texas

Greg Abbott.: Republican Party.

• Interstate 10 (I-10): east-west across southern Texas, from California border through El Paso, San Antonio, Houston, and out to Louisiana.

• Interstate 35 (I-35): major north-south route, running from Laredo at the Mexican border through San Antonio, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, and north into Oklahoma.

• Interstate 45 (I-45): connects Houston and Dallas; it runs entirely within Texas. 

• U.S. Route 67: runs from Presidio (on the Mexico border) northeast through many counties to Texarkana at the Arkansas border.

• U.S. Route 183: north-south highway, passing through areas like Refugio, Austin, etc

• U.S. Route 290: east-west; connects near Segovia through Austin and ends in northwest Houston. Very important corridor between Houston and Austin.

.

• Fiesta San Antonio: Held in April in San Antonio; very large multi-day event with parades, food, music, cultural events; celebrates history including the Alamo. 

• State Fair of Texas: Held in Dallas at Fair Park, every fall (starts last Friday of September), huge attendance, big fair-park tradition. 

• Texas Renaissance Festival (Todd Mission): A large Renaissance-themed fair during October & November, with themed weekends, performances, costumed characters. 

• Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo: A long-standing rodeo/fair type event in Fort Worth; livestock, exhibitions, rodeo events.

.

        Extremely diverse climate zones, due to its large size, wide range of latitude, and varied geography (coastal areas, plains, deserts, mountains).               Key features:

• East Texas / Gulf Coast: humid subtropical; hot, humid summers; mild winters; frequent rain; occasional tropical storms and hurricanes along coast.

• Central Texas and Hill Country: warm to hot summers, milder winters; varied rainfall; periods of drought possible; more temperature variation between day & night.

• West Texas / Big Bend / Desert areas: very dry; hot days; large temperature swings (hot days, cool nights), less rainfall; more desert or semi-arid climate.

• Panhandle / Northern Texas: more continental; colder winters (including snow and freezing temps), somewhat less heat than south; summer still hot but more tolerable.

• Texas overall has long, hot summers; precipitation tends to be seasonal (spring thunderstorms, occasional tropical moisture on coast), droughts possible in inland/western regions; winter mild in south, cold in north.

.