# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Based on the beach/pool score, the best time of year to visit Tyler for hot-weather activities is from late May to mid September.

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the entire year of hourly average temperatures. The horizontal axis is the day of the year, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Ar Rudayyif, Tunisia (5,669 miles away) and Antakya, Turkey (6,763 miles) are the far-away foreign places with temperatures most similar to Tyler ( view comparison).

In Tyler, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearest month of the year in Tyler is October, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 70% of the time.

A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. The chance of wet days in Tyler varies throughout the year.

The drier season lasts 3.5 months, from July 3 to October 20. The month with the fewest wet days in Tyler is August, with an average of 6.8 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. The month with the most days of rain alone in Tyler is May, with an average of 10.8 days. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation throughout the year is rain alone, with a peak probability of 36% on May 15.

To show variation within the months and not just the monthly totals, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Tyler experiences significant seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.

Rain falls throughout the year in Tyler. The month with the most rain in Tyler is May, with an average rainfall of 4.1 inches.

The month with the least rain in Tyler is August, with an average rainfall of 2.0 inches.

The earliest sunrise is at 6:13 AM on June 11, and the latest sunrise is 1 hour, 29 minutes later at 7:42 AM on November 6. The earliest sunset is at 5:15 PM on December 3, and the latest sunset is 3 hours, 17 minutes later at 8:32 PM on June 29.

Daylight saving time (DST) is observed in Tyler during 2021, starting in the spring on March 14, lasting 7.8 months, and ending in the fall on November 7.

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for 2021. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases.

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

Tyler experiences extreme seasonal variation in the perceived humidity.

The muggier period of the year lasts for 5.5 months, from April 27 to October 11, during which time the comfort level is muggy, oppressive, or miserable at least 23% of the time. The month with the most muggy days in Tyler is July, with 28.1 days that are muggy or worse.

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed in Tyler experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The calmer time of year lasts for 5.0 months, from May 25 to October 24. The calmest month of the year in Tyler is August, with an average hourly wind speed of 6.3 miles per hour.

The predominant average hourly wind direction in Tyler is from the south throughout the year.

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Tyler throughout the year, we compute two travel scores.

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Tyler for hot-weather activities is from late May to mid September, with a peak score in the last week of June.

Methodology

For each hour between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM of each day in the analysis period (1980 to 2016), independent scores are computed for perceived temperature, cloud cover, and total precipitation. Those scores are combined into a single hourly composite score, which is then aggregated into days, averaged over all the years in the analysis period, and smoothed.

Our cloud cover score is 10 for fully clear skies, falling linearly to 9 for mostly clear skies, and to 1 for fully overcast skies.

Our precipitation score, which is based on the three-hour precipitation centered on the hour in question, is 10 for no precipitation, falling linearly to 9 for trace precipitation, and to 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more.

Our tourism temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 50°F, rising linearly to 9 for 65°F, to 10 for 75°F, falling linearly to 9 for 80°F, and to 1 for 90°F or hotter.

Our beach/pool temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 65°F, rising linearly to 9 for 75°F, to 10 for 82°F, falling linearly to 9 for 90°F, and to 1 for 100°F or hotter.

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

Based on growing degree days alone, the first spring blooms in Tyler should appear around January 25, only rarely appearing before January 15 or after February 11.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Tyler are 32.351 deg latitude, -95.301 deg longitude, and 531 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Tyler contains only modest variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 184 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 530 feet. Within 10 miles also contains only modest variations in elevation ( 341 feet). Within 50 miles contains only modest variations in elevation ( 568 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Tyler is covered by artificial surfaces ( 95%), within 10 miles by cropland ( 48%) and trees ( 31%), and within 50 miles by cropland ( 54%) and trees ( 34%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in Tyler, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

Temperature and Dew Point

There are 5 weather stations near enough to contribute to our estimation of the temperature and dew point in Tyler.

For each station, the records are corrected for the elevation difference between that station and Tyler according to the International Standard Atmosphere , and by the relative change present in the MERRA-2 satellite-era reanalysis between the two locations.

The estimated value at Tyler is computed as the weighted average of the individual contributions from each station, with weights proportional to the inverse of the distance between Tyler and a given station.

The stations contributing to this reconstruction are:

Tyler Pounds Field (KTYR, 76%, 6 mi, west, 10 ft elevation change)

Rusk County Airport (KRFI, 7%, 30 mi, southeast, -89 ft elevation change)

Gilmer, Fox Stephens Field - Gilmer Municipal Airport (KJXI, 6%, 32 mi, northeast, -118 ft elevation change)

Cherokee County Airport (KJSO, 6%, 34 mi, south, 144 ft elevation change)

Gregg County Airport (KGGG, 5%, 34 mi, east, -161 ft elevation change)

To get a sense of how much these sources agree with each other, you can view a comparison of Tyler and the stations that contribute to our estimates of its temperature history and climate. Please note that each source's contribution is adjusted for elevation and the relative change present in the MERRA-2 data.

Other Data

All data relating to the Sun's position (e.g., sunrise and sunset) are computed using astronomical formulas from the book, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd Edition , by Jean Meeus.

All other weather data, including cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and solar flux, come from NASA's MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis . This reanalysis combines a variety of wide-area measurements in a state-of-the-art global meteorological model to reconstruct the hourly history of weather throughout the world on a 50-kilometer grid.

Land Use data comes from the Global Land Cover SHARE database , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Elevation data comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Names, locations, and time zones of places and some airports come from the GeoNames Geographical Database .

Time zones for airports and weather stations are provided by AskGeo.com .

Maps are © Esri, with data from National Geographic, Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, UNEP-WCMC, USGS, NASA, ESA, METI, NRCAN, GEBCO, NOAA, and iPC.

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands.

We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tyler Climate, Weather By Month, Average Temperature (Texas, United States) - Weather Spark

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In Tyler, the summers are hot and oppressive; the winters are short, cold, and wet; and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 38°F to 94°F and is rarely below 26°F or above 100°F.

# data[].attributes.body
Elm wood, willow oak wood

# data[].attributes.body
East Central Texas forests are distinguished from the adjacent Texas blackland prairies and Western Gulf coastal grasslands by their greater tree density. On the other hand, they are more open and have a greater concentration of hardwoods than the forests of the Piney Woods. The climate is hot and humid.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The East Central Texas forests (33) is a small temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion almost entirely within the state of Texas, United States. The northern forests perimeter is partially within the southeast Oklahoma border.

East Central Texas forests are distinguished from the adjacent Texas blackland prairies and Western Gulf coastal grasslands by their greater tree density. On the other hand, they are more open and have a greater concentration of hardwoods than the forests of the Piney Woods. The climate is hot and humid.

The landscapes of this ecoregion are generally more level and gently rolling compared to the more dissected and irregular topography of much of Southern Post Oak Savanna. It is underlain by mostly Eocene and Paleocene-age formations with some Cretaceous rocks to the north. The deciduous forest or woodland is composed mostly of post oak, blackjack oak, eastern red cedar, and black hickory. Prairie openings contained little bluestem and other grasses and forbs. The land cover currently has more improved pasture and less post oak woods and forest than the Southern Post Oak Savanna. Some coniferous trees occur, especially on the transitional boundary with the Tertiary Uplands ecoregion. Loblolly pine has been planted in several areas. Typical wildlife species include white-tailed deer, eastern wild turkey, northern bobwhite, eastern fox squirrel, and eastern gray squirrel.

This ecoregion has more woods and forest than the adjacent prairie ecoregions, and consists of mostly hardwoods compared to the pines to the east in the South Central Plains. Historically a post oak savanna, current land cover is a mix of post oak woods, improved pasture, and rangeland, with some invasive mesquite to the south. A thick understory of yaupon and eastern redcedar occurs in some parts. The ecoregion is underlain by Miocene, Oligocene, Eocene, and Paleocene sediments. Sand exposures within these Tertiary deposits have a distinctive sandyland flora, and in a few areas unique bogs occur. The endangered Houston Toad is associated with the deep sandy soils of this ecoregion

This ecoregion is a narrow, 100-mile long region occurring primarily on the Eocene Cook Mountain Formation. Upland Alfisol prairies were dominated by little bluestem and yellow indiangrass and contained a different mix of grasses and forbs than the dark, clayey, more calcareous soils of the Northern Texas blackland prairies. Since the 1830s, settlement clustered along the Old San Antonio Road ( Texas State Highway 21 in the south, Old San Antonio Road in the north) within this narrow belt of prairie land. Currently, land cover is a mosaic of woodland, improved pasture, rangeland, and some cropland.

The small, disjunct areas of this ecoregion have a blend of characteristics from the Texas blackland prairies and the East Central Texas forests. The northern two outliers, north of the Sulphur River, occur on Cretaceous sediments, while south of the river, Paleocene and Eocene formations predominate. A mosaic of forest and prairie occurred historically in this and adjacent regions. Burning was important in maintaining grassy openings, and woody invasions have taken place in the absence of fire. The tallgrass prairies included little bluestem, big bluestem, yellow indiangrass, and tall dropseed. Current land cover is mostly pasture, with some cropland.

This ecoregion is an outlier of relict loblolly pine- post oak upland forest occurring on some dissected hills. It is the westernmost tract of southern pine in the United States. The pines mostly occur on gravelly soils that formed in Pleistocene high gravel, fluvial terrace deposits associated with the ancestral Colorado River, and sandy soils that formed in Eocene sandstones (such as the Weches Formation). The Lost Pines are about 100 miles (160 km) west of the Texas pine belt of the South Central Plains and occur in a drier environment with 36 inches (910 mm) of average annual precipitation. In this area, the deep, acidic, sandy soils and the additional moisture provided by the Colorado River contribute to the occurrence of pines, which are thought to be a relict population predating the last glacial period. The largest population of the Houston Toad occurs in this ecoregion

This ecoregion contains floodplain and low terrace deposits downstream from the Texas blackland prairies and upstream from the Texas coastal plains. It includes only the wider floodplains of major streams, such as the Sulphur, Trinity, Brazos, and Colorado rivers. In addition, it covers primarily Holocene deposits and not Pleistocene deposits on older, high terraces. The bottomland forests contain water oak, post oak, elms, green ash, pecan, willow oak to the east, and to the west some hackberry and eastern cottonwoods. The northern floodplains tend to have more forested land cover, while in the south the Brazos and Colorado River floodplains are characterized by more cropland and pasture.

The forests are home to a rich wildlife including Virginia opossums ( Didelphis virginiana), North American least shrews ( Cryptotis parva), North American beavers ( Castor canadensis) and many species of butterflies and reptiles. Larger mammals that once lived here, including jaguar ( Panthera onca) and Plains bison ( Bison bison bison), have now disappeared from the region. Endangered fauna found in this ecoregion include the Houston toad ( Bufo houstonensis) and Attwater's prairie chickens ( Tympanuchus cupido attwateri).

This environment has been heavily altered by cattle ranching and clearance for farmland with only a quarter of the original habitats remaining, in fragmented patches and not in large blocks. There are no national forests in the region.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The East Central Texas forests (33) is a small temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion almost entirely within the state of Texas, United States. The northern forests perimeter is partially within the southeast Oklahoma border. East Central Texas forests are distinguished from the adjacent Texas blackland prairies and Western Gulf coastal grasslands by their greater tree density.

# data[].attributes.body
This area has many kinds of upland soils but most are deep, light-colored, acid sands and loams over loamy and clayey subsoils. Deep sands are in scattered areas, and red clays are in areas of “redlands.” Bottomland soils are mostly brown to dark-gray, acid loams and some clays.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
One of Texas’ most important natural resources is its soil. Texas soils are complex because of the wide diversity of climate, vegetation, geology, and landscape. More than 1,300 different kinds of soil are recognized in Texas. Each has a specific set of properties that affect its use.

# data[].attributes.body
Wood has tensile strength, even for being a relatively lightweight building material, wood outperforms even steel when it comes to breaking length (or self-support length). Sound absorption; Wood's acoustic properties make it ideal for minimizing echo in living or office spaces.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Wood is obviously both a common and a historical choice as a building material. However, in the past few decades, there has been a move away from wood in favor of engineered products or metals like aluminum.

While the desire to not rely on the world's forests for building demands is well-intentioned, the advantages of wood as a building material still outweigh other products on the market when looking at the environmental impact and performance.

Wood's Characteristics

Why Is Wood a Good Building Material?

Tensile strength - For being a relatively lightweight building material, wood outperforms even steel when it comes to breaking length (or self-support length). Simply put, it can support its own weight better, which allows for larger spaces and fewer necessary supports in some building designs.

Electrical and heat resistance - Wood has a natural resistance to electrical conduction when dried to standard moisture content (MC) levels, usually between 7%-12% for most wood species. (This conductivity is, in fact, the basis for one type of moisture measurement system.) Its strength and dimensions are also not significantly affected by heat, providing stability to the finished building and even safety implications for certain fire situations.

Sound absorption - Wood's acoustic properties make it ideal for minimizing echo in living or office spaces. Wood absorbs sound, rather than reflecting or amplifying it, and can help significantly reduce noise levels for additional comfort.

Beauty - With the wide variety of species available, wood presents an incredible range of aesthetic options, as well as provides varied mechanical, acoustic, thermal properties along with others that can be selected based on the need of the building project.

Wood's Green Advantage

At a time when ecological concerns are high, the trend has been to move away from wood as a building material in order to prevent deforestation, in part as an attempt to manage greenhouse gasses.

However, a closer look at the reasons for this thinking can prove to be slightly off track. Wood has several advantages that help both the builder and the environment.

Wood Is Renewable

Unlike concrete or metals, wood is a building material that can be grown and regrown through natural processes and also through replanting and forestry management programs. Select harvesting and other practices allow growth to continue while larger trees are harvested.

While the forests are growing (via solar energy), they are also naturally and efficiently removing carbon dioxide from the environment. It's a bonus unique to wood.

Shop Orion Moisture Meters

Wood Is More Readily Processed for Use

When compared to building materials like steel or concrete, the life cycle of wood has a lower overall impact on the environment than its counterparts and as a result, also costs significantly less to produce. Wastewater production and environmental impact are also significantly lower in wood manufacturing processes, particularly when compared to steel.

Many lumber mills use wood byproducts (chips, bark, etc.) as biofuel for their facilities to reduce the fossil fuel burden of the production process, and moisture measurement systems like Wagner Meters' Moisture Management and Grade Recovery Program allow mills to maximize efficiency and produce less sub-grade and waste materials in the drying process.

As forest management and replanting programs continue to grow, these benefits are continually multiplied.

Wood Emits Lower Volatile Organic Compounds

As a natural building material, wood emits significantly lower volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide off-gasses than aluminum, steel, concrete and plastics. This is not, however, necessarily true of engineered wood products or composite wood products.

Wood's lower VOC impact is of particular benefit to homes and offices that are occupied on a daily basis. In fact, one of the things wood does give off is a natural organic compound that relaxes people-it's not just the warmth of wood's color that creates such an inviting effect.

Wood Enhances Energy Efficiency

Wood has a higher insulation rating than either steel or plastic as a result of its natural cellular structure. This means that homes and buildings require less energy to maintain heating and cooling, plus wood can help regulate humidity levels to a small degree. (See below on Optimizing Wood's Use with MC Measurement.) One source suggests that a hardwood floor installed over a wood subfloor provides the same insulation value as a 22-inch concrete floor. ⁽¹⁾

Wood Is Biodegradable

One of the biggest challenges of many building materials, including concrete, metal, and plastics, is that when they are discarded, they take an impossibly long time to decompose. When exposed to natural climate conditions, wood will break down much more quickly and actually replenish the soil in the process.

On the flip side, understanding the role of moisture and wood rot means that when conditions for the wood are optimized, the lifespan of the building or floor can easily outlive the lifespan of the tree!

Buy an Orion Meter

Optimizing Wood's Use with MC Measurement

One of the most important elements when maximizing wood's performance over time is having an accurate understanding of wood's interaction with moisture.

The first step in preventing moisture-related damage in wood floors and other wood-based building materials is in bringing each wood building product to the correct MC level.

This process begins at the sawmill kilns and carries on through to each finished building application. At each step, it's necessary for accurate MC measurement to determine the wood's final performance.

Free Download - 6 Reasons Your Wood Project Failed

Why the Focus on MC?

Wood is a hygroscopic material. It naturally has a give-and-take relationship with the humidity in the air around it and is always in the process of trying to find a balance between its internal MC and the ambient conditions around it.

On the job site, wood needs to be in balance with its environment, a state referred to as equilibrium moisture content, or EMC. If builders or flooring installers begin the project before wood has adjusted to the relative humidity levels around it, they run the risk of the wood warping, twisting, splitting, or having significant gaps or buckling.

The right tool for monitoring wood MC is a wood moisture meter.

Pin-style moisture meters work in conjunction with the electrical resistance properties of wood by measuring a precise area between the tips of two metal probes or "pins" inserted into the wood. Pinless moisture meters have the advantage of measuring MC along an entire length of a board without causing repeated damage to the wood's surface.

Here at Wagner Meters, our pinless moisture meters are designed with IntelliSense™ Technology, which means MC readings are not susceptible to surface moisture or temperature, and can "scan" wood for MC at a uniform depth without surface damage.

The meters provide easy-to-use, accurate MC measurements to be sure that every building and flooring professional knows the MC of the wood they will be using in the building process.

Overall, wood has some "built-in" advantages when choosing a material with both environmental and aesthetic appeal, and with the right application of wood MC management, wood can retain those properties for generations.

Consider reading, how to use a moisture meter properly next.

⁽¹⁾ http://www.bugwood.org/intensive/wood_s_advantage.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Advantages of Wood as a Building Material

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Wood is obviously both a common and a historical choice as a building material. However, in the past few decades, there has been a move away from wood in favor of engineered products or metals like aluminum.

# data[].attributes.body
The East Texas region is primarily a thick forest of pines, which gives the name, Pineywoods! This woodland is part of a larger forest that extends into Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The terrain is rolling with lower, wetter bottomlands that grow hardwood trees such as elm, mesquite and ash.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The East Texas region is primarily a thick forest of pines, hence the name Pineywoods! This woodland is part of a larger forest that extends into Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The terrain is rolling with lower, wetter bottomlands that grow hardwood trees such as elm, mesquite and ash. This region is home to a variety of plants and animals that like woodlands and shorelines. Among them are: cottonmouth snakes, squirrels, rabbits and opossums. Swamps are common, particularly in the southern most area of the region which is called the "Big Thicket."

The "Big Thicket" is ecologically different from the rest of the region. The land is mostly low-lying wetlands. An interesting and diverse mix of habitats has developed here. Plants and animals from both the east and the west live here. Cacti and roadrunners live near orchids and Cypress trees.

Learn about the wildlife and history of this area!

Topography and Characteristics

Major Rivers: Sabine, Cypress, Sulphur, Red.
Major Aquifer: Carrizo-Wilcox
Size: 23,500 sq. mi.

The east Texas pineywoods has rolling terrain covered with pines and oaks, and rich bottomlands with tall hardwoods. This region is part of a much larger area of pine-hardwood forest that extends into Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The soils of the region are generally acidic and mostly pale to dark gray sands or sandy loams.

Longleaf pine forests once dominated the southeastern part of the Pineywoods. A few pockets of longleaf pine may still be seen today. Mixed pine-oak forests occur to the west and north of the longleaf pine area. Dominant trees include loblolly pine, blackjack oak, and post oak. Hardwood forests of sweetgum, magnolia, tupelo, elm and ash occur in the lowlands. Swamps are common and are outstanding in the southern part of the pine-oak forest.

Major Cities - Rainfall / Elevation

Regional Average Rainfall: 40-52 in./yr
Regional Average Net Evaporation rate: 16-32 inches

The average annual rainfall is fairly uniformly distributed throughout the year, and humidity and temperatures are typically high. Elevations range from 200 to a little over 500 feet above sea level. Data source: National Climate Datat Center, U.S. Dept of Commerce.

Alto - 45.63 in / 433 ft
Atlanta - 48.83 in / 264 ft
Canton - 44.56 in / 540 ft
Carthage - 51.51 in / 302 ft
Jacksonville - 46.05 in / 560 ft
Longview - 49.06 in / 3309 ft
Marshall - 51.22 in / 352 ft
Nacogdoches - 48.36 in / 283 ft
San Augustine - 53.92 in / 304 ft
Texarkana - 51.24 in / 390 ft
Tyler - 45.27 in / 558 ft
Woodville - 55.70 in / 232 ft

Common Vegetation

Pine, oak, and other hardwood forests
Red maple
American beech
White ash
Sweetgum
Southern red oak
Water oak
Red mulberry

Eastern redbud
Flowering dogwood
Southern magnolia
Eastern red cedar
Long-leaf pine
Bald cypress
American beautyberry
Buttonbush
Loblolly pine

Rare Plants & Habitats

Texas trailing phlox: Deep sandy soils of long-leaf pine woodlands
White bladderpod: Natural openings of pine-oak woodlands

Common Wildlife

Southern short-tailed shrew
Seminole bat
Ringtail
Virginia opossum
Rafinesque's big-eared bat
Eastern cottontail
Common gray fox
Striped skunk
Bobcat

white-tailed deer
Swamp rabbit
Eastern gray squirrel
Eastern flying squirrel
Bull Frog
Attwater's pocket gopher
Marsh rice rat
Eastern harvest mouse
Cotton mouse
Prairie vole
River otter

Rare Animals & Habitats

Red-cockaded woodpecker: Pineywoods with widely-spaced, large mature pine trees.
Bald Eagle, breeding:
In Texas, along river systems or lakeshores with large, tall trees. Breeding populations occur in the eastern half of Texas.
Wintering: Mostly near large lakes and reservoirs. Wintering eagles occur in suitable habitat throughout Texas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The East Texas region is primarily a thick forest of pines, hence the name Pineywoods! This woodland is part of a larger forest that extends into Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The terrain is rolling with lower, wetter bottomlands that grow hardwood trees such as elm, mesquite and ash.

# data[].attributes.body
The East Texas Pineywoods has rolling terrain covered in pines, oaks, and rich bottomlands with tall hardwoods; This region is part of a much larger area of pine-hardwood forest that extends into Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TPWD Kids: About the Pineywoods region of Texas

# data[].attributes.body
Historically, log cabin construction has its roots in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Although their origin remains unknown, the first log structures was probably built in Northern Europe by the Bronze Age (about 3500 B.C.E).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers.

Construction with logs was described by Roman architect Vitruvius Pollio in his architectural treatise De Architectura. He noted that in Pontus (modern-day northeastern Turkey), dwellings were constructed by laying logs horizontally overtop of each other and filling in the gaps with "chips and mud".

Historically log cabin construction has its roots in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Although their origin is uncertain, the first log structures were probably being built in Northern Europe by the Bronze Age (about 3500 BC). C. A. Weslager describes Europeans as having:

... accomplished in building several forms of log housing, having different methods of corner timbering, and they utilized both round and hewn logs. Their log building had undergone an evolutionary process from the crude "pirtti"... a small gabled-roof cabin of round logs with an opening in the roof to vent smoke, to more sophisticated squared logs with interlocking double-notch joints, the timber extending beyond the corners. Log saunas or bathhouses of this type are still found in rural Finland. By stacking tree trunks one on top of another and overlapping the logs at the corners, people made the "log cabin". They developed interlocking corners by notching the logs at the ends, resulting in strong structures that were easier to make weather-tight by inserting moss or other soft material into the joints. As the original coniferous forest extended over the coldest parts of the world, there was a prime need to keep these cabins warm. The insulating properties of the solid wood were a great advantage over a timber frame construction covered with animal skins, felt, boards or shingles. Over the decades, increasingly complex joints were developed to ensure more weather tight joints between the logs, but the profiles were still largely based on the round log.

Nevertheless, a medieval log cabin was considered movable property (a chattel house), as evidenced by the relocation of Espåby village in 1557: the buildings were simply disassembled, transported to a new location and reassembled. It was also common to replace individual logs damaged by dry rot as necessary.

The Wood Museum in Trondheim, Norway, displays fourteen different traditional profiles, but a basic form of log construction was used all over North Europe and Asia and later imported to America.

Log construction was especially suited to Scandinavia, where straight, tall tree trunks ( pine and spruce) are readily available. With suitable tools, a log cabin can be erected from scratch in days by a family. As no chemical reaction is involved, such as hardening of mortar, a log cabin can be erected in any weather or season. Many older towns in Northern Scandinavia have been built exclusively out of log houses, which have been decorated by board paneling and wood cuttings. Today, construction of modern log cabins as leisure homes is a fully developed industry in Finland and Sweden. Modern log cabins often feature fiberglass insulation and are sold as prefabricated kits machined in a factory, rather than hand-built in the field like ancient log cabins.

Log cabins are mostly constructed without the use of nails and thus derive their stability from simple stacking, with only a few dowel joints for reinforcement. This is because a log cabin tends to compress slightly as it settles, over a few months or years. Nails would soon be out of alignment and torn out.

Ornamental woodcarving in the shape of an eagle's head on a projecting log in the wall of the loft from Ose at Norsk Folkemuseum.

In the present-day United States, settlers may have first constructed log cabins by 1640. Historians believe that the first log cabins built in North America were in the Swedish colony of Nya Sverige ( New Sweden) in the Delaware River and Brandywine River valleys. Most of the settlers were actually Forest Finns, a heavily oppressed Finnish ethnic group originally from Savonia and Tavastia, who starting from the 1500s were displaced or persuaded to go inhabit and practice slash and burn agriculture (which they were famous for in eastern Finland) in the deep forests of inland Sweden and Norway, during Sweden's 600+ year colonial rule over Finland, who since 1640 were being captured and displaced to the colony. After arriving, they would escape the Fort Christina center where the Swedes lived, to go and live in the forest as they did back home. There they encountered the Lenni Lenape tribe of Delaware, whom they found a lot of cultural similarities with (slash & burn agriculture, sweat lodges/saunas, love of forests, etc.), thus they ended up living alongside and even culturally assimilating with them (they are the earlier and lesser-known Findian tribe, being overshadowed by the Ojibwe Findians of Minnesota, Michigan and Ontario, Canada). In those forests, the first log cabins of America were built, using traditional Finnish methods. Even though New Sweden only existed briefly before it was absorbed by the Dutch colony of New Netherland, which was eventually taken over by the English, these quick and easy construction techniques of the Finns not only remained, but spread.[citation needed ]

Later German and Ukrainian immigrants also used this technique. The contemporaneous British settlers had no tradition of building with logs, but they quickly adopted the method. The first English settlers did not widely use log cabins, building in forms more traditional to them. Few log cabins dating from the 18th century still stand, but they were often not intended as permanent dwellings. Possibly the oldest surviving log house in the United States is the C. A. Nothnagle Log House (ca. 1640) in New Jersey. Settlers often built log cabins as temporary homes to live in while constructing larger, permanent houses; then they either demolished the log structures or used them as outbuildings, such as barns or chicken coops.[citation needed ]

Log cabins were sometimes hewn on the outside so that siding might be applied; they also might be hewn inside and covered with a variety of materials, ranging from plaster over lath to wallpaper.[citation needed ]

Log cabins were built from logs laid horizontally and interlocked on the ends with notches (British English cog joints). Some log cabins were built without notches and simply nailed together, but this was not as structurally sound. Modern building methods allow this shortcut.

The most important aspect of cabin building is the site upon which the cabin was built. Site selection was aimed at providing the cabin inhabitants with both sunlight and drainage to make them better able to cope with the rigors of frontier life. Proper site selection placed the home in a location best suited to manage the farm or ranch. When the first pioneers built cabins, they were able to "cherry pick" the best logs for cabins. These were old-growth trees with few limbs (knots) and straight with little taper. Such logs did not need to be hewn to fit well together. Careful notching minimized the size of the gap between the logs and reduced the amount of chinking (sticks or rocks) or daubing (mud) needed to fill the gap. The length of one log was generally the length of one wall, although this was not a limitation for most good cabin builders.

Decisions had to be made about the type of cabin. Styles varied greatly from one part of North America to another: the size of the cabin, the number of stories, type of roof, the orientation of doors and windows all needed to be taken into account when the cabin was designed. In addition, the source of the logs, the source of stone and available labor, either human or animal, had to be considered. If timber sources were further away from the site, the cabin size might be limited.

Cabin corners were often set on large stones; if the cabin was large, other stones were used at other points along the sill (bottom log). Since they were usually cut into the sill, thresholds were supported with rock as well. These stones are found below the corners of many 18th-century cabins as they are restored. Cabins were set on foundations to keep them out of damp soil but also to allow for storage or basements to be constructed below the cabin. Cabins with earth floors had no need for foundations.

Cabins were constructed using a variety of notches. Notches can vary within ethnic groups as well as between them. Notches often varied on a single building, so their styles were not conclusive. One method common in the Ohio River Valley in southwestern Ohio and southeastern Indiana is the Block House End Method. An example of this is found in the David Brown House.

Some older buildings in the United States Midwest and the Canadian Prairies are log structures covered with clapboards or other materials. Nineteenth-century cabins used as dwellings were occasionally plastered on the interior. The O'Farrell Cabin (ca. 1865) in Boise, Idaho, had backed wallpaper used over newspaper. The C.C.A. Christenson Cabin in Ephraim, Utah (ca. 1880) was plastered over willow lath.

Log cabins reached their peak of complexity and elaboration with the Adirondack-style cabins of the mid-19th century. This style was the inspiration for many United States Park Service lodges built at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. Log cabin building never died out or fell out of favor. It was surpassed by the needs of a growing urban United States. During the 1930s and the Great Depression, the Roosevelt Administration directed the Civilian Conservation Corps to build log lodges throughout the west for use by the Forest Service and the National Park Service. Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in Oregon was such a log structure, and it was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 1930, the world's largest log cabin was constructed at a private resort in Montebello, Quebec, Canada. Often described as a "log château", it serves as the Château Montebello hotel.

The modern version of a log cabin is the log home, which is a house built usually from milled logs. The logs are visible on the exterior and sometimes interior of the house. These cabins are mass manufactured, traditionally in Scandinavian countries and increasingly in eastern Europe. Squared milled logs are precut for easy assembly. Log homes are popular in rural areas, and even in some suburban locations. In many resort communities in the United States West, homes of log and stone measuring over 3,000 sq ft (280 m ²) are not uncommon. These "kit" log homes are one of the largest consumers of logs in the Western United States.

In the United States, log homes have embodied a traditional approach to home building, one that has resonated throughout American history. It is especially interesting to discover that, in today's world, log homes represent a technology that allows a home to be built with a high degree of sustainability. In fact, log homes are frequently considered to be on the leading edge of the green building movement.

Crib barns were a popular type of barn found throughout the U.S. south and southeast regions. Crib barns were especially ubiquitous in the Appalachian and Ozark Mountain states of North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas.

In Europe, modern log cabins are often built in gardens and used as summerhouses, home offices or as an additional room in the garden. Summer houses and cottages are often built from logs in northern Europe.

Chinking refers to a broad range of mortar or other infill materials used between the logs in the construction of log cabins and other log-walled structures. Traditionally, dried mosses, such as Pleurozium schreberi or Hylocomium splendens, were used in the Nordic countries as an insulator between logs. In the United States, Chinks were small stones or wood or corn cobs stuffed between the logs.

Log cabins were constructed with either a purlin roof structure or a rafter roof structure. A purlin roof consists of horizontal logs that are notched into the gable-wall logs. The latter are progressively shortened to form the characteristic triangular gable end. The steepness of the roof was determined by the reduction in size of each gable-wall log as well as the total number of gable-wall logs. Flatter roofed cabins might have had only 2 or 3 gable-wall logs while steeply pitched roofs might have had as many gable-wall logs as a full story. Issues related to eave overhang and a porch also influenced the layout of the cabin.

The decision about roof type often was based on the material for roofing like bark. Milled lumber was usually the most popular choice for rafter roofs in areas where it was available. These roofs typify many log cabins built in the 20th century, having full-cut 2×4 rafters covered with pine and cedar shingles. The purlin roofs found in rural settings and locations, where milled lumber was not available, often were covered with long hand-split shingles.

The log cabin has been a symbol of humble origins in US politics since the early 19th century. At least seven United States presidents were born in log cabins, including Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, and James A. Garfield. Although William Henry Harrison was not one of them, he and the Whigs during the 1840 presidential election were the first to use a log cabin as a symbol to show Americans that he was a man of the people. Other candidates followed Harrison's example, making the idea of a log cabin-and, more generally, a non-wealthy background-a recurring theme in campaign biographies.

More than a century after Harrison, Adlai Stevenson acknowledged: "I wasn't born in a log cabin. I didn't work my way through school nor did I rise from rags to riches, and there's no use trying to pretend I did." Stevenson lost the 1952 presidential election in a landslide to Dwight D. Eisenhower.

A popular children's toy in the US is Lincoln Logs, consisting of various notched dowel rods that can be fitted together to build scale miniature-sized structures.

Related-housing

Aldrich, Chilson D. (1946), The Real Log Cabin, MacMillan.

Weslager, C. A. (1969), The Log Cabin in America, New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers. Construction with logs was described by Roman architect Vitruvius Pollio in his architectural treatise De Architectura .

# data[].attributes.body
Trees: Drummond red maple, River birch, American beech, Southern red oak, Willow oak, Shumard red oak, American elm, Southern sugar maple, Eastern redbud, Flowering dogwood, Southern magnolia, Eastern red cedar, Short-leaf pine, Long-leaf pine, Loblolly pine

Shrubs: American beautyberry, Buttonbush, Lantana, Wax myrtle, Vines, Cross-vine, Pipevine, Trumpet creeper, Carolina Jessamine, Coral honeysuckle, Virginia creeper, May-pop

Grasses: Big blue stem, Bushy bluestem, Broomsedge, Inland sea-oats, Canada wildrye, Wildflowers, Winecup, Coralbean, Halbert-leaf rose-mallow

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
nature@tpwd.texas.gov
East Texas Pineywoods

From the northern edge of very urban Houston to rural Bowie County north of Texarkana runs one of the most beautiful pine forests still standing in North America. Mostly deep, dark and evergreen, it is an extension of the rich pine/hardwood forests of the southeastern United States. Patchworked with evergreen shrub bogs and cypress-tupelo swamps, this area is characterized by rolling hills of pine and oak and rich hardwood bottomlands renewed frequently by long-term flooding.

The Pineywoods is graced by 35 to 60 inches of rain per year supporting not only the pines - loblolly, shortleaf and longleaf mainly - but also a myriad of woodland specialties like sphagnum mosses, ferns, pitcher plants, sundews, pipeworts, and orchids. Streamside stands of beech, oaks, elm, and magnolia also benefit from the heavy rainfall.

East Texas boasts a rich diversity of wildlife. Fifteen species of Texas breeding birds, including the Pine Warbler, Brown-headed Nuthatch and Red-cockaded Woodpecker nest in this region. Bachman's Sparrow nests in the longleaf pine uplands, while wintering Bald Eagles roost in undisturbed uplands near rivers and lakes. Mammals in the region include River Otter, Gray Squirrel, Flying Squirrel and even the Louisiana Black Bear.

Plants of the East Texas Pineywoods

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
texas wildscapes plant guidance by ecoregions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
nature@tpwd.texas.gov From the northern edge of very urban Houston to rural Bowie County north of Texarkana runs one of the most beautiful pine forests still standing in North America. Mostly deep, dark and evergreen, it is an extension of the rich pine/hardwood forests of the southeastern United States.

# data[].attributes.body
Log cabin, a small house built of logs notched at the ends and laid one upon another with the spaces filled with plaster, moss, mortar, mud, or dried manure. Log cabins are found especially in wooded areas, where the construction material is easily accessible. In North America they were built by early settlers and by hunters, loggers, and other wilderness dwellers. They have also been built in Europe, particularly in the Scandinavian countries. Although the designs vary, a common style features a sloping, single-gabled timbered roof and small windows. The interior is usually simple, with one room, perhaps partitioned, over which a loft might be built. Modern summer cottages may be built of logs (or given log-cabin siding) to achieve a rustic effect.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Log cabin, small house built of logs notched at the ends and laid one upon another with the spaces filled with plaster, moss, mortar, mud, or dried manure. Log cabins are found especially in wooded areas, where the construction material is easily at hand. In North America they were built by early settlers and by hunters, loggers, and other wilderness dwellers. They have also been built in Europe, particularly in the Scandinavian countries.

Although the designs vary, a common style features a sloping, single-gabled timbered roof and small windows. The interior is usually simple, with one room, perhaps partitioned, over which a loft might be built. Modern summer cottages may be built of logs (or given log-cabin siding) to achieve a rustic effect.

Learn More in these related Britannica articles:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Log cabin, small house built of logs notched at the ends and laid one upon another with the spaces filled with plaster, moss, mortar, mud, or dried manure. Log cabins are found especially in wooded areas, where the construction material is easily at hand.