Rotan, Texas

... Winter weather awareness day today across Texas...

Today is winter weather awareness day in Texas. It is a good time
to prepare for the upcoming winter season.

Have a good plan of action when it comes to winter weather... check
the weather forecast before you travel... monitor temperatures... drive
according to the conditions of the Highway... and heed warnings.

Each year Texans die from accidents caused by ice... snow... or fog.
The Texas department of public safety urges motorists to slow down
to the conditions of the roadway. Motorists should not assume the
speed limit is the safe speed.

A moderate El Nino is underway across the central and eastern
equatorial Pacific. El Nino means warming in that equatorial
Pacific region. The Spanish name... El Nino... was derived from the
christ child since this phenomena climatologically occurs during
Christmas time.

Results from a local study... indicates that winter season
precipitation averaged above normal for Abilene... Brady... San
Angelo... and Rotan during moderate El Nino years.

Another local study showed that snowfall in non-El Nino Winters in
Abilene averaged 3.8 inches... while the seasonal snowfall average
during an El Nino nearly doubled to 7.4 inches. Although not as
pronounced... the San Angelo data showed a similar trend... with
snowfall increasing from 2.7 inches in non El Nino periods to 4.0
inches during an El Nino.

A press conference is planned at the National Weather Service
today at 10 am. The National Weather Service will join with
partners from the media... San Angelo and Tom Green County emergency
management... the Texas department of public safety... the Texas
division of emergency management... and the Texas Department of
Transportation to discuss safety on the Road and safety in your
home.