PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
219 PM CST THU FEB 16 2006

             ...JANUARY WAS MUCH WARMER THAN NORMAL...

THE FIRST MONTH OF 2006 WAS CONSIDERABLY WARMER THAN NORMAL.
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES DURING THE MONTH RANGED FROM 5 DEGREES
ABOVE NORMAL NEAR THE COAST TO 7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL INLAND.
IT WAS THE EIGHTH WARMEST JANUARY IN RECORDED HISTORY FOR COLLEGE
STATION (57.3 DEGREES) AND GALVESTON (60.6 DEGREES) AND THE TENTH
WARMEST JANUARY ON RECORD FOR HOUSTON (58.9 DEGREES). IN ADDITION
TO THE VERY WARM TEMPERATURES...JANUARY WAS ALSO DRY. RAINFALL
AVERAGED ABOUT 1 TO 3 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THIS WAS THE 5TH MONTH
OUT OF THE LAST SIX TO ENDURE BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL. GALVESTON
RECORDED IT`S SEVENTH DRIEST JANUARY IN RECORDED HISTORY.

GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL FELL OVER PARTS OF MATAGORDA AND TRINITY
COUNTIES ON THE 21ST...OTHERWISE SEVERE WEATHER WAS RATHER LIMITED.
DESPITE THE LACK OF SEVERE WEATHER...HAZARDOUS WEATHER OCCURRED IN
OTHER FORMS. THERE WERE SEVERAL EPISODES OF HIGH WINDS PROMPTING A
WIND ADVISORY ON THE 13TH AND THE 17TH. THERE WERE ALSO SEVERAL
EPISODES OF DENSE FOG. HOWEVER...THE MOST SIGNIFICANT HAZARDOUS
WEATHER OF THE MONTH WAS AN INCREASE IN FIRE DANGER. THE LACK OF
RAINFALL...WARM TEMPERATURES AND BREEZY CONDITIONS CREATED IDEAL
CONDITIONS FOR FIRES TO IGNITE AND SPREAD QUICKLY.

BELOW IS A TABLE WITH THE MONTHLY DATA FOR SOME CLIMATE SITES ACROSS
SOUTHEAST TEXAS:

SITE     AVG     AVG    AVG     DEP     RAIN     DEP
         HIGH    LOW    DAILY

IAH      70.2    47.6   58.9    +7.1    2.50     -1.18
GLS      67.7    53.5   60.6    +4.8    0.57     -3.51
CLL      69.8    44.7   57.3    +7.1    2.63     -0.69
HOU      70.8    49.8   59.9    +6.0    1.92     -2.33
PSX      70.1    49.8   59.9    +7.0    1.38     -1.80
CXO      69.8    41.2   55.5    NA      3.36     NA
UTS      68.8    45.5   57.1    NA      3.50     NA
LBX      71.1    45.7   58.4    NA      2.48     NA
LVJ      70.5    48.0   59.3    NA      2.11     NA
SGR      70.3    45.5   57.9    NA      2.64     NA
DWH      70.6    46.0   58.3    NA      2.33     NA
HGX      69.6    47.4   58.5    NA      1.92     NA

&&

RECORDS:
RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES

NEW RECORD                            PREVIOUS RECORD
HOUSTON
81 DEGREES ON JANUARY 1               80 DEGREES IN 1934

COLLEGE STATION
81 DEGREES ON JANUARY 1 (TIED)        81 DEGREES IN 1952

GALVESTON
78 DEGREES ON JANUARY 2               73 DEGREES IN 1965
75 DEGREES ON JANUARY 4               74 DEGREES IN 1957

RAINFALL

HOUSTON
1.02 INCHES ON JANUARY 22             1.01 INCHES IN 1980

COLLEGE STATION
1.66 INCHES ON JANUARY 22             1.64 INCHES IN 1980

$$