December 8, 2010 – Drought’s grip on Texas tightens | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle.

The great drought of 2011 may have started two months ago.

Since Tropical Storm Hermine drenched central Texas in September, the state has been very dry, with large swaths receiving less than 10 percent of normal rainfall levels. Locally, nearly all but the southeastern corner of Harris County has received less than 50 percent of normal rain.

According to the National Climatic Data Center, the two-month period of October and November was the state’s eighth driest on record, and second driest in 44 years. If Texas doesn’t receive at least 0.78 inches in December, it would be the driest October-December period since the 1950s.

Dec. 24 2010 – Wunder Blog Archive : Weather Underground.

November 2010 was the globe’s second warmest November on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). NASA‘s Goddard Institute for Space Studies rated November 2010 the warmest November on record. Both NOAA and NASA rated the year-to-date period, January – November, as the warmest such period on record.

Jan 16, 2011 – Wunder Blog Archive : Weather Underground.

The year 2010 was tied with 2005 as Earth’s warmest year in history, according to separate calculations performed by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Temperatures during 2010 were 1.12°F (0.62°C) above the 20th century average. Reliable global temperature records go back to 1880. NOAA reported that the Northern Hemisphere had its warmest year on record in 2010, the Southern Hemisphere its 6th warmest, land areas their 2nd warmest, and the oceans their 3rd warmest.

Jan. 18, 2011 – Wunder Blog Archive : Weather Underground.

December 2010 was the globe’s 17th warmest December on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies rated December 2010 the 11th warmest December on record. December 2010 global ocean temperatures were the 10th warmest on record, and land temperatures were the 30th warmest on record.

Feb. 18, 2011 – Wunder Blog Archive : Weather Underground.

January 2011 was the globe’s 17th warmest January on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies rated January the 11th warmest on record. January 2011 global ocean temperatures were the 11th warmest on record, and land temperatures were the 29th warmest on record.

February 28, 2011 – SciGuy: A month of extremes ends up being average | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle.

February had a split personality.

Overnight temperatures during the first half of the month were the coldest on record in Houston. Twelve of the month’s first 13 nights recorded subfreezing temperatures, including nine nights in the 20s.

The average low, average mind you, was 28.1 degrees.

Only once before in 119 years of data — back in 1895, the year in which Houston had a record-setting 20-inch snowfall — has the city seen as many cold nights during all of February. There were 14 during that frigid February.

Yet eventually the arctic fronts stopped coming, and by Valentine’s Day the great warm-up began. After 13 consecutive nights of below-normal average temperatures, the month closed with 15 days of above-normal temperatures.

March 17, 2011 – Burn bans are in effect in two-thirds of Texas | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle.

LUBBOCK — Summer-like temperatures and strong winds are adding up to dangerous wildfire conditions in parts of West Texas and the Panhandle, the Texas Forest Service said Thursday. (See the map of counties with burn bans here.)

The agency warned of hot, dry weather that could affect an area north and west of a line from Wichita Falls to Midland and Van Horn, including the Guadalupe Mountains.

The National Weather Service said highs in the region could reach the lower 90s.

Forecasters predicted the high fire danger in December, based on models using the now-dominant La Nina weather pattern, NWS meteorologist Victor Murphy said Thursday. The chance for above normal and much-above normal fire conditions will persist through May, he said.

March 22, 2011. Wunder Blog : Weather Underground.

February 2011 was the globe’s 17th warmest February on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies rated February the 14th warmest on record. February 2011 global ocean temperatures were the 10th warmest on record, and land temperatures were the 28th warmest on record.

So…It’s dry and cold and hot and dry… Except when it’s not.

 

Related articles

• High pressure helps keep Houston warmer than normal – Houston Chronicle (news.google.com)
• February ranked as 17th-warmest for planet Earth (summitcountyvoice.com)
• 2010 Ties Record for Warmest Year Yet (usnews.com)
• Factbox: 2010 second hottest year on record (reuters.com)
• 2010 ties record for warmest year: NOAA (scientificamerican.com)
• 2010 ties record for warmest year yet (sciencenews.org)