May is a transitional month between severe spring weather
events and the long South Texas summers.
Numerous severe weather and flood events
have come. May has the highest average rainfall
of all the months for Austin and San Antonio, and
2nd wettest at Del Rio, relative to the
1971 to 2000 Normals and also for the long term averages
from the beginning of climate record through 2005.
May has brought numerous severe weather events to the area.
May of 1902 brought a deadly tornado,
when on May 18, 1902 a deadly tornado struck
Goliad, Texas, with 114 fatalities. This tornado took
the top floor off the courthouse.
On May 4, 1922, 2 Tornadoes occurred in Austin, as they
moved across the area from northeast to southwest
about 3 miles apart. In this tornado event
there were 12 fatalities in the Austin Area,
50 injured, and a half a million dollars in damage.
On May 1, 1944 an F2 Tornado struck in Travis and Williamson Counties,
with 3 fatalities and 8 injured.
On May 27, 1997 a deadly F5 Tornado stuck Jarrell,
in Williamson County, where 27 fatalities occurred.
Tornadoes also affected parts of Austin and west of Austin.
In this severe weather event an F4 Tornado struck Pedernales
Valley and an F3 Tornado struck Cedar Park. Other tornadoes
in the area included 2 F2 Tornadoes and 5 F1/F0 Tornadoes,
plus 1 waterspout. In addition 17 severe hail reports were
observed, 9 downbursts, and 7 flash flood events. As the
thunderstorms moved southwest to the San Antonio area, in the
evening hours of May 27, a wind gust of 122 mph was observed
at Kelly AFB in southwest San Antonio from a thunderstorm.
On May 11th, 1999 when severe weather affected the area
tornadoes were observed in parts of Llano and Gillespie
Counties. An F3 Tornado struck in western Gillespie
County and an F4 Tornado occurred in eastern Mason
County.
Flash floods have come also, along with the typical
severe spring thunderstorms.
In May and June of 1935 severe floods came to
Central and South Central Texas.
Heavy rains and flooding came to
Austin and San Antonio. Austin had 9.21 inches of rain in May
and 9.71 inches in June 1935, while
San Antonio had 14.07 inches in May 1935
and
8.41 inches in June. May 1935 was the wettest
May of record at San Antonio. The wettest May
at Austin came in 1895 with 14.10 inches and
for Del Rio in May 1957 with 10.23 inches.
After one episode of heavy rains in May 1935, water got into
stores on Alamo Plaza in San Antonio.
On May 31, 1935 very heavy rains near D' Hanis
in Medina County ranged from 22 to 24 inches in
only 2 Hours and 45 Minutes. The heaviest
rains occurred at Woodward Ranch
about 17 miles above D' Hanis on the Seco Creek.
Extensive flooding occurred along Seco Creek.
In June of 1935, heavy rains and flooding occurred
across parts of the Texas Hill country
east to Austin and also in the Uvalde and
La Pryor Areas. Rains amounting to near
20 inches occurred in some places in
early to mid June 1935. Extensive
flooding was observed along the Llano,
Colorado and Pedernales Rivers...
including Junction, Llano, Fredericksburg
and downstream to Austin.
Extensive flooding affected
Austin by June 14 and 15, 1935,
where the Colorado River got up
to just 1 feet below the worst
recorded flood for Austin,
that came in July of 1869.
Flooding along the Llano River was the highest
of record at that time. Also in Mid June of 1935...
heavy rains struck on the West Nueces and
the Nueces River plus Sycamore Creek. Flooding
was noted from north of Bracketville to
along Sycamore Creek to the Rio Grande,
a few miles below Del Rio, and east to Uvalde.
Rains in Uvalde on June 15, 1935 came in with
12.5 inches in 12 hours and 17.6 inches
in 24 hours.
A year later in 1936 heavy rains and
flooding affected Austin in May 1936.
Austin received 8.15 inches of rain in May of 1936
and more heavy rain in July of 1936 with 9.25 inches of rain.
In May of 1972 flood events came May 7 and May 12.
San Antonio had its 2nd wettest day in May on May 7, 1972
when 5.34 inches of rain fell on a Sunday morning, and caused
flooding.
Heavy rains May 12, 1972
fell below Canyon Dam, and caused extensive flooding for
New Braunfels and Seguin. The heavy rain below Canyon Dam
flooded numerous homes and caused loss of life, with
15 fatalities in New Braunfels.
In late May of 1981 the Memorial Day Flood came to Austin,
when 4 to 10 inches of rain fell in a short period of time.
Widespread flooding occurred in the Austin Area, with 13 fatalities.
A longer term rainy period came to the area in May and
part of June 1987.
Numerous rainy days came from May 13, 1987 and lasted
until June 12, 1987. The rains caused
widespread flooding over
the Hill Country and South Central Texas. For that time
in history, a 30 day official rain record for San Antonio
of 18.45 inches was observed from May 13 to June 12, 1987.
This was later broken in October 1998.
On May 27, 2003 a severe weather and flash flood event came to
Del Rio, when 6.53 inches of rain fell at Del Rio, the wettest
May daily rainfall.
Cool weather outbreaks are much less common, although a few have been
observed. On May 1, 1907 the high was only 52 at Austin, with the
low at 42. On May 6, 1917 the high was 52 at Austin and
56 at San Antonio. The combination of a cool front and rain gave
Del Rio an unseasonably cool day May 3, 1918 when the high was 60
and 2.55 inches of rain fell.
The lowest overnight low temperatures in May have sometimes
come in drought years, like the low of 43 at San Antonio on
May 9, 1984, and 45 at Del Rio on May 3, 1970.
At the Austin City Climate location the lowest low for
May was 40 May 1, 1925, another dry year. Austin Bergstrom's
all time May low was 42 May 1, 2005.
In some years when droughts were broken in the summer, some of the
warmest days of the year came in May. Although not a drought year,
in 2004, the warmest day of the year for San Antonio and Del Rio
came May 31. On May 31, 2004 the high was 104 at San Antonio
and 107 at Del Rio. The 104 high at San Antonio was a May Monthly Record High.
Austin nearly had its warmest day for Year 2004 on May 31, 2004;
however, in August 2004 warmer days came at Austin.
The high at Austin Mabry May 31, 2004 was
100, later exceed by 101 August 5, 2004, and the high at Austin Bergstrom
was 99, later exceed by 100 August 5, 2004.
The warmest day in May for the Austin City Climate location
came May 24, 1925 when the high was 104,
and at Austin Bergstrom 102 May 7, 1998.
The warmest day at Del Rio in May came May 24, 2000 when the
high was 109.
On the
other side of extremes for high temperatures, following mostly cloudy and
wet winters and springs, some of the first 90 degree days have not
come until May. On rare occasions the first 90 degree day has not
come until June for Austin and San Antonio. The latest first 90
degree day at Austin was 91 on June 29, 1907 and for San Antonio
91 on June 8, 1885 and 90 on June 8, 1957. The latest first 90 degree day
at Del Rio was 91 on May 22, 2004.
weather.gov
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