SE Texas 2016-2017 The Year Without Winter

[TheGoose]

This has been about the warmest winter I can ever recall. We have had weeks on end of 70-80*f weather and very few days that stay in the 40-s and 50's. While it hasn't been unusual for us to have warm days in this part of Texas ( Houston area) it's been extremely warm almost all year. We did have about three days late last year that dipped into the upper 20's overnight and a few 40-50*f days but the rest have been high 60's to mid 70's. Today it got into the 80's.

Makes me afraid to think how hot summer will be. I really don't mind our winters and look forward to them after 6-8 months of scorching 95+ days.

 

[adventure bob]

we haven't had winter in co either. not that I miss the cold but we need the moisture

 

[jeff9366]

We have not had winter in Northern Florida either. Not one hard freeze. Most days in mid-70's.

Several fields have Watermelons planted under plastic.

 

[gwstang]

It has been the same down here in central Alabama too. While we did have some colder days/nights, it was only for a few days and then back to 70-80F degrees. It has been insanely warm the whole deer hunting season. Sweating when going to a tree stand is just ridiculous. Mosquitoes were after me the last hour before it got dark. I finally just gave up and walked out.

Highs this week Sun 77/ mon 79/ tue-fri 75/76/78/75. insane. I can hardly wait to see the size of mosquitoes we will have this year....monsters no doubt... Some will be able to carry off small dogs/kids.

 

[coobie]

67 degrees here in Michigan yesterday.Never remember that temp in mid Feb.since I lived here the past 59 years.

 

[buickanddeere]

Winter in Texas ? People Travel to Texas to excape winter .

 

[TheGoose]

Winter in Texas ? People Travel to Texas to excape winter .

I know that winter in the south is considered mild by most northerners but I'm telling you this is the most non-existent winter I have ever experienced. We haven't hardly even had 50*F weather much less 40*F weather, which we typically would have a good deal of the time.

I'm going out on a limb here since I don't know the climate but it would be like somebody in Minnesota or Michigan having a summer where the temps never got above 70.

 

[Clay45]

Where is "SE Texas" in this instance; Beaumont/Pt Arthur? While everyone pretty well acknowledges this is a warm winter I can remember plenty of years I'd walk out to the garden and pull off an on the vine ripe tomato or two and bring them in for a Christmas - New Years time lunch outside of Mathis, TX. Some mild years saw Mexican Greenjays flying around like parrots and different white-something doves and pigeons. Reckon this would be one of those years.

 

[gwstang]

It hit 80F down here today. Crazy stuff.

 

[TheGoose]

It's not the warmer weather that I'm concerned with. It's the absence of cold weather. Like we just haven't had much cold weather (40's-50's) hardly at all.

I'm referring to the Houston area.

 

[Zerk]

Have you ever had a winter? When I think of Texas I think of the **** is hot and punishing.

 

[TheGoose]

I'm not sure what you are asking. Have you ever had a summer? Yes, our winters are considered by many to be very, very mild. We hardly ever get a freeze here, never seen it get below 20*F in my entire life, rarely ever get into even the upper 20's even for a few hours. Routinely have days in the 30's and 40's, routinely have days in the 50's. That is our winter. We did hit 27*F overnight here back in December for two nights, which is unusually cold for us.

What I'm trying to tell you "snow snobs" is that we have been much, much warmer here in our "winter" than I can ever remember. Almost everyday is in the 70's, a bunch have even been into the upper 80's. We have not had to hardly break out any jackets or cold weather gear.

I realize most think we don't have a winter here compared to where you are but I could make the same assumptions of summer where you are. The summer here is hot, humid, and punishing, for about 6-8 months a year.

I have even seen in other threads where people up north have had days well into the 60's in February. Well, we have not hardly had a day that was below 65-70 deg for MOST of the winter.

 

[scdeerslayer]

Mosquitoes were after me the last hour before it got dark.

Get a thermacell. Mosquito problem gone. I don't go to the stand without one unless it's getting below freezing for the lows.

 

[scdeerslayer]

We had one week of winter here. A few nights getting cold outside of that. Hauled the last of a row of firewood from the shed to the garage Saturday so that the entire row would be this year's wood and started putting new wood under the shed. Now it looks like I may be hauling that wood back to the shed, at least most of it.

However, winter may come in March and April. Remember fishing in a T-shirt in January a few years back, then needing to be bundled up in a jacket when fishing in April when it should have been shorts weather.

 

[Spindifferent]

We've had a couple weeks of winter here in Central Texas (Austin area). Not enough chill hours for the fruit trees this year. For reference, historic chill hours (temps below 45 degrees) range from 600-750 hours per winter in our area of the state. I'm at approx. 480 chill hours so far this winter. We've broken several heat records in Jan and Feb. We're about 1.25 inches above average in rainfall year-to-date. Hopefully, the rain will keep up and help moderate the summer temperatures...

 

[JESSE1]

I was always taught that you don't plant a garden until after Good Friday. There's always a cold snap around Easter and Easter is in the middle of April, late this year. Also heard years ago that "thunder in February, frost in April". Had plenty of thunder a few days ago. Should be frost close to this date in April. Winter isn't over yet.

 

[IslandTractor]

56 degrees today in Boston. Pretty weird. We've had one snowy week a couple of weeks ago that dropped about 18" total and that has been about the extent of our winter so far. There is still snow on the ground but zero ice on pavement.

Winters like this might ruin the Florida economy if snowbirds stay home.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Back around '91 or '92, it did not freeze at all in College Station that winter.

Some are tougher than others.

Here in Giddings, I had a $300 electric heating bill one month this winter, and I burned about 1/2 cord of firewood too.

 

[TheGoose]

Well, looks like 24/25 is a repeat of 16/17 (although I should hush as we have two full months left).
But this winter has been extremely mild, many days in the 70's/80's, very few cool or cold days. I bet I've only worn a jacket 3/4 days all winter, we didn't run the main heater until mid-December, and we haven't ran it since.

It's strange, because the next few years after that very mild winter we had extremely cold winters, with temps often getting down into the 20's and we even had the one year ('21) where everything froze and we lost power for days.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

We've had a few mornings 30-32F here at my house. No deep cold though, and I'm glad for that.