Editing Victoria, Texas (section)

==Geography==
Victoria is located on the coastal plains of Texas about {{Cvt|50|mi}} from the Gulf of Mexico and {{Cvt|20|mi}} from the nearest bay waters.  It lies along and just to the east of the Guadalupe River.  The topography is mostly flat to slightly rolling with an average elevation of {{Cvt|95|ft}}. Most of the city is underlain by [[smectite]]-rich clay which is locally capped by silt or fine sand; the high shrink-swell potential associated with smectite creates major challenges to urban infrastructure.<ref>http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110405195859/http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.htm |date=2011-04-05 }} Web Soil Survey</ref> Vegetation in better-drained areas consists primarily of short grasses with post oaks and other small timber and brush. Moist sites can grow tall forests dominated by elm and pecan.<ref>The Vegetation Types of Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife, 1984.</ref>

===Climate===
Victoria is classified as having a [[humid subtropical climate]]. June through August are very hot and humid, with high temperatures regularly exceeding {{Cvt|100|F}}. The record high temperature of {{Cvt|111|F|1}} was recorded in September 2000. Victoria also holds the Texas record high for October at 109 °F (42.8 °C) recorded in 1926. Spring and autumn are generally mild to warm with lower humidity.  Winters are mild, with occasional cold spells. The record low temperature was recorded in December 1989, when the temperature dropped to {{Cvt|9|F|1}}.  Snow is very infrequent,  occurring on average once every 11 years.  On December 24–25, 2004, Victoria recorded its [[2004 Christmas Eve United States winter storm|first White Christmas ever]] when {{Cvt|12.5|in|cm}}&nbsp;of snow fell.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.srh.noaa.gov/crp/?n=whitechristmas2004 |title= White Christmas in South Texas – 2004 |publisher= National Weather Service Forecast Office |access-date= 23 April 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120420042258/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/crp/?n=whitechristmas2004 |archive-date= 20 April 2012 |url-status= live }}</ref>

Average monthly precipitation is lowest in winter and has a secondary minimum in August, with intense heat and humidity prevailing. On average, the wettest months are May, June, September and October (the last two of these due to significant threat from tropical weather systems, including [[hurricanes]], which can produce torrential rainfalls some years).

Victoria has occasional severe weather, mostly from flooding.  Hurricanes have the potential to bring severe damage to the area.  [[Hurricane Claudette (2003)|Hurricane Claudette]] in July 2003 was the last hurricane to score a direct hit on the city. During this event, winds gusted to {{Cvt|83|mph}} at the Victoria Regional Airport and 90% of the city lost power.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Savidge |first1=Martin |title=PORT LAVACA, Texas (CNN) -- Claudette, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, was downgraded to a tropical storm Tuesday afternoon after slamming into central Texas and weakening over land, said the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. |url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/WEATHER/07/15/claudette/ |website=CNN Weather |publisher=CNN |access-date=8 February 2021}}</ref>  The most intense hurricane to affect Victoria remains [[Hurricane Carla]] in September 1961.

In May 2013, a rare tornado hit Victoria on a Saturday afternoon with tornado warnings everywhere from Corpus Christi to the southeast Houston/Sugarland Metro area. A short-lived tornado took a swipe at an open field northeast of Victoria, dodging all structures and causing no injuries but kicking up dirt and debris visible for miles. Tornadoes striking the area are commonly associated with hurricanes and are otherwise rare.<ref>Watts, Elena (May 26, 2013). [https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2013/may/26/ew_tornado_052613_210572/ "Rare tornado surprises Crossroads"]. ''victoriaadvocate.com''. Retrieved November 15, 2023.</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = [[Victoria Regional Airport]], Texas (1991&ndash;2020 normals,<ref>Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.</ref> extremes 1902&ndash;present)
|metric first = 
|single line = Y′
|Jan high F = 65.2
|Feb high F = 69.1
|Mar high F = 75.0
|Apr high F = 80.8
|May high F = 86.8
|Jun high F = 92.3
|Jul high F = 94.6
|Aug high F = 95.5
|Sep high F = 90.7
|Oct high F = 84.1
|Nov high F = 74.1
|Dec high F = 67.3
|year high F= 81.3
|Jan mean F = 54.4
|Feb mean F = 58.4
|Mar mean F = 64.4
|Apr mean F = 70.4
|May mean F = 77.3
|Jun mean F = 82.7
|Jul mean F = 84.5
|Aug mean F = 84.8
|Sep mean F = 80.4
|Oct mean F = 72.6
|Nov mean F = 62.8
|Dec mean F = 56.2
|year mean F = 70.7
|Jan low F = 43.6
|Feb low F = 47.7
|Mar low F = 53.9
|Apr low F = 60.0
|May low F = 67.7
|Jun low F = 73.1
|Jul low F = 74.5
|Aug low F = 74.1
|Sep low F = 70.0
|Oct low F = 61.0
|Nov low F = 51.4
|Dec low F = 45.2
|year low F= 60.2
|Jan avg record high F = 79.4
|Feb avg record high F = 82.9
|Mar avg record high F = 86.5
|Apr avg record high F = 89.5
|May avg record high F = 93.9
|Jun avg record high F = 96.9
|Jul avg record high F = 98.5
|Aug avg record high F =100.5
|Sep avg record high F = 97.5
|Oct avg record high F = 92.8
|Nov avg record high F = 86.2
|Dec avg record high F = 81.1
|year avg record high F=101.3
|Jan avg record low F = 27.6
|Feb avg record low F = 30.1
|Mar avg record low F = 34.5
|Apr avg record low F = 43.5
|May avg record low F = 55.3
|Jun avg record low F = 65.8
|Jul avg record low F = 70.3
|Aug avg record low F = 69.8
|Sep avg record low F = 56.4
|Oct avg record low F = 44.4
|Nov avg record low F = 35.4
|Dec avg record low F = 27.3
|year avg record low F= 23.5

|Jan record high F =  88
|Feb record high F =  96
|Mar record high F =  99
|Apr record high F = 100
|May record high F = 102
|Jun record high F = 109
|Jul record high F = 110
|Aug record high F = 109
|Sep record high F = 111
|Oct record high F = 109
|Nov record high F =  93
|Dec record high F =  88

|Jan record low F =  9
|Feb record low F = 13
|Mar record low F = 21
|Apr record low F = 33
|May record low F = 45
|Jun record low F = 54
|Jul record low F = 61
|Aug record low F = 61
|Sep record low F = 45
|Oct record low F = 31
|Nov record low F = 18
|Dec record low F =  9
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.52
|Feb precipitation inch = 2.08
|Mar precipitation inch = 2.77
|Apr precipitation inch = 2.82
|May precipitation inch = 5.19
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.46
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.18
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.85
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.16
|Oct precipitation inch = 4.64
|Nov precipitation inch = 3.24
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.31
|year precipitation inch=41.22
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 8.4
|Feb precipitation days = 8.1
|Mar precipitation days = 7.1
|Apr precipitation days = 6.1
|May precipitation days = 7.1
|Jun precipitation days = 8.9
|Jul precipitation days = 7.9
|Aug precipitation days = 8.1
|Sep precipitation days = 9.5
|Oct precipitation days = 7.6
|Nov precipitation days = 7.3
|Dec precipitation days = 8.1
|year precipitation days=94.2

|Jan snow inch = 0.1
|Feb snow inch = 0.1
|Mar snow inch = trace
|Apr snow inch = 0.0
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = trace
|Dec snow inch = 0.3
|year snow inch = 0.4
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name="NOWData CRP">{{cite web |url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=crp |title=NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=2018-04-15 }}</ref><ref name = "NOAA txt KVCT">{{cite web | url = ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/1981-2010/products/station/USW00012912.normals.txt | title = Station Name: TX VICTORIA RGNL AP | publisher = National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration | access-date = 2018-03-07}}</ref>
}}