial Day, May 31st, when the high was 104. The 104 high at San Antonio May 31st was also a record high for the month of May at San Antonio.

The hot days of early August were followed by rainy days and moderated temperatures. Several cool fronts came in August, and were stronger than usual for August, beginning around August 13th, and followed by several additional weak cool fronts. Storms and Floods of August 22, 2004 came to Medina, Bexar and Frio Counties and Southward. As September began, a cold front and storms came the 6th, followed by drier weather. After the September 6th cold front drier conditions prevailed and a warming trend followed. Overall the Summer of 2004 was cooler than usual, and fewer than normal 100 degree days showed up. During the last days of Summer in Mid to Late September, a few warm to hot days did show up, with above normal temperatures.

Fall 2004 began warm, followed by moderated temperatures. Scattered showers came September 24th to the 26th, followed by drier weather on the 28th to 30th of September. The Fall of 2004 turned much stormier and much wetter than normal in October and November. This trend continued through the Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving. Drier Fall weather showed up the 24th of November, the day before Thanksgiving and prevailed through the rest of Fall, until Winter began on the 21st. Major severe weather and flood events in the Fall came on October 2, with severe weather and flooding; October 23-24, with Flooding; November 16, with Tornadoes and Severe Thunderstorms, plus Floods; November 21-22, with Thunderstorms and Floods; and November 23, with Tornadoes and Severe Thunderstorms. Rainfall wise, October 2004 was the 4th wettest of record at San Antonio and the 10th wettest of record at Austin Bergstrom. It did not end up in the top 10 wettest Octobers at Austin Mabry or Del Rio; however, it was much wetter than usual. November ended up very wet for the area also, and was the wettest November areawide for the state of Texas since 1895. It was the wettest November of record at Del Rio, Austin Mabry, and San Antonio. November 2004 was the 3rd wettest of record at Austin Bergstrom. The rains of November came after a very wet October, and there were many cloudy days to prevent any significant drying. This helped the flooding in November to become more widespread.

After a wave of severe weather and floods November 22nd and 23rd, the weather pattern changed to drier Fall weather, as the westerlies increased in speed from the west. This made any rain systems come faster and in some cases not materialize as northwesterly winds aloft prevailed in early to mid December.

The first freeze of the Fall of 2004 came to parts of the Hill County in November. Freezing temperatures showed up on November 25 over parts of the Hill Country, where 10 miles west of Hunt had a low of 31, and 1 mile northeast of Medina had a low of 29, in wake of the evening cold front on November 23rd,

December, a month that brings the end of Fall and the beginning of Winter, ended up bringing a few changes to the Fall Weather Trends of 2004. For starters, it brought the 2nd winter precipitation event of the year from the late afternoon of the 24th to the early pre-dawn hours of December 25th, where measurable snow fell over the southeast part of South Central Texas. The other snow event in 2004 was February 13th and 14th, that affected the Texas Hill Country to parts of Central Texas, including Austin, and over adjacent areas of South Central Texas. After waves of severe weather and floods during October and November, December 2004 brought mostly drier weather and more sunny days. The drier weather began the day before Thanksgiving. The drier than normal weather trend prevailed through most of December, at least until the 22nd, when a brief period of cloudier weather and precipitation tried to emerge. In this case it was winter precipitation that showed up. Around the 22nd southwest and west winds aloft materialized, ahead of a winter precipitation making low aloft, that brought snow to the southeast part of South Central Texas December 24 and in the pre-dawn hours of December 25th. Over South Central Texas, snow came to mainly the southeast part of South Central Texas. From the late afternoon and early evening of December 24th, 2004 to the early morning of December 25th, 2004, measurable snow was observed over the southeast part of South Central Texas. The area was over parts of Atascosa, Wilson, Karnes, Dewitt, Gonzales, and Lavaca Counties. The heaviest snow amounts were from the southern part of Atascosa County to Karnes, Dewitt, and Lavaca Counties. Snow also fell further south over the Coastal Bend, and Lower Rio Grange Valley, and east to parts of Southeast Texas. Snow flurries and sleet was observed over parts of Bexar and Guadalupe Counties, including the San Antonio Metropolitan Area, in the late afternoon to very early evening hours of December 24, 2004. During this event, snow was not observed at Austin, Del Rio or at San Antonio International Airport. With the December 24 and early morning of December 25, 2004 snow event Kenedy had 6 to 8 inches, Runge 7 inches, Cuero 3 to 6 inches, Yorktown 6 inches, Karnes City 5 inches, between Kenedy and Karnes City 3 to 4 inches, Speaks 2 inches, Falls City 1 inch, and Yoakum 1 inch.

December 2004 ended up the 3rd driest of record, 1942 to 2004, for Austin Bergstrom; the 5th driest of record, 1871 to 2004, for San Antonio; and the 10th driest of record, 1856 to 2004, for Austin Mabry. After an unusually wet year, December 2004 was much drier than normal. Since 1970, this has also occurred in 1973, 1981, and 1985. This also showed up in 1998, after a wet winter, very dry spring and summer, and very wet fall.

December 2004 also brought some much colder temperatures, the coldest of 2004. The cold front of November 30th, left cold lows the 1st, followed by two strong Cold Fronts on the 13th and 14th, and another on the night of the 22nd and day of the 23rd. The surge of Arctic Air just before Christmas came in several surges, that made it colder from Wednesday the 22nd to Christmas Eve the 24th.

The year ended with a warming trend after the cold, from the 26th to the 31st, ending the same way it had started, unseasonably warm.

The high and low for the year and the yearly rainfall are listed below for Austin, Del Rio and San Antonio.

                    2004 High       2004 Low      2004 Rainfall

Austin Mabry      101 on Aug. 5   24 on Dec. 23   52.27 inches
Austin Bergstrom  100 on Aug. 5   19 on Dec. 15   51.89 inches
Del Rio           107 on May 31   21 on Dec. 25   30.98 inches
San Antonio       104 on May 31   24 on Dec. 25   45.33 inches

Temperatures in 2004 began warm, followed by colder weather in late January and in February. The coolest average monthly temperature of the year for Austin and San Antonio came in February, while at Del Rio, the coolest average monthly temperature came in December. Spring days did not warm up quickly until Mid to Late May, when conditions warmed up fast. The first 90 degree days in mid to late May were quickly followed by 100 degree days at the end of the month, a rare event. June, July and August brought below normal temperatures with a brief spell of hot weather in early August. The early August 2004 heat wave came close to the same time as in August 2003. Afternoon highs in early August 2004 were lower than in early August of 2003. September brought a stretch of warmer weather, especially in the mid to late part of the month. This was moderated in October and November by a wet an stormy fall. Temperatures cooled off in November, followed by colder weather in December. The coldest weather of 2004 came in December. On the last few days of December, the year ended the way it began, warm and humid.