Texas Regions
Landforms & Climate
by Jessica Woodruff
The Central Plains Region
The Central Plains region of Texas is part of a larger Central Plains region of North America. It is made up of 3 separate areas. They are the Grand Prairie, the Cross Timbers, and the Rolling Plains. Each of these areas has a different type of landform and they include prairies, forests, and plains.
The climate in this area can be extreme. In the winters it is cold, but in the summer it can be the hottest area in Texas. The average rainfall is 20 - 30 inches a year and during the spring there can be violent storms and tornadoes
The Great Plains Region
The Great Plains region of Texas is part of the larger Great Plains of North America. The 3 separate areas in this region include the High Plains, the Edward Plateau, and the Llano Basin. The landforms in these areas include plains, plateaus , canyons , escarpments , and basins .
The climate in this region is varied. This is the coldest region during the winter but during the summer it can be very hot. The average yearly rainfall is 15 – 20 inches. This region can be very dry and windy and as a result there can be violent sand storms.
The Mountains & Basins Region
The Mountains and Basins region of Texas is a smaller part of the Rocky Mountains region of North America. The 2 distinct landforms in this region are mountains and basins. The highest point in Texas, Guadalupe Peak, is in this region. The basins in this region are part of the Chihuahuan Desert which Texas shares with Mexico.
The climate in this region is not extreme. It is warm most of the year and when it does get cold it doesn’t stay cold for very long. This is the driest region in Texas. The average yearly rainfall is only 0 – 16 inches.
The Coastal Plains Region
The Coastal Plains region is the largest and most varied region in Texas. It is part of the North America’s larger Gulf Coastal Plains region. The 5 smaller areas in this region include the Piney Woods, the Gulf Coastal Plain, the South Texas Plain, the Post Oak Belt, and the Blackland Prairie. The landforms in this area include forests, plains, and prairies.
The climate in the northern part of this region is more like the climate in the Central Plains region. It is cold during the winter and very hot during the summer. The climate in the southern part does not get as cold during the winter and in the summer it is hot and humid. This region gets more rainfall than any other region, 30 – 55 inches a year.
