We all know what April showers bring, but what about January snow on Texas beaches? A rare winter snowstorm left accumulating snow on Galveston beaches in January before it trekked to the east.
The last time snow fell in Galveston was more than 20 years ago (in 2004).
The south’s January 2025 snowstorm left accumulating snow in other parts of Texas as well.
There were other notable snowstorms that pushed through the Plains during the month of January other than that one.
One of those snowstorms in early January left a swath of a foot or more of snow in parts of Kansas. That winter storm came with gusty winds, too, that led to closed roads for a time as plows worked to dig everyone out.
Later in the month, too much rain fell too quickly in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where almost 5 inches of rain came down in 24 hours. This led to flooding there.
Outside of this instance, the moisture (although some of it in the form of snow) was welcomed for many in the Plains that remained stuck in drought conditions. By the end of January, southwest Texas had the worst of drought conditions in that state, but at least some level of drought persisted across all of southwest and south central Texas.
Northern and eastern Kansas remained in drought, too, along with almost all of Nebraska as we neared the end of January.
Looking ahead, southern Texas, northern Kansas and much of Nebraska will likely see drought conditions continue into spring.
The forecast for February reflects that precipitation totals likely won’t be helpful for Texas as below average precipitation is expected for southern and western Texas. Western Oklahoma and western Kansas will likely experience below average precipitation for the month, too.
Those same areas, along with western Nebraska, are forecast to see below average precipitation remain even longer, with below normal precipitation expected through April.
All of Texas and southern and western Oklahoma will see temperatures in February above seasonal norms. At the same time, northern into eastern Nebraska will likely feel temperatures below average.
Through April, Texas and southern Oklahoma will see temperatures still averaging above normal. On the other hand, western and central Nebraska are forecast to see below normal temperatures during that stretch.
In the wider view, La Niña conditions are reflected in atmospheric and oceanic conditions. A change to ENSO-neutral is expected at some point in the spring.
I’m always keeping an eye to the sky (and the weather patterns), so watch for next month’s update.
Editor’s note: Regina Bird grew up on a farm near Belleville, Kansas. The views from the farm helped spur her interest in weather. Following high school, she went on to get a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from the University of Kansas. She worked as a television meteorologist for nine years in Nebraska. Follow her on Twitter: @ReginaBirdWX.
