The Coldest Winter

Historic extreme weather records have shaped Texas history. Updated 2 years ago
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Hurricane Carla in 1961 at Freeport

Hurricane Carla in 1961 at Freeport

Hurricane Carla in 1961 at Freeport.

Temperature

 

Lowest
Tulia, Feb. 12, 1899 -23°F
Seminole, Feb. 8, 1933 -23°F

 

 

Highest
Seymour, Aug. 12, 1936 120°F
Monahans, June 28, 1994 120°F

 

 

Coldest Winter, 1898-1899 42.5°F

 

 

Warmest Summer, 2011 86.6°F

 

 

Wind Velocity

 

Highest sustained wind
Matagorda - Sept. 11, 1961 SE, 145 mph
Port Lavaca - Sept. 11, 1961 NE, 145 mph

 

 

Highest peak gust
Aransas Pass - Aug. 3, 1970 SW, 180 mph
Robstown - Aug. 3, 1970 WSW, 180 mph

 

These velocities occurred during Hurricane Carla in 1961 and Hurricane Celia in 1970.

Tornadoes

Since 1950, there have been six tornadoes recorded of the F5 category, that is, with winds between 261-318 mph. They were:

 

Waco May 11, 1953
Wichita Falls April 3, 1964
Lubbock May 11, 1970
Valley Mills (McLennan Co.) May 6, 1973
Brownwood April 19, 1976
Jarrell (Williamson Co.) May 27, 1997

 

Rainfall

 

Wettest year statewide - 2015 41.23 in.
Driest year statewide -- 1917   14.06 in.
Greatest annual - Clarksville -- 1873 109.38 in.
Least annual - Wink - 1956 1.76 in.
Most in 24 hours – Alvin, July 25-26, 1979 43.00 in.
Most in 18 hours – Thrall, Sept. 9, 1921 36.40 in.

 

This is an unofficial estimate of rainfall that occurred during Tropical Storm Claudette. The greatest 24-hour rainfall ever recorded in Texas at an official observing site occurred at Albany, Shackelford County, on Aug. 4, 1978: 29.05 inches.

Hail

(Hailstones six inches or greater, since 1950)

 

Winkler County - May 31, 1960 8.00 in.
Young County - April 14, 1965 7.50 in.
Ward County - May 10, 1991 6.00 in.
Burleson County - Dec. 17, 1995 7.05 in.

 

Snowfall

 

Greatest seasonal - Romero1 (Hartley Co.), 1923-1924 65.0 in.
Greatest monthly - Hale Center, Feb. 1956 36.0 in.
Greatest single storm - Hale Center, Feb. 1-8, 1956 33.0 in.
Greatest in 24 Hours - Cleburne, Dec. 21-22, 1929 26.0 in.
Greatest annual average - Vega, Oldham County 24.2 in.
Maximum depth on ground - Hale Center, Feb. 5, 1956 33.0 in.

 

 1Romero, which was in southwestern Hartley County, no longer exists.

Source: Office of State Climatologist, 2017 revisions.

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