December 2006 Weather Review - National Weather Service Forecast Office

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December 2006 Weather in Review

Rainfall patterns that occasionally showed up during September and October, returned in late December 2006. At months end, the rainfall gradient varied from less than one half inch over parts of Val Verde, Edwards and Kinney Counties to 4 to 5 inches from near Georgetown to Austin to Karnes City. Monthly rain amounts then moderated to the 2 to 4 inch range going just east of Austin and Karnes City, before picking up significantly over Southeast Texas. December 2006 was the 9th wettest at Austin Bergstrom since December 1942, with 4.08 inches of rain, and the 29th wettest at Austin Mabry since 1856 with 4.20 inches of rain. This helped to push Austin Mabry to above normal rain for the year, finishing out with 34.70 inches, 1.05 inches above normal. In December of 2006 Burnet picked up 1.39 inches of rain; New Braunfels 3.12 inches; San Antonio 2.44 inches; San Antonio Stinson Field 2.85 inches; Hondo 1.30 inches and Del Rio 0.36 inches of rain. Most of the rain during December 2006 fell from the 23rd to the 30th. The month was overall warmer than normal at most locations, although a few cold outbreaks almost threw the whole area into below normal temperatures.
After the arctic cold front of November 30th, that dropped temperatures 30 to 40 degrees in several hours, the first 10 days of the month had the coldest weather for a 10 day period in 2 years. The cold of December 1st was reinforced by another surge of cold air the 3rd. This set up not only widespread freezes, also a few nights of hard freezes, that came Dec. 1st and followed several nights thereafter. Lows on the 1st and 4th were the coldest of the month. The average temperature and departure from normal for the first 10 days was as follows:
Austin Mabry........47.65 Minus 6.15 Austin Bergstrom...,45.60 Minus 9.20 Del Rio.............47.20 Minus 6.80 San Antonio.........47.70 Minus 6.40

A mix of winter like precipitation came Friday the 8th. As a winter rain and precipitation making weather system moved across South Texas from the west, a combination of cold rain, sleet, and light snow developed over the west part of Val Verde county in the late morning and moved east over parts of South Central Texas in the afternoon. In some loactions the rate of fall of the sleet became moderate to heavy; however, there were few areas, if any, that reported accumulations. The weekend of the 9th and 10th was mostly cloudy with scattered areas of light rain.
A warming trend began the 11th and 12th, and continued through the 18th. The 16th to the 18th was the warmest period in December of 2006. Conditions turned cooler the 19th and 20th, with scattered light rains. Scattered thunderstorms came across the area on Thursday the 21st, continuing the trend that more rains were going to come late in the month. The most rain in December came from the 23rd to the 30th. After a clear and mild day the 22nd, colder air filtered across the area from the northeast on the 23rd, with increasing clouds and rain. Periods of widespread rain came the 23rd to the night and morning of the 24th. On December 23rd, Austin Bergstrom with 1.68 inches of rain and San Antonio with 1.04 inches of rain, recorded a daily record rainfall for December 23rd. Although it cleared up briefly late the 24th, clouds rolled in again the night of the 24th, and scattered rain quickly moved to the southeast and east across the area in the predawn hours of the 25th. The rains ended quickly in the early morning, followed by strong north winds during the day of the 25th with a cold frontal passage. Cold days and nights followed, then a warming trend came back the 27th and 28th. Clouds increased the 28th, followed by scattered areas of rain, showers and thunderstorms on the 29th. Rain and showers continued the night of the 29th and morning of Saturday the 30th. Skies cleared up late the 30th, and clear skies prevailed on the last day of 2006, with highs in the 60s.

December 2006 Summary

Location
Average
Temperature Average High
Average Low
Warmest/Coolest
Rainfall

Austin Mabry 54.8 +2.7 64.7 44.8 80 on 16th, 17th and 18th
29 on 1st and 4th 4.20 +1.76

Austin Bergstrom 52.0 -0.9 64.3 39.6 80 on 16th
25 on 1st and 4th 4.08 +1.55

Burnet 51.4 +3.4 62.2 40.6 77 on 16th
23 on 4th 1.39 -0.76

Del Rio 52.7 +0.3 64.0 41.4 79 on 18th
26 on 1st and 26th 0.36 -0.39

Hondo 52.5 +0.5 64.5 40.5 78 on 18th
21 on 1st 1.30 -0.10

New Braunfels 53.9 +3.1 65.1 42.7 81 on 17th and 18th
25 on 1st 3.12 +0.68

San Antonio 54.4 +2.0 64.7 44.0 81 on 18th
29 on 1st and 4th 2.44 +0.48

Daily Records Set in December 2006 follows:
December 1st... DEL RIO LOW OF 26 TIED THE DECEMBER 1ST RECORD LOW OF 26 PREVIOUSLY SET ON DECEMBER 1ST...1911 December 2nd... AUSTIN BERGSTROM LOW OF 29 TIED THE DECEMBER 2ND DAILY RECORD OF 29 SET ON DECEMBER 2ND...1985 December 4th... AUSTIN BERGSTROM LOW OF 25 BROKE THE DECEMBER 4TH DAILY RECORD OF 27 SET ON DECEMBER 4TH...1976 December 5th... AUSTIN BERGSTROM LOW OF 26 BROKE THE DECEMBER 5TH DAILY RECORD OF 27 SET ON DECEMBER 5TH...2005 December 16th... AUSTIN BERGSTROM HIGH OF 80 TIED THE DECEMBER 16TH DAILY RECORD OF 80 SET ON DECEMBER 16TH...1977 December 18th... AUSTIN MABRY LOW OF 66 BROKE THE DECEMBER 18TH DAILY RECORD HIGHEST MINIMUM OF 63 SET ON DECEMBER 18TH...2002 SAN ANTONIO HIGH OF 81 TIED THE DECEMBER 18TH RECORD HIGH OF 81 SET ON DECEMBER 18TH...1955. December 19th... AUSTIN MABRY LOW OF 65 BROKE THE DECEMBER 19TH DAILY RECORD HIGHEST MINIMUM OF 58 SET ON DECEMBER 19TH...1949 AUSTIN BERGSTROM LOW OF 65 TIED THE DECEMBER 19TH DAILY RECORD HIGHEST MINIMUM OF 65 SET ON DECEMBER 19TH...1957 SAN ANTONIO LOW OF 64 BROKE THE DECEMBER 19TH DAILY RECORD HIGHEST MINIMUM OF 62 SET ON DECEMBER 19TH...1984 December 23rd... AUSTIN BERGSTROM RAINFALL OF 1.68 INCHES BROKE THE DECEMBER 23RD DAILY RECORD OF 1.66 INCHES SET IN 1979 SAN ANTONIO RAINFALL OF 1.04 INCHES BROKE THE DAILY RECORD FOR DECEMBER 23RD OF 0.37 INCHES SET IN 2002 December 29th... AUSTIN MABRY RAINFALL OF 1.15 INCHES BROKE THE DECEMBER 29TH DAILY RECORD OF 0.98 INCHES SET IN 1969 AUSTIN BERGSTROM RAINFALL OF 0.86 INCHES BROKE THE DECEMBER 29TH DAILY RECORD OF 0.81 INCHES SET IN 1969

The latest monthly outlook for January 2007 calls for Equal Chances of the average temperature being above, below or near normal. The outlook for January 2007 rain is showing better chances for rain. The January 2007 rainfall outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for South Central Texas shows near a 40 percent chance of above normal rain; a 33.3 percent chance of near normal; and a 26.7 percent chance of below normal rain. Click Here to See Latest One Month Outlook from the Climate Prediction Center

December 2006 Weather in Review

AUSTIN...
Austin/Bergstrom International Airport:
The average December temperature was 52.0 degrees, 0.9 degrees below normal. The average high was 64.3 and the average low was 39.6. Heating degree days was 412 and Cooling degree days 15. The highest temperature was 80 on the 16th, and the lowest was 25 on the 1st and 4th. Highest wind gust was 35 mph from the south southeast on the 28th, and 32 mph from the northwest with a cold front on the 25th. Rainfall was 4.08 inches, 1.55 inches above normal. Rainfall for 2006 was 27.23 inches or 7.49 inches below normal.

Austin Mabry:
The average December temperature was 54.8 degrees, 2.7 degrees above normal. The average high was 64.7 and the average low was 44.8. Heating degree days was 332 and Cooling degree days 24. The highest temperature was 80 on the 16th, 17th and 18th. The lowest was 29 on the 1st and 4th. Highest wind gust was 33 mph from the north, northwest after a cold front on the 25th and from the south, southeast on the 28th. Rainfall was 4.20 inches, 1.76 inches above normal. Rainfall for 2006 was 34.70 inches or 1.05 inches above normal.

Go to Austin daily data for December 2006.

DEL RIO...
The average December temperature was 52.7 degrees, 0.3 degrees above normal. The average high was 64.0, and the average low was 41.4. Heating degree days 385 and cooling degree days 10. The highest temperature reached 79 on the 18th. The lowest was 26 on the 1st and 26th. The highest wind gust was 47 mph from the west northwest on the 25th in wake of a cold front. Rainfall was 0.36 inches, 0.39 inches below normal. Rainfall for 2006 was 9.60 inches or 9.20 inches below normal.
Go to Del Rio daily data for December 2006.

SAN ANTONIO...
The average December temperature was 54.4 degrees, 2.0 degrees above normal. The average high was 64.7, and the average low was 44.0. Heating degree days 341 and cooling degree days 21. The highest temperature reached 81 on the 18th, and lowest was 29 on the 1st and 4th. Highest wind gust was 37 mph from the south, southeast on the 28th and 36 mph from the north northwest after a cold front on the 25th. Rainfall was 2.44 inches, 0.48 inches above normal. Rainfall for 2006 was 21.34 inches or 11.58 inches below normal.
Go to San Antonio daily data for December 2006.

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