2001 Houston, Texas (IAH)

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2001 HOUSTON, TEXAS (IAH)

Houston, the largest city in Texas, is located in the flat Coastal Plains, about 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and about 25 miles from Galveston Bay. The climate is predominantly marine. The terrain includes numerous small streams and bayous which, together with the nearness to Galveston Bay, favor the development of both ground and advective fogs. Prevailing winds are from the southeast and south, except in January, when frequent passages of high pressure areas bring invasions of polar air and prevailing northerly winds.

Temperatures are moderated by the influence of winds from the Gulf, which result in mild winters. Another effect of the nearness of the Gulf is abundant rainfall, except for rare extended dry periods. Polar air penetrates the area frequently enough to provide variability in the weather.

Records of sky cover for daylight hours indicate about one–fourth of the days per year as clear, with a high number of clear days in October and November. Cloudy days are relatively frequent from December to May and partly cloudy days are the more frequent for June through September. Sunshine averages nearly 60 percent of the possible amount for the year ranging from 42 percent in January to 67 percent in June.

Heavy fog occurs on an average of 16 days a year and light fog occurs about 62 days a year in the city. The frequency of heavy fog is considerably higher at William P. Hobby Airport and at Intercontinental Airport.

Destructive windstorms are fairly infrequent, but both thundersqualls and tropical storms occasionally pass through the area.

NORMALS, MEANS, AND EXTREMES

HOUSTON, TX (IAH)

LATITUDE:    LONGITUDE:    ELEVATION (FT):    TIME ZONE:    WBAN: 12960

29 59′ 33″ N  95 21′ 50″ W  GRND: 118  BARO: 121  CENTRAL (UTC + 6)

ELEMENTPORJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECYEAR
TEMPERATURE FNORMAL DAILY MAXIMUM3061.065.371.178.484.690.192.792.588.481.672.464.778.6
MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM3261.866.372.779.185.490.893.993.688.981.471.664.779.2
HIGHEST DAILY MAXIMUM328491919599103104107109968985109
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE197519861989198719961980198020002000199119891995SEP 2000
MEAN OF EXTREME MAXS.3278.381.585.488.592.796.798.699.396.691.085.080.289.5
NORMAL DAILY MINIMUM3039.742.650.058.164.470.672.472.067.957.649.642.257.3
MEAN DAILY MINIMUM3241.244.750.957.965.671.373.272.868.458.649.743.458.1
LOWEST DAILY MINIMUM32122022314452626048291977
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198219971980198719781970199019921975199319761989DEC 1989
MEAN OF EXTREME MINS.3224.827.432.839.852.162.468.267.654.141.932.026.544.1
NORMAL DRY BULB3050.453.960.668.374.580.482.682.378.269.661.053.567.9
MEAN DRY BULB3251.655.461.768.475.481.083.683.278.670.060.654.168.6
MEAN WET BULB1848.151.756.462.670.074.575.775.671.464.256.347.162.8
MEAN DEW POINT1843.046.851.558.266.771.572.772.367.960.452.343.058.9
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
MAXIMUM 90300.0*0.11.05.119.426.526.014.72.70.00.095.5
MAXIMUM 32300.10.20.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.30.6
MINIMUM 32307.84.81.40.10.00.00.00.00.0*1.65.621.3
MINIMUM 0300.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
H/CNORMAL HEATING DEG. DAYS304683221873600000311813741599
NORMAL COOLING DEG. DAYS3016115013529546254653639617461182700
RHNORMAL (PERCENT)3075737373757574757775767675
HOUR 00 LST3082838385878787888988868486
HOUR 06 LST3085868789919293939391898690
HOUR 12 LST3063615958595958586056596259
HOUR 18 LST3067616060636262636768727065
SPERCENT POSSIBLE SUNSHINE2745505458626870686664525159
W/OMEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
HEAVY FOG (VISBY 1/4 MI)324.53.52.92.41.70.70.20.31.22.73.54.027.6
THUNDERSTORMS322.32.33.63.97.08.89.910.27.23.73.01.963.8
CLOUDINESSMEAN:
SUNRISE-SUNSET (OKTAS)275.55.35.45.35.24.64.44.44.24.04.65.34.8
MIDNIGHT-MIDNIGHT (OKTAS)265.35.05.15.04.93.93.83.73.63.54.35.04.4
MEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
CLEAR277.27.07.07.25.67.36.96.18.611.29.07.290.3
PARTLY CLOUDY275.45.66.47.111.013.315.916.911.58.97.05.5114.5
CLOUDY2718.415.617.615.714.39.38.28.010.010.914.018.3160.3
PRMEAN STATION PRESSURE(IN)2930.0029.9929.9029.9029.8029.8029.9029.9029.8929.9030.0030.0029.91
MEAN SEA-LEVEL PRES. (IN)1730.1330.0830.0229.9729.9329.9430.0029.9829.9730.0430.0930.1430.02
WINDSMEAN SPEED (MPH)298.18.59.19.08.17.66.86.16.67.17.77.77.7
PREVAIL. DIR (TENS OF DEGS)2936361313161618161313363613
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE:
SPEED (MPH)528403337363836313628303240
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)09101111020834091231153210
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE200020002001199719992001199819982000199819972000FEB 2000
MAXIMUM 5-SECOND:
SPEED (MPH)537443943476649444847434166
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)33103209351533231013313315
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199820002001199719972000199819972000199820002000JUN 2000
PRECIPITATIONNORMAL (IN)303.292.962.923.215.244.963.603.494.894.273.793.4546.07
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)329.785.998.5210.9214.3919.218.1010.5811.3516.0510.219.3419.21
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199119921972197619702001197919961976198419981991JUN 2001
MINIMUM MONTHLY (IN)320.360.380.120.430.040.260.470.310.800.050.410.640.04
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE197119761996198319981970199319901975197819881973MAY 1998
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)322.732.227.478.1610.3611.023.996.837.989.316.334.1411.02
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199519851972197619892001197319811976198419981995JUN 2001
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
PRECIPITATION 0.013010.28.49.36.98.08.59.28.99.47.48.38.9103.4
PRECIPITATION 1.00300.90.80.81.01.91.61.11.01.31.51.00.913.8
SNOWFALLNORMAL (IN)300.20.20.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.10.5
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)322.02.8TTTT0.00.00.00.0T1.72.8
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19731973199219931993199619791989FEB 1973
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)322.01.4TTTT0.00.00.00.0T1.72.0
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19731980199219931993199619791989JAN 1973
MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH (IN)311100000000001
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19731973FEB 1973
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
SNOWFALL 1.0300.10.10.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.*0.2
PRECIPITATION (inches) 2001 HOUSTON, TX (IAH)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
19723.301.208.522.856.993.022.763.906.233.346.492.2050.80
19735.003.403.687.154.2213.466.773.739.389.311.592.4770.16
19747.680.554.201.685.610.591.756.944.514.537.903.3549.29
19751.972.633.194.807.577.505.485.720.805.622.083.6150.97
19761.390.381.5310.925.802.633.931.5911.355.833.056.2254.62
19772.671.701.954.340.793.552.694.453.920.825.172.8934.94
19787.153.071.700.574.159.372.353.664.270.055.992.6044.93
19796.305.232.887.793.781.888.104.579.832.801.784.0358.97
19806.092.545.392.055.630.921.571.406.004.032.121.2538.99
19812.322.211.742.698.759.654.437.012.916.965.262.0555.98
19821.821.591.552.286.871.104.321.900.986.648.914.9142.87
19832.003.973.850.437.295.375.239.427.231.563.173.6953.21
19843.994.372.410.563.131.993.433.523.8716.052.282.5948.19
19852.105.384.524.311.575.294.931.144.676.544.843.8549.14
19860.712.741.442.634.296.340.613.273.706.836.665.7144.93
19872.424.260.880.475.399.314.791.483.460.173.414.5640.60
19881.271.294.881.261.322.003.233.521.201.290.411.2622.93
19894.800.903.961.4813.5616.281.922.742.691.761.840.8052.73
19903.964.545.116.212.232.984.850.311.573.793.011.8140.37
19919.785.791.778.064.027.691.312.972.762.575.039.3461.09
19927.705.996.283.747.053.383.852.781.081.035.993.4652.33
19935.792.676.417.888.5012.080.471.821.105.323.272.6857.99
19942.082.792.392.115.023.401.605.451.1210.621.674.9043.15
19955.952.554.112.593.834.112.684.902.522.773.634.9944.63
19960.881.290.122.050.568.371.1110.586.962.604.553.7442.81
19973.265.357.967.176.694.462.302.264.867.113.385.4260.22
19984.355.852.321.210.042.871.654.3810.167.7910.214.0154.84
19992.120.803.441.064.105.265.110.501.360.561.532.2028.04
20001.252.321.355.5212.353.290.642.114.343.278.502.6947.63
20014.250.827.972.003.5319.212.054.838.828.952.586.1871.19
POR=67 YRS3.703.112.973.424.885.003.773.944.464.114.014.0247.39
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (F) 2001 HOUSTON, TX (IAH)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
197256.555.264.371.273.780.880.380.379.669.854.752.068.2
197347.451.463.764.672.879.283.079.578.171.867.353.567.7
197455.056.266.867.276.979.982.881.674.670.660.254.668.9
197556.955.461.168.375.980.081.581.174.969.559.752.768.1
197650.660.162.267.770.578.480.581.476.260.651.849.265.8
197742.753.860.966.974.581.082.483.180.069.261.853.767.5
197840.845.157.367.676.080.483.783.179.368.964.752.966.7
197944.151.762.468.773.179.882.681.575.670.755.752.466.5
198055.053.760.966.277.385.187.586.683.267.858.055.269.7
198151.455.460.974.375.382.784.484.478.672.364.454.569.9
198252.952.164.967.875.383.085.484.179.369.560.955.469.2
198350.152.558.364.073.479.082.282.676.670.163.145.766.5
198447.054.061.967.874.978.681.882.977.474.260.063.468.7
198545.749.664.770.075.681.081.684.279.872.567.051.068.6
198654.459.963.371.775.882.085.982.681.868.962.051.770.0
198751.456.158.967.277.181.383.586.278.968.760.555.668.8
198848.154.161.367.673.680.584.485.380.872.065.755.469.1
198957.552.761.369.477.879.982.481.777.070.262.944.468.1
199057.059.162.969.478.184.882.185.180.168.763.453.670.4
199150.457.463.572.278.082.084.083.077.472.356.756.269.4
199251.058.564.068.773.781.783.680.179.371.456.856.768.8
199353.656.761.165.973.481.685.886.580.269.556.954.668.8
199452.655.262.769.676.083.585.583.178.371.965.757.270.1
199554.358.762.968.677.980.684.884.981.670.461.457.170.3
199652.058.758.169.481.480.783.882.077.570.662.057.469.5
199750.855.365.364.273.679.283.183.279.168.955.750.167.4
199857.155.160.165.978.785.586.684.782.272.664.355.170.7
199957.161.563.773.076.681.983.186.878.069.062.253.770.6
200056.561.766.467.978.181.485.284.879.470.957.647.669.8
200149.359.356.471.775.980.583.683.577.066.963.456.068.6
POR=32 YRS51.555.361.968.575.481.083.583.378.670.060.654.168.6

REFERENCE NOTES:

PAGE 1:

THE TEMPERATURE GRAPH SHOWS NORMAL MAXIMUM AND NORMAL MINIMUM DAILY TEMPERATURES (SOLID CURVES) AND THE ACTUAL DAILY HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES (VERTICAL BARS).

PAGE 2 AND 3:

H/C INDICATES HEATING AND COOLING DEGREE DAYS.

RH INDICATES RELATIVE HUMIDITY

W/O INDICATES WEATHER AND OBSTRUCTIONS

S INDICATES SUNSHINE.

PR INDICATES PRESSURE.

CLOUDINESS ON PAGE 3 IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA NOT TO EXCEED EIGHT EIGHTHS (OKTAS).

GENERAL:

T INDICATES TRACE PRECIPITATION, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN ZERO BUT LESS THAN THE LOWEST REPORTABLE VALUE.

+ INDICATES THE VALUE ALSO OCCURS ON EARLIER DATES.

BLANK ENTRIES DENOTE MISSING OR UNREPORTED DATA.

NORMALS ARE 30–YEAR AVERAGES (1961–1990).

ASOS INDICATES AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM.

PM INDICATES THE LAST DAY OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

POR (PERIOD OF RECORD) BEGINS WITH THE JANUARY DATA MONTH AND IS THE NUMBER OF YEARS USED TO COMPUTE THE MEAN. INDIVIDUAL MONTHS WITHIN THE POR MAY BE MISSING.

WHEN THE POR FOR A NORMAL IS LESS THAN 30 YEARS, THE NORMAL IS PROVISIONAL AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF YEARS INDICATED.

0.* OR * INDICATES THE VALUE OR MEAN–DAYS–WITH IS BETWEEN 0.00 AND 0.05.

CLOUDINESS FOR ASOS STATIONS DIFFERS FROM THE NON–ASOS OBSERVATION TAKEN BY A HUMAN OBSERVER. ASOS STATION CLOUDINESS IS BASED ON TIME–AVERAGED CEILOMETER DATA FOR CLOUDS AT OR BELOW 12,000 FEET AND ON SATELLITE DATA FOR CLOUDS ABOVE 12,000 FEET.

THE NUMBER OF DAYS WITH CLEAR, PARTLY CLOUDY, AND CLOUDY CONDITIONS FOR ASOS STATIONS IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA FOR THE SUNRISE TO SUNSET PERIOD.

GENERAL CONTINUED:

CLEAR INDICATES 0–2 OKTAS, PARTLY CLOUDY INDICATES 3–6 OKTAS, AND CLOUDY INDICATES 7 OR 8 OKTAS. WHEN AT LEAST ONE OF THE ELEMENTS (CEILOMETER OR SATELLITE) IS MISSING, THE DAILY CLOUDINESS IS NOT COMPUTED.

WIND DIRECTION IS RECORDED IN TENS OF DEGREES (2 DIGITS) CLOCKWISE FROM TRUE NORTH. "00" INDICATES CALM. "36" INDICATES TRUE NORTH.

RESULTANT WIND IS THE VECTOR AVERAGE OF THE SPEED AND DIRECTION.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS THE SUM OF THE MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE DIVIDED BY 2.

SNOWFALL DATA COMPRISE ALL FORMS OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION, INCLUDING HAIL.

A HEATING (COOLING) DEGREE DAY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE AND 65 F.

DRY BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AMBIENT AIR.

DEW POINT IS THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH THE AIR MUST BE COOLED TO ACHIEVE 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

WET BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE THE AIR WOULD HAVE IF THE MOISTURE CONTENT WAS INCREASED TO 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

ON JULY 1, 1996, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BEGAN USING THE "METAR" OBSERVATION CODE THAT WAS ALREADY EMPLOYED BY MOST OTHER NATIONS OF THE WORLD. THE MOST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN THIS ANNUAL PUBLICATION WILL BE THE CHANGE IN UNITS FROM TENTHS TO EIGHTS (OKTAS) FOR REPORTING THE AMOUNT OF SKY COVER.

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 HOUSTON, TX (IAH)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972-730025032041054037975117501898
1973-740008743643302739560001204
1974-750001519633629027017948001334
1975-760002621739944117815526701449
1976-7700017339848468731216625002245
1977-7800034150365752553250331702154
1978-790002211139364637613523201708
1979-800002729738930835016945001585
1980-81000672553234162911446101503
1981-82000508232640936314379101453
1982-830005317532845734621996001674
1983-840062713860654932515045201848
1984-85006122041445914329122001502
1985-8600517764343262099911001177
1986-870002817541142124519682001558
1987-880001618530152533117135001564
1988-89000512030926037921056001339
1989-900004716063726417712234001441
1990-91000611293954482221158001378
1991-92000152893034281979537401368
1992-93000127026835123515762001344
1993-940007626934339129113640101547
1994-95000217526834719215528001086
1995-96004814530340826725954001448
1996-97001291592804582877770001361
1997-980005828245425427621257001593
1998-9900089234927615310625001009
1999-00000511143552981527250001092
2000-010055126753248020726219001823
2001-00057111311
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 HOUSTON, TX (IAH)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
197258207120827548048048244720617122756
19731441111253434564458401225151122655
1974243315813237445455851929519660182821
19754786115534245551450530317468242656
19765437511018240849052034142902225
197705449130248754756545617358232751
197810519120369471584568437150108252866
1979713621422614545525193242112662577
1980431498638861070567755316252263343
1981128232953305386066094132857173206
1982391114717032954764159943719960403219
198300187626842754155436219687182547
198401364135315415527562384302621002879
1985068718033548752160245625714393083
1986471522203415186545535101579243176
1987441415438349758066142313754152926
198872065121274472609637478229144203076
1989334410519440545454752636321810552999
199020196517441360353663045618187473231
19910147623140851459356537624847373109
19920177415528150858447643721032202794
1993410429226750665267446322131272989
1994152574186347561644569406243102333205
199524229814240647662262250818342653210
199615895319251347558753238420578513174
199723219452274432567570426187902655
1998166649042962167861652425075503419
199937607327036551556868539518235113196
200041641261434134956326224432425103272
2001251323034447458558137012370402873
SNOWFALL (inches) 2001 HOUSTON, TX (IAH)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972-730.00.00.00.00.00.02.02.80.00.00.00.04.8
1973-740.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
1974-750.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.00.00.0T
1975-760.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
1976-770.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.00.00.00.00.0T
1977-780.00.00.00.00.00.00.40.00.00.00.00.00.4
1978-790.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.00.00.0T
1979-800.00.00.00.0T0.00.01.40.00.00.00.01.4
1980-810.00.00.00.00.00.0TT0.00.00.00.0T
1981-820.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.00.00.0T
1982-830.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
1983-840.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
1984-850.00.00.00.00.00.01.40.30.00.00.00.01.7
1985-860.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
1986-870.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
1987-880.00.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.00.0T
1988-890.00.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.00.0T
1989-900.00.00.00.00.01.70.00.00.00.00.0T1.7
1990-910.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
1991-920.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.0T0.0T
1992-930.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0TT0.0T
1993-940.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.10.00.00.00.00.1
1994-950.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.00.00.0T
1995-960.00.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.0TT
1996-970.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.00.00.00.0T
1997-980.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
1998-990.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.0T
1999-000.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.0T
2000-010.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.0T
2001-0.00.00.00.00.00.0
POR=66 YRS0.00.00.00.0T0.00.20.20.0TTT0.4

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