PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 520 AM CST WED MAR 4 2009 ...FEBRUARY 2009 CONSIDERABLY WARMER THAN NORMAL... ...DRY CONDITIONS PERSIST ACROSS MOST OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS... DESPITE A FEW EPISODES OF LIGHT RAIN...MODERATE TO SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS PERSISTED ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS. THE HEAVIEST RAIN DURING THE MONTH FELL ALONG AND EAST OF THE I-45 CORRIDOR. GENERALLY 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN FELL ACROSS THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA WITH LESSER AMOUNTS TOWARD THE COAST AND WEST OF THE I-45 CORRIDOR. AS OF FEBRUARY 24 2009...ALL OR PARTS OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES WERE CLASSIFIED AS SUFFERING FROM EXTREME...SEVERE...MODERATE OR ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS: EXTREME SEVERE MODERATE ABNORMALLY DRY JACKSON BRAZORIA GALVESTON CHAMBERS MATAGORDA FORT BEND HARRIS LIBERTY WHARTON AUSTIN MONTGOMERY POLK COLORADO WALLER WALKER TRINITY WASHINGTON GRIMES SAN JACINTO HOUSTON BURLESON BRAZOS MADISON A RECENT WARM...DRY AND BREEZY SPELL AT THE END OF THE MONTH WILL PROBABLY AFFECT THESE CLASSIFICATIONS FOR THE WORSE. COLLEGE STATION HAS NOT RECEIVED NORMAL OR ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL SINCE AUGUST 2008. MOST AREAS WEST OF A MADISONVILLE TO DACUS TO FREEPORT LINE HAVE SUFFERED BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL SINCE HURRICANE IKE IN MID SEPTEMBER. COLLEGE STATION HAD ITS TENTH DRIEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD. BELOW IS A LIST OF COLLEGE STATIONS TEN DRIEST FEBRUARIES: 0.01 - 1916 0.08 - 2007 0.10 - 1974 0.13 - 1926 0.14 - 1999 0.18 - 1943 0.40 - 1996 0.47 - 1972 0.49 - 1937 0.68 - 2009 IN ADDITION TO THE ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS...TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN WARM. HOW WARM? AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS HAVE AVERAGED 4 TO 6 DEGREES WARMER THAN NORMAL DURING FEBRUARY. COLLEGE STATION TIED FOR ITS SIXTH WARMEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD. HOBBY AIRPORT HAD ITS FIFTH WARMEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD (62.1 DEGREES)...JUST AHEAD OF LAST YEARS VERY WARM 62.0 DEGREES. HOBBY AIRPORT HAS HAD FOUR OF ITS WARMEST FEBRUARIES SINCE 2000 (63.1 - 2000 2ND)...(62.0 - 2008 4TH)...(61.8 2009 5TH)...(60.7 - 2001 TIED 9TH). DESPITE THE UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES NO RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE ESTABLISHED AT THE THREE PRIMARY CLIMATE SITES. HERE ARE THE TEN WARMEST FEBRUARIES ON RECORD FOR COLLEGE STATION AND HOUSTON HOBBY AIRPORT: COLLEGE STATION HOBBY AIRPORT 61.4 - 1999 63.9 - 1962 61.0 - 1911 63.5 - 1999 60.9 - 1976 63.1 - 2000 60.7 - 1932 62.9 - 1957 60.5 - 1957 62.1 - 2009 60.4 - 2009 62.0 - 2008 60.4 - 2000 61.5 - 1976 59.9 - 1962 61.4 - 1944 59.8 - 1944 61.3 - 1986 59.8 - 1938 61.3 - 1950 # # FEBRUARY DATA FOR HOBBY AIRPORT WAS MISSING DURING THE YEARS OF 1932 AND 1995. HERE IS THE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL DATA FOR THE PRIMARY SUPPLEMENTAL CLIMATE SITES ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS: SITE AVG AVG AVG DEP RAIN DEP HIGH LOW MONTH IAH 72.4 50.0 61.2 +5.8 1.52 -1.46 GLS 68.6 55.4 62.0 +4.0 1.05 -1.56 CLL 72.6 48.2 60.4 +5.9 0.68 -1.70 HOU 71.9 52.3 62.1 +4.4 1.18 -1.83 PSX 72.0 51.8 61.9 +6.1 0.72 -1.73 UTS 71.1 48.0 59.6 +6.6 1.65 -1.49 CX0 72.1 44.9 58.5 +4.9 1.17 -1.74 LBX 72.5 49.5 61.0 +4.7 0.43 -4.33 LVJ 71.0 51.4 61.2 +5.2 1.90 -0.92 SGR 73.5 50.2 61.8 +5.8 1.83 -1.29 DWH 73.1 47.6 60.4 +5.5 1.53 -1.36 HGX 69.8 51.8 60.8 +4.1 1.58 -1.87 SOME OTHER FEBRUARY RAINFALL TOTALS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS: COMMUNITY TOTAL (INCHES) ANAHUAC 0.60 BRENHAM 1.20 CLEVELAND 2.70 COLUMBUS 0.18 CROCKETT 1.71 DANEVANG 0.69 EDNA 0.10 HOU HEIGHTS 1.51 HOU PORT 1.84 HOU WESTBURY 1.60 KATY 0.77 MADISONVILLE 0.90 RICHMOND 0.53 SOMERVILLE 0.61 WASHINGTON 0.61 WHARTON 1.24 $$