Erratic Weather in Texas

The state of Texas has always been an oddity when it comes to weather. When you first look at it, it doesn’t seem so bad, as it’s just a southern state of the United States. It may get a little hot from time to time, especially in summer, but nothing too crazy, right? Well that’s where you’d be wrong. An example could be just recently, this Christmas actually. It was on this holiday here in Dallas, Texas that the temperature reached a record high of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. How crazy is that! For most places, Christmas day is cold and snowy, however here, it was a sunny, hot day. No snow outside to play with, no fireplace to find comfort in, just a seemingly regular summer day. It simply felt unreal compared to what Christmas is supposed to be in the eyes of many. That was just one example however, for there are many other incidents that showcase the extreme, unpredictable weather within Texas.

An iconic instance that most Texans most likely remember is the February 2021 winter storm, sometimes referred to as the Great Texas Freeze. On the days of February 11th to the 20th, the entire city of Dallas froze over, experiencing a massive amount of snow, as well as ice. Roads froze over, and temperatures got as low as -2 degrees Fahrenheit, the coldest it’s ever been in 72 years. It was impossible to go anywhere, and not only that, but many residents of cities like Dallas and Houston lost power to their homes, being stuck with no heater in the extreme cold. It was estimated that approximately 246 people died in Texas during the storm, marking this incident as one of the most catastrophic weather incidents in the U.S, costing anywhere from 80 billion to 200 billion dollars in damage, as the freeze over did things like freezing over and bursting the water pipes of many homes and buildings. Many families were just stuck trying to keep warm in their houses, waiting until the storm would be over.

Now, you might be wondering, why does this even happen? Why is weather in Texas so unpredictable? On one hand, you have extreme heat at times when it should be cold, like winter. On the other hand, you have extreme cold that shouldn’t be that bad, as Texas is a southern state that is closer to the equator, therefore having more heat than cold. Well, there is actually an explanation. Texas is located in a position where several different wind currents meet and collide. More specifically, it’s at a place where cold, arctic air from up north in Canada meets with warm, moist air from down south in the Gulf of Mexico. Because of this weather can change rapidly and violently, causing sudden temperature drops, or heat spikes, as well as severe storms. This also serves as a significant catalyst for tornadoes, which Texas is known for. Not only that, but Texas is a very large state, meaning that multiple climates can coexist within it. It is usually humid or tropical along the Gulf Coast, and semi arid around the center, with it being arid and dry on the west. Texas is also very flat, meaning weather can travel quickly, storms can strengthen quickly, and changes can happen fast. Overall, Texas weather is infamous for being the way it is, however that doesn’t mean we can’t adapt. For instance, after the winter storm of 2021, power grids in Texas since then have been improved dramatically, to make sure if it were to happen again, or perhaps some other instance of extreme weather would come by, residents wouldn’t lose power and the grids would hold up. People have also just in general gotten use to and adapted to the weather, living their day to day life, and persevering through any challenge that comes their way.