Extreme Weather Records

Filed Under: 
Environment
Filed Under: 
Significant Weather Events in Texas History
Filed Under: 
Texas Is Tornado Capital

 

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

 

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 - 1941 42.62 in.
Driest year statewide -- 1917 14.30 in.
Greatest annual - Clarksville -- 1873 109.38 in.
Least annual - Wink - 1956 1.76 in.
†Greatest in 24 hours - Alvin, July 25-26, 1979 43.00 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 - Romero* (Hartley Co.), 1923-1924 65.0 in.
Greatest monthly - Hale Center, Feb. 1956 36.0 in.
Greatest single storm - Hale Center, Feb. 2-5, 1956 33.0 in.
Greatest in 24 Hours - Plainview, Feb. 3-4, 1956 24.0 in.
Maximum depth on ground - Hale Center, Feb. 5, 1956 33.0 in.

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

Source: NOAA Environmental Data Service.

Texas Almanac

Texas Almanac