2021’s wild weather ranged from freeze to hot close
Last year’s weather will be remembered largely for the deadly winter storm in February that left Texans freezing in the dark.
But that was only the beginning of a year that saw giant hail in the spring, significant flooding in the fall and one of the hottest Decembers on record for San Antonio.
Below are some of the notable weather events the South Central region of Texas experienced in 2021. January snowstorm: Last February’s massive winter storm spread ice, snow and freezing temperatures throughout Texas. But on Jan. 10, areas north of Kerrville, San Marcos, La Grange and the Austin metro area got an early taste of what was to come.
Some areas in Travis and Williamson counties recorded more than 4 inches of snow. According to the National Weather Service, the Austin area can expect to see an average of slightly more than an inch of snow only once every eight years.
February storm: The weather service called February’s weather “an unprecedented and historical eight-day period of winter weather.”
Texas endured five separate storm events that month. On Feb. 14, the entire state of Texas was under a winter storm warning. The event also caused the weather service in Austin and San Antonio to issue its first wind chill warning.
Austin’s official weather reporting site at Camp Mabry remained at or below freezing for six days, shattering the previous record set in 1983. San Antonio saw 4 ½ days of freezing weather.
The coldest air arrived late on Feb. 14, and heavy snow spread across portions of South Texas. Some areas saw up to 7.5 inches. For Austin and San Antonio, it was the fourth and fifth highest snow event on record, respectively. Del Rio broke its all-time snowfall record days later when almost a foot of snow fell.
The impact from the recordbreaking cold was disastrous. The state’s utility grid couldn’t keep up with the demand for power and left millions without power for days.
Nearly 250 Texans died from the winter storm, according to the final disaster report by the Department of State Health Services.
Bexar County had the fourthhighest number of deaths, with 16 reported. Harris County had the most with 43 deaths reported, followed by Travis and Dallas counties, which reported 29 and 22 deaths, respectively.
Most of the storm’s victims died from hypothermia, according to the state’s report.
Giant hail: The region saw some significant stormy weather in the spring. With it came some of the largest hailstones the region has ever experienced.
Golf-ball-size hail was reported in parts of Blanco and Hays counties on March 23.
A hailstone found in Hondo in April set a new Texas state record for maximum diameter, circumference, volume and mass. The stone measured 6.4 inches — about the size of a melon — and weighed just over a pound.
A flooded Capitol: The hallways of the Texas Capitol filled with several inches of water on Aug. 15 after a major rainstorm descended on Austin, dropping about 5 inches of rain in the area. The State Preservation Board called it a “fluke,” and said the flooding was caused by a clogged storm drain pipe that pushed water into the building.
In October, remnants of Hurricane Pamela, combined with an upper level trough, brought the region’s most significant rain event since May 2019.
Heavy rain on Oct. 14 caused rivers in Comal, Hays, and Gonzales counties to swell. In all, 10 flash flood warnings were issued throughout the region. Emergency officials conducted several high-water rescues.
As the heavy rain spread east of San Antonio, Martinez Creek began to rise. Two cars attempting to pass through the flooded creek were swept away. A 52-year-old woman and a 5-year-old girl died.
A scorching December: San Antonio experienced one of the hottest Decembers on record, according to the weather service.
Last month, the city recorded its highest average maximum temperature and the second-highest average minimum temperature and average mean temperature. December ended with some summerlike weather, including a record-breaking temperature of 85 degrees on Dec. 29. The previous record was 83 degrees, set in 1951.
All four weather service data collection sites in Austin, San Antonio and Del Rio set about a halfdozen daily records for daytime temperatures and high minimum temperatures. All but San Antonio broke their monthly temperature record by significant margins last month.
Experts said Texas’ abnormal heat last month was due to this winter’s La Niña pattern, which is bringing warmer and drier weather across the country, especially to coastal states.
The second contributing factor is a jet stream that has kept the cold weather in the northern United States and away from the Lone Star State.