Dalhart Weather Review
by Aaron Graves
 |
| Snow on the walking trail at Lake Rita Blanca. |
The approaching fog took on a yellowish glow, as did everything nearby due to the rising sun. I watched as it began to swallow up familiar sights on the horizon. The red and white water tower near the airport. The grain elevator - Dalhart's lone skyscraper. The tops of houses. Finally, the opposite shore of Lake Rita Blanca began to fade away.
I was sitting in my car, parked along side the burnt out remains of a picnic table. The fog approached from the west. The sounds of Canadian and snow geese, along with mallard ducks and wigeons, were the only things to be heard. It was a thin blanket of fog. As it finally overtook me, more and more of the lake surface disappeared, but I could look straight up and see the sky.
 |
| Snow geese landing at Rita Blanca Lake. |
Suddenly, there came the sound of hundreds of flapping wings and "honks" as the geese decided to depart. Usually, the sight is impressive, a massive sheet of white and brown lifting from the water. However, the fog shrouded them from view. Somewhere, nearby, they circled upward and away.
Dalhart, somewhat isolated in a semi-arid corner of the Texas panhandle, is blessed to have a lake so close. Along the walking trails, evidence of the nearby town all but disappears, leaving one to contemplate whatever one wishes. The dam area provides and unobstructed view of sunrise and sunset, moon and stars, and approaching thunderstorms. It is pleasing to the eye, and soothing to the proverbial soul.
Please take care of our lake. Take the time to dispose of trash properly. Above all, teach your children to value the lake as well, be they five or fifteen. All too often the view is marred by discarded energy drink cans and fast food bags. And the burnt picnic table, along with some disturbing graffiti and broken trash cans along the dam area, speak of vandalism and disrespect.
I also humbly ask the city of Dalhart to continue to maintain the entire lake area, not just the softball fields and where the XIT Reunion is held, and be quick to fix what is broken. It encourages us citizens to care.
An overnight thunderstorm and light rain showers on Sunday, Dec. 17 brought 0.17" of rain to Dalhart. That puts our yearly precipitation total to 11.52". Temperatures since Dec. 1 have generally been near 60 degrees with overnight lows around 30.
It looks like a period of rain or snow that was expected this weekend is not going to take place. However, as always, keep an eye on the forecast. Daytime temperatures should be in the upper 40’s to low 50’s, with overnight lows dropping into the mid 20’s.
High and low temps the past two weeks
Dec 2: 60, 19
Dec 3: 47, 28
Dec 4: 49, 28
Dec 5: 64, 36
Dec 6: 56, 30
Dec 7: 66, 32
Dec 8: 64, 30
Dec 9: 60, 31
Dec 10: 60, 32
Dec 11: 62, 23
Dec 12: 64, 25
Dec 13: 70, 33
Dec 14: 53, 36
Dec 15: 52, 30
No comments:
Post a Comment