SE Texas = Winter Cancel?

[jasons2k]

I don't see any more freezes on the horizon for us and I think the growing season has officially begun. Since we didn't have a freeze with this last system it really began on Feb. 13th. Yesterday, I trimmed the dead off the tops of my banana trees and hibiscus

I'm not saying it won't get mighty chilly again and feel "winter like", but true Spring begins, for a specific location, when the growing season starts (not March 21/22nd). I think we may be finally there in Houston

[Portastorm]

If I may be a "hanger on," I was going to post today that South Central Texas Winter = Over.

We're done. I feel pretty safe in saying we may see a night of lows near freezing but that would be it. Winter, whatever winter we had, is over. Actually, I think this "winter" will be remembered more for the historically warm January than anything else.

We had a few weeks of cold in late November/early December ... and then the last 2 weeks have been more seasonal with two nominal icing events. Whoop-tee-do!

The bad news is the bugs and skeetos will be worse than ever this year. Bring on the spring storm season.

[boca]

If my friends in Texas wouldn't mind I'd like to add Florida to the winter is over thread. Highs mid to upper 80's lows in the low 70's.

[gboudx]

I won't call Winter over for NTX yet. We almost always get a good cold front in March that gets us below freezing. I hope this Spring is a wet one and we get some drought relief.

[aggiecutter]

The long range Ensembles look very mild into mid March for the southern plains. For all intense and purposes, winter, what little there was, is over. See you guys next November.

Long Range Ensembles...

http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/map/images/ens/ ... times.html

[Portastorm]

The long range Ensembles look very mild into mid March for the southern plains. For all intense and purposes, winter, what little there was, is over. See you guys next November.

Long Range Ensembles...

http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/map/images/ens/ ... times.html

Aggiecutter, I have appreciated your posts and your keen observations with the ensembles. Thanks for all of that!

[Kelarie]

This is gonna sound a bit crazy, but the old bones could tell ya that winter is over. Already looking forward to gardening, fishing, biking, and oh yeah planning the wedding.

Just something in the air that feels like winter is done. Here comes spring, maybe it will be wetter than last year. *crossing fingers*

[jasons2k]

The long range Ensembles look very mild into mid March for the southern plains. For all intense and purposes, winter, what little there was, is over. See you guys next November.

Long Range Ensembles...

http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/map/images/ens/ ... times.html

Aggiecutter, I have appreciated your posts and your keen observations with the ensembles. Thanks for all of that!

I have enjoyed it as well, and also your insight Portastorm.

Now, onto the Spring storm season. I hope it's an active one, seems like we haven't had too much luck in recent years here in TX. Before we know it, we'll be charting the SSTs in the Gulf and switching forums

[PTrackerLA]

I agree that winter is over for us too, or whatever you want to call the last few months . I'll remember this winter for being the warmest in recent memory which followed the worst hurricane season ever. Here's hoping for a wet spring, it seems like we fall back into drought almost every spring the past couple of years.

[Portastorm]

The long range Ensembles look very mild into mid March for the southern plains. For all intense and purposes, winter, what little there was, is over. See you guys next November.

Long Range Ensembles...

http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/map/images/ens/ ... times.html

Aggiecutter, I have appreciated your posts and your keen observations with the ensembles. Thanks for all of that!

I have enjoyed it as well, and also your insight Portastorm.

Now, onto the Spring storm season. I hope it's an active one, seems like we haven't had too much luck in recent years here in TX. Before we know it, we'll be charting the SSTs in the Gulf and switching forums

You too, Jschlitz! I have enjoyed our many discourses. Also have appreciated my pal on the coast, CCtxhurricanewatcher, and posts from gboudx, Johnny, and extremeweatherguy and yes, even Tyler! Of course, couldn't do without the expert analyses from Air Force Met, Jeff, Wxman22, and DonSutherland.

You are right ... won't be too long before we're talking SSTs, tropical waves, and trough splitting in the Gulf!

[aggiecutter]

Thanks for the kind words. I'm not much on tropical weather, but I'll probably join ya'll during the upcoming severe weather season. Is there a link to the severe weather board, or is it just under the main topic of USA Weather.

[cctxhurricanewatcher]

Yea, it's over. I spread some weed and feed on my yard this morning. I'll be planting my spring garden next week.

It's over. Count it, 5 to 10 days of real cold weather. Adios winter 2005-2006 and on ward to Hurricane season.

[gboudx]

The only reason I said that it may not be over for DFW is that March 14th is the average last freeze up here. Just about every year when you think Winter is gone, a cold front drops down and puts us below freezing. It's why we don't plant begonias until about mid-April.

[Jim Cantore]

SE Texas has winter?

[Johnny]

I have learned alot from y'all over the past couple months concerning winter weather. It looks like my cold weather threads we be called, "The cold that never was" threads. Seriously, the two threads that I started are full of VERY informative information and I'm sure I will go back and look at them from time to time.

I'd like to give my shoutout to AFM, Jeff, EWG, Tyler, Portastorm, Aggiecutter, jschilitz, gboudx, PTrackerLA and a few others. Keep up the good work!

I think that severe weather is strictly discussed in the US forum I believe. What would y'all think of a 'severe weather forum'? I think that would be great!

Like I said in another thread yesterday...spring is just around the corner. I'll be in Spring mode come this weekend planting my garden and fertilizing my lawn. The jasmine is already starting to bloom around my house along with my wifes lillies!! It's coming!! Now we have to look forward to severe weather and I can't believe it's not too far away but also hurricane season. From the looks of it it's gonna be another butt whooper. Fun times ahead for sure. I'll see y'all on the other side.

[plainsman]

ya winter is over for deep south texas, rio grande valley, southeast texas, and south central texas at the end of february... but for the hill country, west texas the big bend and North Texas winter is not over till mid april and the panhandle of Texas winter is not over until mid may.... a couple of late snows ill point out in Texas, last Easter, March 28,2005 snow fell in Fort Worth and some southwestern Dallas suberbs.... about 1 inch of snow.... on April 5th-6th.. 1996 West Texas had a blizzard midland report 9 inches and lubbock had a Foot, 12 inches of snow, abilene recorded 3 inches, and Dallas/Fort worth recorded a trace.... last yr. on May 5th,2005 Amarillo, Texas in the panhandle recorded 3 inches of snow.... the latest snowfall ever recorded at the Dallas/Fort worth airport was on April 14thth.....

[jasons2k]

I doubt winter will last until mid-April this year for the DFW area. It will probably be finished close to the climatological normal of mid-March. The average last freeze date for DFW is 3/14.

[PTrackerLA]

Thanks for the shout out Johnny! I've enjoyed discussing this seasons "winter" weather with y'all. Just remember, there's always next year and after this year I have a feeling we'll have a harsh winter for 06/07. Let's just all hope for lots of rain and storms this spring to alleviate the drought and prevent us from setting out sprinklers in April just so the grass grows!

[CaptinCrunch]

For just about everyone South of Waco winter is pretty much over for you. For the rest of us here in NTX and the Panhandel one or two more freezes my still be instore, as gboudx stated March 14 is the average date for a last freeze.

Today we finally climbed above 50 for the first time since last Thursday, which is good because I'm down to the last of the firewood, just enough for 1 or 2 more chilly nights.

[Extremeweatherguy]

I think (and hope) that winter is finally over too. I am getting kind of tired of wearing cold weather clothing and am ready for spring/summer! I am not letting my guard down until mid March though, because snow has fallen in Houston as late as March 10th-11th and in 2003 IAH hit 22F in early in the month, so anything can happen. As it looks now though..winter should be over and it is time to start focusing on the severe threats that will come our way and eventually on a new hurricane season. I wonder what we will see this year...