December Climate Information
|
Location
|
Normal Monthly Temp.
|
Normal High
|
Normal Low
| All time High
| All time Low
|
Normal Rainfall
| All Time
Driest
| All Time
Wettest
|
|
Austin/Mabry |
52.1 |
62.3 |
41.9 |
90 |
4 |
2.44 |
0 |
16.14 |
|
Austin/Bergstrom |
52.9 |
63.2 |
42.5 |
91 |
6 |
2.53 |
0.01 |
12.88 |
|
Del Rio |
52.4 |
63.5 |
41.2 |
90 |
10 |
0.75 |
Trace |
3.93 |
|
San Antonio |
52.4 |
64.0 |
40.8 |
90 |
6 |
1.96 |
0 |
13.96 |
As days continue to shorten to their shortest time of the year,
extremes in temperature and precipitation type continue to increase in December.
Like November, December can be
can be a very dry month, especially with frequent dry cold fronts, while
in other years it has been mostly cloudy and rainy. Rainfall
amounts have been more limited over the west part of South Central
Texas, as weather systems move more quickly from the west to the east.
After
heavy rains and floods in November of 2004, December of 2004 was the 3rd
driest December for Austin Bergstrom; the 10th driest for Austin
Mabry; the 5th driest December for San Antonio; and the 46th
driest at Del Rio. Climatologically December is the 2nd driest
month of the year at Del Rio; 4th driest month at San Antonio;
and the 6th driest month of the year at Austin.
The driest December at Austin, 1856 to 2004, was no rain in
December 1894, and for San Antonio, 1871 to 2004, no rain in December 1871.
At Austin Bergstrom, the driest December, 1942 to 2004, was 0.01 inches in 1950.
Del Rio's driest December, 1905 to 2004, was a Trace of rain in 1921, 1950,
1954, 1968, and 1973.
On the other side of rainfall history, a few December flood events have come the area in the past.
In the 1980s, heavy rain events came to South Central Texas
in late December 1984 and December 1986. A heavy rain event
affected Southeast Texas in December of 1982,
in the El Nino Patterns of 1982/1983.
In December of 1913 floods came to the area also.
From December 1 to 4, 1913, widespread floods came to
Central and Southeast Texas, plus parts of South Central Texas.
San Marcos received 15.5 inches of rain in one day.
Austin received 10.66 inches of rain on the 3rd and 4th.
Some parts of San Antonio got 7 inches of rain in one day;
however the official amount on December 4th, 1913 was 2.02
inches. From past climate records, it can be seen that
flooding has been
a Fall and Winter Weather
Hazard for Central and South Central Texas. Floods also came to the area on December 19 to 21,
1991, when heavy rains came the 19th, 20th and 21st. This caused flooding
over the Texas Hill Country and adjacent parts of Central and South Central
Texas.
On December 20 and 21, 1929 a significant snow event came to parts of Central
and South Central Texas. From December 20 to 21, 1929 Austin had 5.5
inches of snow. San Antonio had 2.9 inches of snow December 21, 1929
and Del Rio had 2.2 inches on the same day. A snow event on December 18,
1906 left 3 inches of snow at San Antonio, and 0.4 inches at
Austin. A winter precipitation event came late December 24, 2004 and
in the early morning of the December 25, 2004 over South Texas and parts of
Southeast Texas, associated with a low aloft that moved from the Rio Grande
south of Eagle Pass to the Coastal Bend. 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. A brief period of snow flurries and sleet was observed over
parts of Bexar and Guadalupe Counties 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 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. On December 24, 2004, 1 to 5 inches of snow fell to the south and
southeast of San Antonio, over parts of Karnes,
A freezing precipitation event, with freezing
rain and drizzle affected the area December 23 and 24, 1998 and again in Year
2000 on December 12th and
13th, 2000.
In the predawn hours to after sunrise on the 12th, widely scattered areas of
freezing drizzle and light freezing rain began to form over the hill country and
South Central Texas. The freezing rain and drizzle increased during the day,
ahead of a strong weather system to the west. As evening and night came, the
affects of the upper level weather system increased, as it moved closer to the
area and then east of the area. Freezing rain and showers brought more icy
conditions to the area the night of the 12th and early morning of the 13th.
Although precipitation amounts were light, they were mostly moderate for such
cold conditions. From December 12th to 13th precipitation amounts were as
follows: Austin/Mabry 0.58 inches; Austin/Bergstrom 0.90 inches; Del Rio 0.01
inches; and San Antonio 0.42 inches. The icy glaze cause damage to some power lines and trees. On the morning of
the 13th, trees slumped, weighted down by ice, and some trees experienced damage
as limbs broke off. Power lines got broken also. By mid to late morning,
temperatures began to go back above freezing, melting the ice and glaze. Partly
cloudy to mostly sunny skies in the afternoon allowed daytime highs to rise to
the 40s and 50s.
Very warm conditions have come in December. One event showed up
December 25, 1955, when the high was 91 at Austin Bergstrom; 90 at San Antonio
and Austin Mueller Airport; and 87 at Del Rio. Del Rio had a high of 89
December 24, 1955. On December 4, 1977 Del Rio reached 90. A warm day on
December 11, 1987 caused highs of 89 at Del Rio and 88 at San
Antonio.
The coldest lows for December came December 23, 1989, when the low
fell to 6 at Austin Bergstrom; 4 at Austin Mabry; 6 at San Antonio;
and 10 at Del Rio. The warmest overall December for Ausitn and
San Antonio was in 1889 when the average December temperature
was 65.5 at Austin and 66.1 at San Antonio. The warmest overall December at Del Rio was in December 1933 when the average monthly temperature
was 58.7. The coldest overall December for Austin came in December
1859, when the average temperature was 40.9. The coldest December
and month for San Antonio was December 1983, when the average temperature
at 43.0. For Del Rio December of 1989 was the coldest December,
when the average monthly temperature was 44.3
degrees. The low of 10 at Del Rio December 23, 1989 is the coldest
of climate record.
Like November, quick changes in temperature
also have shown up in December. On December 21, 1990 daytime highs
warmed up quickly ahead of an Arctic Cold front. Afternoon highs were in the 70s
to lower 80s in the early afternoon, then fell to the 20s the night of the 21st
and early morning of December 22, 1990. The high was 72 in Austin December 21,
1990 and 23 the next day. The high was 82 in San Antonio the 21st and 26
the next day Dec. 22, 1990. At Del Rio the high was 76 the 21st and 31 the
22nd. The coldest lows in December of record came in late December
of 1989 on December 23 and 24. Another cold period came from Mid
to Late December of 1983, when a series of Arctic fronts made their way across
the area. For information on the extremes of weather during the
holiday season...See Weather Extremes
during the Holiday Season
December Climate Information
|
Location
|
Normal Monthly Temp.
|
Normal High
|
Normal Low
| All time High
| All time Low
|
Normal Rainfall
| All Time
Driest
| All Time
Wettest
|
|
Austin/Mabry |
52.1 |
62.3 |
41.9 |
90 |
4 |
2.44 |
0 |
16.14 |
|
Austin/Bergstrom |
52.9 |
63.2 |
42.5 |
91 |
6 |
2.53 |
0.01 |
12.88 |
|
Del Rio |
52.4 |
63.5 |
41.2 |
90 |
10 |
0.75 |
Trace |
3.93 |
|
San Antonio |
52.4 |
64.0 |
40.8 |
90 |
6 |
1.96 |
0 |
13.96 |
|
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