PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
622 PM CST THU DEC 11 2008

         ...SNOW TOTALS FOR 10 DECEMBER 2008...

      ...FIRST ACCUMULATING SNOW AT BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL
              AIRPORT SINCE FEBRUARY 1994...

A COLD UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVED ACROSS SOUTHEAST
TEXAS YESTERDAY AND PRODUCED A BROAD AREA OF SNOWFALL FOR EARLY
DECEMBER. BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT RECEIVED 1.4 INCHES OF
SNOW LAST NIGHT. THIS IS THE EARLIEST ACCUMULATING SNOW IN THE
HOUSTON AREA FOR DECEMBER. WEATHER RECORDS REVEAL A TRACE OF SNOW
FELL ON DECEMBER 10 1944 BUT THERE IS NO WAY TO DETERMINE IF THAT
WAS SNOW...SLEET OR HAIL.

WHEN DID SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECEIVE IT`S LAST SNOWFALL? SNOW FLURRIES FELL
ACROSS THE EXTREME NORTHERN PARTS OF THE REGION ON MARCH 7TH 2008
BUT THE LAST MEASURABLE SNOW OCCURRED ON APRIL 7TH 2007 NORTH OF A
CALDWELL TO LIVINGSTON LINE. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW FELL ON
THAT SATURDAY BEFORE EASTER.

THE LAST ACCUMULATING SNOW AT INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT OCCURRED ON
FEBRUARY 1ST 1994. THE SNOW AMOUNT TALLIED ONLY A TENTH OF AN INCH.
THE LAST TIME AN INCH OF SNOW OR GREATER FELL AT THE AIRPORT WAS
DECEMBER 22 1989. THE LAST TIME ANY SNOW FELL IN THE HOUSTON AREA
OCCURRED ON CHRISTMAS EVE IN 2004. SNOW AMOUNTS WERE A TRACE AT
INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT...BUT SOUTHERN SUBURBS LIKE PEAR LAND...
WEBSTER AND CLEAR LAKE RECEIVED 2 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW. FURTHER
SOUTH A BAND OF HEAVY SNOW AFFECTED WHARTON...FORT BEND AND
BRAZORIA COUNTIES.

LIGHT SNOW FELL DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON THE 10TH OVER
PARTS OF WASHINGTON...BURLESON AND BRAZOS COUNTIES. SNOW
REDEVELOPED DURING AFTERNOON AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
MOVED INTO THE HOUSTON AREA. SOME AREAS ACROSS THE REGION
EXPERIENCED A RAIN AND SLEET MIXTURE WHICH CHANGED TO SNOW BY EARLY
EVENING. SNOWFALL WAS AT ITS HEAVIEST BETWEEN 5 PM AND 10 PM LAST
NIGHT MAINLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 45. SNOW AMOUNTS RANGED FROM A
TRACE OVER PARTS OF WESTERN WHARTON...MATAGORDA AND BRAZORIA COUNTIES
TO AS MUCH AS 4 INCHES IN EASTERN HARRIS COUNTY. AN INCH OF SNOW
FELL ON GALVESTON ISLAND WITH GENERALLY AN INCH TO TWO INCHES OF
SNOW FOR INLAND PORTIONS OF GALVESTON COUNTY. THE HEAVIEST SNOW
TOTALS WERE IN A BAND FROM CHAMBERS COUNTY TO POLK COUNTY WHERE
SOME AREAS RECEIVED AS MUCH AS 5 INCHES OF SNOW. BELOW ARE SOME
SNOW TOTALS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS:

LOCATION                           SNOW AMOUNTS (INCHES)

WINNIE                             5.5
LIBERTY                            5.0
MONT BELVIEU                       5.0
ANAHUAC                            4.0
BAYTOWN                            4.0
SAN JACINTO COUNTY                 3.0
BRENHAM                            3.0
LA PORTE                           3.0
PASADENA                           2.5
CHANNELVIEW                        2.5
LIVINGSTON                         2.0
SANTA FE                           2.0
MADISONVILLE                       2.0
NAVASOTA                           2.0
COLLEGE STATION                    2.0
KINGWOOD                           2.0
DANBURY                            2.0
NWS OFFICE LEAGUE CITY             1.5
HOUSTON BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL      1.4
LAKE JACKSON                       1.2
CONROE                             1.2
CLEAR LAKE                         1.0
GALVESTON                          1.0
ELLINGTON FIELD                    1.0
SEABROOK                           1.0
PEARLAND (EAST SIDE)               1.0
TRINITY                            1.0
RURAL HOUSTON COUNTY               1.0
CITY OF HOUSTON (SOUTHEAST)        0.5
SWEENY                             0.5
PEARLAND (WEST SIDE)               0.5
CYPRESS                            0.5
WEST UNIVERSITY                    0.5
HOUSTON HOBBY AIRPORT              0.3
SUGARLAND                          0.2
HOUSTON WESTBURY                   0.1
DW HOOKS AIRPORT                   0.1
BAY CITY                           TRACE
WHARTON                            TRACE

FOR WHAT IT`S WORTH...THE LAST LAND FALLING HURRICANE ON GALVESTON
ISLAND BEFORE HURRICANE IKE WAS HURRICANE JERRY IN 1989. THERE
WAS 1.7 INCHES OF SNOW ON DECEMBER 22 1989. HURRICANE ALICIA MADE
LANDFALL IN 1983 AND THERE WERE SEVERAL DAYS WITH SNOW FLURRIES IN
DECEMBER OF 1983.

$$