A Texas question?

[Australian]

Is there any snow covered mountains in Texas? Does it snow much in Texas? I have visions of it being flat and hot. Is that correct? Is it very populated?
Thanks for any info.
Colin

 

[Brute 23]

Texas has a little of every thing.

 

[K2011]

Texas has a little of every thing.

Exactly....

 

[1982vett]

Texas has a bit of all types of terrain. Guadalupe Peak tops out at 8749 feet and does retain snow in winter. Snow varies, some parts of the state rarely get any and others get snow regularly. Doesn't hang around very long. It can get rather cold in the winter and blistering hot in the summer. 2006 population was estimated 23,507,783. Persons per square mile (2000) was 79.6 which was the average density of the USofA. Land area is 261,797 square miles, 7.4 % of the USA area of 3,537,438 square miles.

Here is a link to the Texas Almanac.

http://www.texasalmanac.com/environment/

 

[Caustic Burno]

Texas has a bit of all types of terrain. Guadalupe Peak tops out at 8749 feet and does retain snow in winter. Snow varies, some parts of the state rarely get any and others get snow regularly. Doesn't hang around very long. It can get rather cold in the winter and blistering hot in the summer. 2006 population was estimated 23,507,783. Persons per square mile (2000) was 79.6 which was the average density of the USofA. Land area is 261,797 square miles, 7.4 % of the USA area of 3,537,438 square miles.

Here is a link to the Texas Almanac.

http://www.texasalmanac.com/environment/

It also has subtropical rainforest.

 

[1982vett]

Yep, and a hundred miles NW of the rainforest is the blackland desert.

 

[bigbull338]

texas is meny things.you have mountains deserts grasslands.you can go from 80 down to 20 in 5 mins.you can get snow in certain areas.but its very rare.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Pretty much everything said thus far is on the money. It is pretty diverse. The most dense rain forest in the U.S. on one end, and desert conditions on the other. Flat lands, hill country and mountains spread across.

Where I live we seldom have sub-zero temperatures, but they have happened. The winter or '83/'84 was the worst I remember here. The heat from the summer of '80 was pretty bad on me too.

Cattle have a hard time here in the summers. The vet tells me it is not so much the heat of the day that affects them, but when the night time temps are still in the low '80 degree F range, they don't get much recovery - even foraging at night.

My favorite part of Texas is the hill country. They claim I live on the northern edge but it is not exactly what I am referring to. I prefer the heart of the hill country.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Well from a Native Texan (3 generations)...

Texas has a variety of terrain and climates. Here are the most important ones:

• 1. North Central Texas: Black and clay type soil, 30 to 35" rain a year, occasional tornado, mostly dryland farming, overcrowded cities (Dallas, Ft Worth, etc.), horse properties, elevation about 500 to 800'. Crops include wheat, oats, some hay.
  2. East Texas: Pine Trees, black land and some clay, more rainfall, dryland farming, some horse properties.
  3. Southeast Texas: Next to Louisiana/coastal areas. Considerable rainfall, mostly dryland farming. Variety of trees and vegetation.
  4. South Texas: Gulf coast region including Houston, Beaumont/Port Arthur (oil refineries), hot & muggy in summer, citrus and vegetable crops in Rio Grande Valley (Harlengen, McAllen, areas) Hay production.
  5. Central Texas: Area of Austin, San Antonio, Bandera, etc. Tends to be less rainfall and some ranching in the area. Some Hay production. Austin and San Antonio big tourist areas: Alamo, San Jacinto, River Walk, etc.
  6. Southwest Texas: Very arid, desert type, scrub vegetation, heavy ranching country. Rainfall in 10 to 15" a year range. Limited topsoil and lots of gravelly type "soil" and rocks. Includes San Angelo, El Paso, Marfa, Big Bend National Park, Ft Stockton, Pecos, etc. Area of Ft Davis is home to McDonald Observatory, and other tourista areas. Elevation in the 4500 to 6000' range. Sparsely populated. Also areas of "badlands" in extreme SW area en route to El Paso. Chisos Mountains in the area of 8500 ft.
  7. Northern Southwest Texas: Big Springs, Midland, Odessa area: Heavy oil production history (Permian Basin boon times in early 20th century), oil wells a plenty, ranching country. Vegetation sparse. Cotton production.
  8. West Texas: Areas of Lubbock, Monahans, Spur, etc. Very sandy soil. Heavy cotton production with center pivot irrigation. Elevation in the 2500 to 3500' range on a "high plateau". Home of Texas Tech University in Lubbock.
  9. Texas Panhandle Region: Amarillo, Dalhart, Canadian, Shamrock, Clarendon, Childress, Wellington,etc. Heavy cotton and peanut farming. Ranching. Quarter Horse country. Rainfall in 15 to 25" a year range. Northwest Panhandle area has worst weather in winter...snow, ice. Southeast area "best" winter weather with very little snow or ice. Panhandle region known for year around wind with periodic days of calm. Soil ranges from very sandy to rocky hills and bluffs, and generally non-tillable land except where the cotton, hay, and peanut farming is done, usually under irrigation.

Guess those are some of the "high points" of Texas climate and geography. Another note: If you are traveling diagonally from SE tip in Brownsville area to the NW tip at Dalhart or Texline, expect up to about 800 or 900 miles of travel... I'm sure the other Texans will have other pointers and facts to add. I definitely didn't hit all the high or low points...lol.

 

[Australian]

Thanks for the info. Very concise.
Colin