PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 625 AM CST FRI MAR 2 2007 ...FEBRUARY 2007 MUCH DRIER THAN NORMAL... FEBRUARY WAS EXTREMELY DRY. RAINFALL WAS GENERALLY TWO TO THREE INCHES BELOW NORMAL FOR THE MONTH. GALVESTON RECEIVED A PALTRY 0.03 INCHES OF RAIN DURING THE MONTH. THIS IS THE DRIEST FEBRUARY IN RECORDED HISTORY. THE PREVIOUS DRIEST FEBRUARY OCCURRED BACK IN 1954 (0.09 INCHES). COLLEGE STATION ALSO HAD A VERY DRY MONTH. ONLY 0.08 INCHES OF RAIN FELL DURING THE MONTH. THIS IS THE SECOND DRIEST FEBRUARY IN RECORDED HISTORY. PALACIOS ALSO ESTABLISHED A NEW RECORD FOR DRIEST FEBRUARY. ONLY 0.16 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT PALACIOS DURING THE MONTH. OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT WERE VERY DRY INCLUDE: CITY RAIN RANK DRIEST FEBRUARY BRENHAM 0.20 2ND DRIEST 0.05 - 1916 BAY CITY 0.21 3RD DRIEST 0.00 - 1916 COLUMBUS 0.33 4TH DRIEST 0.00 - 1916 CONROE 0.56 3RD DRIEST 0.00 - 1916 MADISONVILLE 0.49 6TH DRIEST 0.00 - 1996 THE HOUSTON AREA WAS ALSO QUITE DRY BUT NOT AS DRY AS SOME OF THE SURROUNDING CITIES. HOUSTON`S HOBBY AIRPORT HAD IT`S 13TH DRIEST FEBRUARY (1.35 INCHES) AND INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT HAD IT`S 9TH DRIEST FEBRUARY (1.15 INCHES). THE PRIMARY WEATHER HAZARD DURING THE MONTH WAS SEA FOG AND FIRE WEATHER. ON THE 12TH...A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED PEA TO NICKEL SIZED HAIL OVER TRINITY AND SAN JACINTO COUNTIES. SEA FOG REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN A QUARTER MILE ALONG THE COAST TOWARD THE END OF THE MONTH. THE LACK OF RAIN ALLOWED GROUND FUELS TO DRY AND THIS INCREASED THE RISK FOR GRASS FIRES ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS. LONG RANGE COMPUTER MODELS SUGGEST THAT RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE BELOW NORMAL AND THE RISK OF FIRES WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY SPRING. TEMPERATURES WERE GENERALLY A LITTLE COOLER THAN NORMAL. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT A DEGREE COOLER THAN NORMAL. RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES WERE ESTABLISHED IN A FEW LOCATIONS ON THE 16TH. BELOW IS A TABLE WITH TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL DATA FOR A FEW LOCATIONS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS: SITE AVGAVG HIGH LOW DAILY DEP RAIN DEP IAH 66.1 44.2 55.1 -0.3 1.15 -1.83 HOU - HOBBY 65.9 46.7 56.3 -1.4 1.35 -1.66 GALVESTON 63.2 49.7 56.5 -1.5 0.03 -2.58 COLLEGE STATION 63.5 42.9 53.2 -1.3 0.08 -2.30 PALACIOS 66.2 49.2 57.7 +1.9 0.16 -2.29 CONROE 64.8 40.6 52.7 -0.9 0.56 -2.35 HUNTSVILLE 64.0 43.5 53.7 +0.7 0.31 -2.83 LAKE JACKSON 65.5 45.5 55.5 -0.8 0.59 -4.17 TOMBALL 65.0 43.5 54.3 -0.6 0.57 -2.32 PEARLAND 66.4 46.9 56.6 +0.6 0.87 -1.95 SUGARLAND 65.1 44.7 54.9 -1.1 0.60 -2.52 NWSO HGX 64.2 45.2 54.7 -2.0 0.62 -2.83 && RECORDS: RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE HOUSTON NEW RECORD PREVIOUS RECORD 26 DEGREES ON THE 16TH 28 DEGREES IN 1951 COLLEGE STATION 21 DEGREES ON THE 16TH 25 DEGREES IN 1951 RECORD LOW MAXIMUM HOUSTON 50 DEGREES ON THE 16TH 51 DEGREES IN 1958 COLLEGE STATION 40 DEGREES ON THE 14TH (TIED) 40 DEGREES IN 2004 $$