Weather in Texas

The Essential Handbook

By George W. Bomar

University of Texas Press

Only in Texas could a snowstorm pelt the Panhandle at the very moment abrasive dust is scouring the Permian Basin while searing heat is wilting the Winter Garden region in the south. The state’s large size and central location within North America subject it to a great variety of weather occurrences. Texas state meteorologist George W. Bomar has been observing Texas weather for nearly half a century, and in Weather in Texas, he provides the essential guide to all of the state’s weather phenomena.

Writing in lively layman’s language, Bomar fully explains both how the weather works and how Texans can prepare for and stay safe during extreme weather events. He describes the forces that shape Texas weather from season to season, including the influence of tropical cyclones, frontal boundaries, El Niño, and the polar jet stream. Bomar puts specific weather events in historical context, using a ranking system to illustrate how recent droughts, snowstorms, hurricanes, flash floods, and tornadoes compare with those of previous generations. He also includes comprehensive tabulations of weather data for every area of Texas, quantifying what constitutes “normal” weather, as well as the extreme limits of variables such as low and high temperatures, rain days, snow accumulations, and earliest and latest freezes. With everything from the latest science on climate change and weather modification to dramatic stories about landmark weather events, Weather in Texas is a must-have reference for all Texans..

In Texas, extreme weather is just going to keep happening, and I'm glad George Bomar decided to say 'enough is enough' and give us something to read. Great Plains Research

From drought to floods, huge snow drifts to stifling heat, and hurricanes to tornadoes, Weather in Texas definitely educates the reader on the various kinds of weather and on how to cope with and stay safe from weather extremes. This book is one of the best sources, if not the best source, for all things related to Texas weather. Bob Rose, chief meteorologist, Lower Colorado River Authority

Books such as Weather in Texas provide new residents with an understanding of their environment in order to make responsible choices, both for their safety and for community and state policy. Jon W. Zeitler, Science and Operations Officer, National Weather Service, Austin–San Antonio Weather Forecast Office

The state meteorologist and a former associate state climatologist, George W. Bomar is the author of Texas Weather (1984 and 1995), the forerunner of this book. For more than thirty-five years, he advised Texas governors on proactive measures, including evacuations, to deal with hurricanes. Bomar is the foremost expert on the potential of weather modification (cloud seeding) technologies to coax more rainwater from summer thunderstorms. He won the John Campanius Holm Award, given by the National Weather Service for outstanding accomplishments in meteorological observations.