Tim Vasquez
EF5
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2003
- Messages
- 3,411
For the Southern Plains, there has been no winter weather event in modern times with more overall impact than the December 1983 outbreak. The daily temperatures extremes were only exceeded by the December 1989 cold wave, but that was a "dry norther" with a short lifespan. The December 1983 outbreak was nearly as cold, and was very prolonged in Texas and Oklahoma. It was accompanied by significant "overrunning" and winter precipitation every few days.
This map from 2200Z (4 pm) on 12/24/1983 illustrates some of the crazy extremes. You can see in Arizona it's in the 70s, with part of Mexico in the 80s! Go a few hundred miles to the east and you're in the Antarctic chill. Notice how Gallup, NM is 48 degrees and Alamosa CO (usually the cold spot) is 33°F, but go east to Clayton where it's -1°F and Colorado Springs where it's -12°F. This would have been quite something to drive into on a cross-country eastbound on I-40 or I-10.
Again, this is an afternoon map.
Here is a visible satellite image from a couple of hours earlier (when there was more daylight). You can see upslope stratus on the west side of the Guadalupe Mountains in west Texas. At this point, Texas was under the influence of a ridge, in between two winter weather systems, but even with clear skies in Midland and Abilene you can see temperatures were struggling to 12°F.
DFW did not get above freezing until December 30. Houston made it above freezing on December 27th, reaching the mid-40s before another norther rolled through.
This map from 2200Z (4 pm) on 12/24/1983 illustrates some of the crazy extremes. You can see in Arizona it's in the 70s, with part of Mexico in the 80s! Go a few hundred miles to the east and you're in the Antarctic chill. Notice how Gallup, NM is 48 degrees and Alamosa CO (usually the cold spot) is 33°F, but go east to Clayton where it's -1°F and Colorado Springs where it's -12°F. This would have been quite something to drive into on a cross-country eastbound on I-40 or I-10.
Again, this is an afternoon map.

Here is a visible satellite image from a couple of hours earlier (when there was more daylight). You can see upslope stratus on the west side of the Guadalupe Mountains in west Texas. At this point, Texas was under the influence of a ridge, in between two winter weather systems, but even with clear skies in Midland and Abilene you can see temperatures were struggling to 12°F.

DFW did not get above freezing until December 30. Houston made it above freezing on December 27th, reaching the mid-40s before another norther rolled through.