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WEATHER Year-to-date precipitation as of September 1, 2010 is 17.97 inches. KPAN recorded 1/4 inch of ice and 7 inches of snow from the El Niņo winter storm January 28, 2010, with 1.62 moisture equivalent. KPAN recorded 6 inches of snow and 0.98 moisture from the rain and snow of the February 3 winter storm. NOAA weather radio from the National Weather Service office in
Located within the cool-temperate climatic zone, Hereford has a dry steppe
climate with mild winters. Mean annual total precipitation is 18.06 inches (1938-2006).
The climate is continental, characterized by a wide annual range in
temperature. Prevailing winds are south to southwesterly throughout the year
although northerly winds are frequent in the colder months. Strong winds will
occasionally result in blowing dust, with the strongest sustained winds
occurring with the greatest frequency in March and
April. Precipitation
occurs most frequently in the form of thunderstorms. Monthly and annual
totals are extremely variable, with 78% of the mean annual precip falling within the 6-month period, May through
October. Monthly rainfall total decrease significantly during the colder
season as frequent "northers" cut off the
supply of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. During the colder seasons
temperatures also show extreme variability. Cold fronts from the northern
Great Plains sweep across the level Panhandle plains at speeds up to 40
miles-per-hour. Temperature drops of 50 to 60 degrees within a 12-hour period
have occurred, following the passage of these fast-moving "northers". In spite of occasional near-zero
temperatures, winters in Hereford are actually mild when compared to those of
the northern Great Plains. Cold spells rarely last longer than 2 or 3 days
before southwesterly winds from the high New Mexican plateaus cause rapid
warming. The dry air, high elevation and usually clear skies are ideal for insolation and radiational
cooling; consequently, there is a large daily range between maximum and
minimum temperatures. Hereford is located in the area of highest wind
potential in Texas, with sustained winds over 30 mph evident on many days in
the fall, winter and spring. Although on the western edge of "tornado
alley", tornadoes in the F-4 range have occurred infrequently in the
western Panhandle.
Mean annual
snowfall is 13 inches, but seasonal amounts vary over a wide range. A few
exceptionally heavy snows create a bias in the data and make the arithmetic
mean a poor estimate of expected snowfall. An even snow cover is very unusual
since strong winds often accompany snowfalls. The snowiest winter on record
was 1982-83, when KPAN recorded 51.5 inches of snow. There were two stretches
of 12 days each that snow remained on the ground during that December,
January and February. During the blizzard of February 1-5, 1956, snow fell to
a depth of 26.5 inches at Hereford. Hereford is at
elevation of 3840 feet above sea level, at latitude 34 degrees 48 minutes
north, 102 degrees 28 minutes west. While mid-afternoon temperatures are
sometimes hot in summer, the high altitude and low humidity result in
exceptionally pleasant weather during this season. Temperatures drop rapidly
after sunset, and mid-summer minima are in the low 60s. Hereford receives
about 74% of the total possible sunshine annually. The mean length of the
growing season (freeze-free period) is 195 days. Average last date of a
freeze in the spring is April 20, and average first date of a freeze in the
fall is October 22. Hereford typically experiences temperatures above
100 degrees and below zero each year.
Weather Observation History Rainfall and
temperature observations began in Hereford in January 1905 and continued
through April 1912, according to the National Weather Service. No records are
available from that date until a station was established 3 blocks north of
the post office on September 11, 1936. On August 20, 1942 the equipment was
moved to a site on the lawn at the City Hall, 3 blocks southwest of the post
office (at the current location of Dudley Bayne Park). The observing station
was moved to the Holly Sugar Plant on November 11, 1964, three miles west of
the post office. KPAN became the NOAA Cooperative Weather Observer on
February 13, 1981, with instruments located adjacent to the studios at 218
East Fifth.
Precipitation Records - Annual Totals 1938 -
21.37
1958 -
24.31
1978 - 22.22 1939 -
16.84
1959 -
21.46
1979 - 15.29 1940 -
11.90
1960 -
27.92
1980 - 14.51 1941 -
38.95
1961 -
14.46
1981 - 21.58 1942 -
21.5
1962 -
18.02
1982 - 17.29 1943 -
18.0
1963 -
20.93
1983 - 15.53 1944 -
17.62
1964 -
11.47
1984 - 20.69 1945 -
12.26
1965 - 19.89
1985 - 24.74 1946 -
15.88
1966 -
13.68
1986 - 30.56 1947 -
15.2
1967 - 15.78
1987 - 24.90 1948 -
17.97
1968 - 18.0
1988 - 18.22 1949 -
26.19
1969 - 22.5
1989 - 14.65 1950 -
21.79
1970 -
9.3
1990 - 12.36 1951 - 16.87
1971 -
23.0
1991 - 24.47 1952 -
13.54
1972 -
15.6
1992 - 22.17 1953 -
14.54
1973 -
18.0
1993 - 18.34 1954 -
13.07
1974 -
23.1
1994 - 16.98 1955 -
10.01
1975 -
21.0
1995 - 15.36 1956 -
7.71
1976 -
18.19
1996 - 16.26 1957 -
15.70
1977 -
13.83
1997 - 21.76 1998-
16.53
1999- 29.11
2000 - 16.91 2001-
17.05
2002- 15.40
2003 - 13.36 2004 -
36.64
2005- 16.62
2006 - 19.20 2007 - 20.91
2008-
24.28
2009 - 15.90 Links: National Weather Service-AMA NWS-LUB Bootleg Weather Site West Texas Mesonet
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