National Weather Service Text Product Display

Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
Versions: 1
000
NOUS44 KFWD 312200
PNSDFW
TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-301200-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
500 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013

...DALLAS/FORT WORTH CLIMATE NARRATIVE FOR MAY 2013...

FOR DFW AIRPORT...MAY WAS THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE MONTH WITH A MEAN
TEMPERATURE BELOW NORMAL. THIS HAS NOT OCCURRED SINCE JUNE-AUGUST
2004...A SUMMER THAT FEATURED ONLY ONE 100-DEGREE DAY.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

DALLAS/FORT WORTH - MAY STATISTICS

                         2013      NORMAL    DEPARTURE

   MEAN TEMPERATURE      72.3       73.9        -1.6

   AVERAGE HIGH          82.5       83.6        -1.1
   AVERAGE LOW           62.1       64.2        -2.1

   PRECIPITATION         3.17       4.90       -1.73

---------------------------------------------------------------------

THE MEAN TEMPERATURE FOR THE SPRING SEASON WAS NEARLY 2 DEGREES
BELOW NORMAL. THIS WAS THE COOLEST SPRING IN DALLAS/FORT WORTH SINCE
1997.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

DALLAS/FORT WORTH - SPRING STATISTICS (MARCH-MAY)

                         2013      NORMAL    DEPARTURE

   MEAN TEMPERATURE      63.9       65.7        -1.8

   AVERAGE HIGH          74.7       76.0        -1.3
   AVERAGE LOW           53.1       55.3        -2.2

   PRECIPITATION         7.42      11.46       -4.04

---------------------------------------------------------------------

THE MONTH BEGAN WITH UNSEASONABLY COLD TEMPERATURES. DFW AIRPORT SET
OR TIED RECORD LOWS ON THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS (MAY 2-4). THE LAST
TIME DFW AIRPORT HAD THAT MANY RECORD LOWS IN SUCCESSION WAS AUGUST
16-18, 1992.

THE MORNING LOWS ON MAY 3 AND 4 WERE AMONG THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES
EVER RECORDED DURING THE MONTH OF MAY.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

DALLAS/FORT WORTH - COLDEST LOW TEMPERATURES IN MAY

   1   34   MAY 1, 1903
   2   39   MAY 4, 2013 *
       39   MAY 3, 2013 *
   4   40   MAY 1, 1909
       40   MAY 4, 1907

---------------------------------------------------------------------

DURING THE LATE SEASON ARCTIC OUTBREAK...TWO LOCATIONS IN NORTH
TEXAS DIPPED TO 32 DEGREES. AT EACH SITE...THIS WAS AN UNPRECEDENTED
MAY FREEZE.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

LATEST FREEZE     NEW RECORD     PREVIOUS RECORD     RECORDS BEGAN

MINERAL WELLS     MAY 2, 2013      APR 17, 1999          1948
WEATHERFORD       MAY 4, 2013      APR 25, 2005          1902

---------------------------------------------------------------------

THERE WERE SEVERAL SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS DURING THE MONTH...THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT OF WHICH WAS ON MAY 15...WHEN THERE WERE 18 TORNADOES
ACROSS NORTH TEXAS. THIS IS THE GREATEST NUMBER OF TORNADOES WITHIN
THE NWS FORT WORTH AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY SINCE DECEMBER 29, 2006
WHEN THERE WERE 22. (THERE WERE 17 TORNADOES ON APRIL 3, 2012.)

THE TWO STRONGEST TORNADOES IMPACTED HOOD AND JOHNSON COUNTIES.

             MAX     ESTIMATED     PATH         MAX
            RATING     WINDS      LENGTH       WIDTH     FATALITIES

GRANBURY*    EF-4       180     2.75 MILES    1/2 MILE        6
CLEBURNE     EF-3       140     8.5 MILES      1 MILE         0

  * BETWEEN GRANBURY AND DECORDOVA

THE HOOD COUNTY TORNADO WAS THE DEADLIEST IN NORTH TEXAS SINCE THE
DALLAS TORNADO ON APRIL 2, 1957...WHICH KILLED 10 PEOPLE. THE LAST
TORNADO TO PRODUCE F4 DAMAGE IN NORTH TEXAS WAS ON APRIL 25, 1994
WHEN 3 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN LANCASTER (DALLAS COUNTY).

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TORNADOES ON MAY 15...VISIT OUR
WEBPAGE DEDICATED TO THE EVENT...

   WEATHER.GOV/FORTWORTH/?N=TORNADOES051513   (IN LOWER CASE)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

THERE HAVE ONLY BEEN TWO RECORDED F5 TORNADOES WITHIN THE NWS FORT
WORTH AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY.

CITY IMPACTED       DATE        FATALITIES

SHERMAN         MAY 15, 1896        73
WACO            MAY 11, 1953       114*

  * TIED WITH 1902 GOLIAD TORNADO AS THE DEADLIEST IN TEXAS HISTORY

THE TORNADO THAT PRODUCED F5 DAMAGE IN JARRELL (WILLIAMSON COUNTY)
ON MAY 27, 1997 RESULTED IN 27 FATALITIES...BUT THE MOST EXTENSIVE
DAMAGE IN MCLENNAN AND BELL COUNTIES WAS RATED AS F3.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

ALTHOUGH MAY WAS COOLER THAN NORMAL OVERALL...DRYLINE INTRUSIONS
INTO WESTERN PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS RESULTED IN SOME VERY WARM
AFTERNOONS. ON MAY 17...THE MERCURY HIT 100 DEGREES IN NORTH TEXAS
FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON. GRAHAM HIT 101 DEGREES...AND
BRECKENRIDGE PEAKED AT 104.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

DESPITE FREQUENT RAIN EVENTS...PRECIPITATION TOTALS FOR MAY WERE
BELOW NORMAL IN MANY AREAS. ALTHOUGH LOVE FIELD WAS BELOW NORMAL...
PORTIONS OF DALLAS WERE WELL ABOVE NORMAL...THANKS IN LARGE PART TO
THE HEAVY RAINS ON MAY 21. MORE WIDESPREAD ABOVE NORMAL TOTALS COULD
BE FOUND IN A SWATH THROUGH CENTRAL TEXAS...FROM COMANCHE AND
HAMILTON...TO GATESVILLE AND BELL COUNTY...TO NEAR HEARNE.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

AIRPORT SITES                MAY               JANUARY-MAY 2013
                       2013  DEPARTURE     TOTAL  DEPARTURE  PERCENT

DFW AIRPORT            3.17    -1.73       13.16    -3.09       81
WACO                   3.36    -0.94       14.09    -0.80       95

DALLAS LOVE FIELD      4.25    -0.67       15.35    -0.78       95
FORT WORTH MEACHAM     2.55    -1.71       11.46    -3.59       76
DALLAS EXECUTIVE       4.17    -0.54       14.04    -3.09       82
FORT WORTH ALLIANCE    1.39    -3.73       11.01    -4.89       69
ARLINGTON              4.08    -0.44       14.84    -1.22       92

DENTON                 2.85    -2.31       14.38    -2.30       86
MCKINNEY               4.13    -1.21       16.98    -0.78       96
TERRELL                3.84    -1.04       13.87    -3.97       78
CORSICANA              3.80    -0.71       14.58    -2.73       84
MINERAL WELLS          2.03    -1.92       10.16    -2.95       77

---------------------------------------------------------------------

$$

25
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office
