by Robert K. Peters, Ph.D. - National Weather Service Cooperating Observer
The drought, which commenced in July 2010, was alleviated slight in January and February 2012 as near normal rainfall occurred.
Otherwise, February 2012 was warmer than normal as the LaNina pattern persisted in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean.
The month was 4.7 deg. Warmer than February 2011, and 1.48 inches wetter. Year-to-date rainfall through month's end was 0.29 inch less in 2012 than in 2011. Reflecting the continuance of the drought, 12-month rainfall was nearly seven inches for the period ending February 29, 2012 than for the same period last year.
The thirty-day outlook had called for above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation.
The month began mild and dry. Storm systems crossing on the 3rd and 6th brought rainfall.
Cooler air arrived on the 4th, with a reinforcing cold front on the 7th. This latter finally brought temperatures back to slightly below normal levels These persisted until a brief warm-up between the 15th and 17th. Weak systems on the 10th and 13th brought light to moderate rainfall.
Then came the very wet storm of the 17th and 18th. It brought between one and four inches of rainfall to the region.
Near to below normal temperatures were in the area between the 18th and 21st, followed by a warm-up through the 23rd, a cool-down through the 26th, and then a warm-up through the end of the month.
Weak storm systems on the 21st and 29th brought light rainfall.
- KEY TO SYMBOLS:
- A = HAIL
- B = BLOWING
- D = DUST
- F = FOG
- H = HAZE
- IP = SLEET
- K = SMOKE
- L = DRIZZLE
- R = RAIN
- S = SNOW
- T = THUNDERSTORM
- Z = GREENWICH MEAN TIME
- ZL = FREEZING DRIZZLE
- ZR = FREEZING RAIN
- - = LIGHT
- + = HEAVY
The reporting period for temperatures and phenomenon on each day is for the twenty-four hours ending at midnight hours GMT--6 p.m. CST and 7 p.m. CDT. The reporting period for precipitation is for the twenty-four hours ending at noon GMT--6 a.m. CST and 7 a.m. CDT. All times are given using the twenty-four hour clock, and are expressed in Greenwich Mean Time.
Observations are from NWS Station 41/9207/4 in Tyler, Texas. The term "normal" refers to averages from the standard climatic period 1971-2000.
February 2012
MX MN OBS PCPN REMARKS
- 01 76 60 70 F, MORNING LOW 62
- 02 70 54 66 F, DAYTIME HIGH 68
- 03 74 60 71 0.23 F, T, PCPN 0400-0600, 0900-1000
- 04 71 52 53 0.23 F, T, PCPN 02100-0200, 0700-0800DAYTIME HIGH 59
- 05 53 40 43 DAYTIME HIGH 48
- 06 57 35 53
- 07 55 46 53 0.04 PCPN 1000-1100, 1300-1400
- 08 53 40 45 DAYTIME HIGH 52
- 09 58 33 54 F
- 10 58 45 53 0.04 F, PCPN 1000-1100, 1300-1400
- 11 53 29 35 DAYTIME HIGH 42
- 12 46 26 44
- 13 44 34 43 0.32 F, IP, PCPN 1000-1300, 1600-1800 DAYTIME HIGH 43
- 14 53 43 51 F
- 15 68 48 65 0.02 F, +F, PCPN 1800-1900
- 16 65 44 56 F, +F, DAYTIME HIGH 58
- 17 64 49 60 0.05 F, PCPN 1100-1200, 1300-1400
- 18 60 47 47 1.88 F, PCPN 0000-1800, DAYTIME HIGH 51
- 19 59 41 56 0.55 F, PCPN 0000-0700
- 20 61 42 59 F
- 21 72 36 67 0.15 PCPN 0400-0500
- 22 80 57 75
- 23 82 55 77
- 24 77 46 54 DAYTIME HIGH 60
- 25 62 30 58
- 26 68 36 63
- 27 72 51 68 Calendar Day low 55
- 28 75 60 72
- 29 77 64R 72 0.01R F, H, PCPN 1500-1600
February 2012, RECORDS AND SUMMARY:
- 29TH RECORD HIGH MINIMUM 64, REPLACED 62 FROM 1904;
- 29TH EQUALED RECORD PRECIPITATION 0.01, FIRST SET IN 1968;
- HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 82 ON THE 23RD,
- LOWEST TEMPERATURE 26 ON THE 12TH,
- AVERAGE MAXIMUM 64.2 F.,
- AVERAGE MINIMUM 44.9 F.,
- AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 54.6 F.,
- 3.1 DEG. WARMER THAN NORMAL.
- 350 HEATING DEGREE DAYS,
- 90.2 PERCENT OF NORMAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS.
- 22 COOLING DEGREE DAYS,
- 220 PERCENT OF NORMAL COOLING DEGREE-DAYS;
- TOTAL PRECIPITATION 3.52 IN.,
- 0.60 IN. LESS THAN MONTHLY NORMAL.
- 85.4 PERCENT OF NORMAL MONTHLY PRECIPITATION.
- YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION 7.08 IN.,
- 0.47 IN. LESS THAN NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION,
- 93.8 PERCENT OF NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION;
- 2 DAYS ON WHICH THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED;
- 11 DAYS ON WHICH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION OCCURRED;
- 15 DAYS ON WHICH THE VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED TO BETWEEN « AND 6 MILES BY FOG, SMOKE, OR HAZE;
- 2 DAYS ON WHICH THE VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS BY FOG;
- 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED BY DUST OR BLOWING DUST;
- 1 DAYS ON WHICH FROZEN PRECIPITATION WAS OBSERVED;
- 0 IN. TOTAL SNOWFALL.
- 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED OR EXCEEDED 90 DEG.;
- 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED OR EXCEEDED 100 DEG.;
- 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE TEMPERATURE FAILED TO RISE ABOVE 32 DEG.
- 3 DAYS ON WHICH THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED OR FELL BELOW 32 DEG.
- 1628 SEASON-TO-DATE HEATING DEGREE DAYS,
- PERCENTAGE OF NORMAL SEASON-TO-DATE HEATING DEGREE DAYS: 89.0.
- 23 YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS.
- PERCENTAGE OF NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS: 176.9,
- PRECIPITATION DURING THE PREVIOUS TWELVE MONTHS 29.96 IN.,
- TWELVE-MONTH PRECIPITATION PERCENTAGE 64.3.
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