Editing Copperas Cove, Texas (section)

==Geography and climate==

[[Image:Copperas Cove skyline-2009.JPG|thumb|right|View of city from Rattlesnake Point looking north]]
Copperas Cove is located in the [[Cross Timbers#29e: Limestone Cut Plains|Limestone Cut Plains]] of central Texas, within an agglomeration of hills situated between the [[Lampasas River]] and Cowhouse Creek valleys, known as the "Five Hills" area. Copperas Cove's climate is humid subtropical with hot summers, cool winters, and rainy springs. The average high in August is {{convert|96|F}}, and the average low in January is {{convert|35|F}}. May is the rainiest month. The city lies within [[Tornado Alley]], and twisters have been known to touch down in the area. Rainfall averages {{convert|33|in}} per year, making the land suitable for agriculture without irrigation, though the region is prone to drought.

The area's thin layer of topsoil tends to be a light, crumbly [[caliche]]—capable of sustaining many agricultural plants, but susceptible to depletion and erosion. Before ranchers and farmers began altering the landscape, the area was once part of a vast [[Tallgrass prairie|grassland]]. [[Bison]], [[deer]], and [[pronghorn]] grazed on tall native grasses. However, because of [[overgrazing]], land clearing, and the suppression of wildfires, these native grasses have been mostly replaced by invasive weeds and tough, woody trees, including [[Quercus fusiformis|Texas live oak]], [[Texas red oak]], [[Juniperus virginiana|red juniper]] (red cedar), and [[mesquite]].<ref name="Ref-1"/>

Copperas Cove has a suburban cityscape typical among American small towns developed in the post-World War II era. The majority of commercial activity occurs along the main thoroughfare, [[U.S. Route 190|US Highway 190]]. Since most of Copperas Cove has been built after 1950, the extent of the town's walkable, historic downtown is considerably smaller than nearby, less populated communities, such as [[Lampasas, Texas|Lampasas]] or [[Gatesville, Texas|Gatesville]]. Most residential neighborhoods are low-density, single-family homes. Because of changing economic conditions in recent decades, [[intensive farming]] and ranching has largely left the area, making land fairly cheap to develop. After a brief slowdown of development during the 1980s, new subdivisions resumed expansion into the surrounding countryside.

{{Weather box 
|location = Copperas Cove, Texas
|single line = Y
|collapsed = yes
|Jan high F = 58
|Feb high F = 63
|Mar high F = 70
|Apr high F = 78
|May high F = 84
|Jun high F = 91
|Jul high F = 95
|Aug high F = 96
|Sep high F = 89
|Oct high F = 80
|Nov high F = 68
|Dec high F = 60
|year high F=
|Jan low F = 36
|Feb low F = 38
|Mar low F = 45
|Apr low F = 53
|May low F = 61
|Jun low F = 69
|Jul low F = 72
|Aug low F = 71
|Sep low F = 65
|Oct low F = 56
|Nov low F = 44
|Dec low F = 38
|year low F=
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.7
|Feb precipitation inch = 2.5
|Mar precipitation inch = 2.9
|Apr precipitation inch = 2.5
|May precipitation inch = 4.5
|Jun precipitation inch = 3.7
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.3
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.9
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.1
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.2
|Nov precipitation inch = 2.9
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.7
|year precipitation inch= 32.9
|source 1 = weather.com<ref name="Averages">{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USTX0293?from=36hr_bottomnav_outdoors|title=Monthly Averages for Copperas Cove, TX|publisher=[[The Weather Channel (United States)|The Weather Channel]]}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}