San Antonio

==Geography==
[[File:San Antonio by Sentinel-2, 2020-10-01.jpg|thumb|Satellite picture of San Antonio by ESA Sentinel-2]]
San Antonio is approximately {{convert|75|mi|km}} to the southwest of its neighboring city, [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], the [[Lists of capitals|state capital]], about {{convert|190|mi|km}} west of [[Houston]], and about {{convert|250|mi|km}} south of the [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex|Dallas–Fort Worth]] area. The city has a total area of {{convert|465.4|mi2|km2|sigfig=5}}; {{convert|460.93|mi2|km2|sigfig=5}} of San Antonio's total area is land and {{convert|4.5|mi2|km2|sigfig=3}} of it is water.<ref>[https://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4865000.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328041312/https://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4865000.html|date=March 28, 2009}}</ref> The city's gently rolling terrain is dotted with oak trees, forested land, mesquite, and cacti. The [[Texas Hill Country]] reaches into the far northern portions of the city. San Antonio sits on the [[Balcones Escarpment]]. Its altitude is approximately {{convert|662|ft|m|0|abbr=}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Geographic coordinates of San Antonio. Latitude, longitude, and elevation above sea level of San Antonio, Texas, USA|url=https://dateandtime.info/citycoordinates.php?id=4726206|access-date=December 14, 2020|website=dateandtime.info}}</ref>

The city's primary source of drinking water is the [[Edwards Aquifer]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Horne |first=Justin |date=2022-12-06 |title=Where does our water come from? KSAT Explains |url=https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/12/06/where-does-our-water-come-from-ksat-explains/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=KSAT |language=en}}</ref> Impounded in 1962 and 1969, respectively, [[Victor Braunig Lake]] and [[Calaveras Lake (Texas)|Calaveras Lake]] were among the first [[reservoir (water)|reservoirs]] in the United States built to use recycled treated wastewater for [[power plant]] cooling, reducing the amount of groundwater needed for [[electricity|electrical]] generation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Beneby|first=Doyle|date=October 14, 2013|title=Energy, Future of Texas Linked to Water|url=https://sanantonioreport.org/energy-future-of-texas-linked-to-water/|access-date=December 14, 2020|website=San Antonio Report|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Neighborhoods===
{{further|Neighborhoods and districts of San Antonio|Downtown San Antonio}}

==== Downtown ====
Downtown San Antonio, the city and metro area's urban core, encompasses many of the city's famous structures, attractions, and businesses. The central business district is generally understood to cover the northern half of the "Downtown Loop"—the area bordered by Cesar Chavez to the south. Due to the size of the city and its horizontal development, downtown accounts for less than one half of one percent of San Antonio's geographic area.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Value of U.S. Downtowns and Center Cities|url=https://centrosanantonio.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/VODT17_San-Antonio_final.pdf|access-date=December 13, 2020|website=centrosanantonio.org|page=18}}{{Dead link|date=March 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The Strip (north of Downtown) houses a concentration of clubs and bars catering to the [[LGBT]] community.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Arredondo |first1=Camelia |last2=Juarez |first2=Joe |date=2023-10-23 |title=City Council taking steps to protect, fund Main Ave strip through proposed cultural heritage designation |url=https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/10/23/city-council-taking-steps-to-protect-fund-main-ave-strip-through-proposed-cultural-heritage-designation/ |access-date=2023-10-23 |work=KSAT |language=en}}</ref>

==== North Central ====
North Central is home to several [[Enclave and exclave|enclaves]] and upscale neighborhoods including [[Castle Hills, Texas|Castle Hills]], Shavano Park, [[Hollywood Park, Texas|Hollywood Park]], Elm Creek, [[Inwood, San Antonio|Inwood]], [[Stone Oak, San Antonio|Stone Oak]], and Rogers Ranch. The area is also the location of upper-middle-class neighborhoods (Deerfield, Churchill Estates, Hunter's Creek, Oak Meadow, and Summerfield).

==== Northwest Side ====
Northwest Side is the location of the main campus of the [[University of Texas at San Antonio]], the [[University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio]], and the Northwest Campus of the [[University of the Incarnate Word]], which includes the Rosenberg School of Optometry. The Medical Center District is also located in Northwest Side. Companies with headquarters in the area include [[Valero Energy|Valero]] and [[NuStar Energy]].

====South Side====
The South Side area of San Antonio is characterized for its predominantly [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latino and Hispanic]] neighborhoods, an average above 81 percent.<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 6, 2018|title=Maps show racial diversity of San Antonio-area neighborhoods|url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Map-shows-diversity-of-S-A-regions-12555271.php|access-date=December 14, 2020|website=mySA|language=en-US}}</ref> Large growth came to South Side when [[Toyota]] constructed a [[Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas|manufacturing plant]]. [[Palo Alto College]] and the [[Texas A&M University–San Antonio|Texas A&M University-San Antonio]] are located in the area.

====East Side====
{{further|History of African Americans in San Antonio}}
The East Side of San Antonio is home to the [[San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo]], the [[AT&T Center]], and the [[Freeman Coliseum]]. This area has the largest concentration of [[African Americans|Black and African American]] residents.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 15, 2018|title=How the Eastside Became Home to San Antonio's Black Community|url=https://sanantonioreport.org/how-the-eastside-became-home-to-san-antonios-black-community/|access-date=December 14, 2020|website=San Antonio Report|language=en-US}}</ref>

==== West Side ====
The West Side is predominantly Hispanic/Latin American and working class, with pockets of wealth in the northwest and far west. African Americans are also located in parts of San Antonio's West Side.<ref>{{cite web |title=History Untold: Black community's roots on the West Side of San Antonio|url=https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/04/07/history-untold-black-communitys-roots-on-the-west-side/ |website=ksat.com |date=2023-04-07}}</ref> The West Side has undergone gentrification as of 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 9, 2019|title=West Side braces for San Antonio's latest wave of gentrification|url=https://www.expressnews.com/news/news_columnists/elaine_ayala/article/West-Side-braces-for-San-Antonio-s-newest-round-13830479.php|access-date=December 14, 2020|website=ExpressNews.com|language=en-US}}</ref> It includes the diverse neighborhoods of Avenida Guadalupe, Collins Garden, Las Palmas, Prospect Hill, Rainbow Hills (Marbach), San Juan Gardens, Loma Park, Loma Vista, Memorial Heights, and Westwood. It is also home to the historic [[Our Lady of the Lake University]] and [[St. Mary's University, Texas|St. Mary's University]].

{{Wide image|Downtown San Antonio Skyline Panorama.jpg|925px|Skyline of San Antonio (2013)|align-cap=center}}

=== Flora and fauna ===
Natural vegetation in the San Antonio area (where undisturbed by development) includes oak-cedar woodland, oak grassland savanna, chaparral brush, and riparian (stream) woodland. San Antonio is at the westernmost limit for both Cabbage palmetto (''[[Sabal palmetto]]'') and [[Spanish moss]].

The native Eastern Subterranean Termite (''[[Reticulitermes flavipes]]'') is a common [[structural pest]] here.<ref name="Baiting">
   {{Unbulleted list citebundle
      |{{*}} {{cite journal | year=2014 | issue=7 | volume=71 | first1=Theodore A. | publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons, Inc.]] ([[Society of Chemical Industry]]) | last1=Evans | issn=1526-498X | journal=[[Pest Management Science]] | last2=Iqbal | first2=Naeem | pages=897–906 | doi=10.1002/ps.3913 | title=Termite (order Blattodea, infraorder Isoptera) baiting 20 years after commercial release| pmid=25244627 }}
      |{{*}} {{cite book | year=2012 | language=en | publication-place=[[Amsterdam]] | publisher=[[Academic Press]] | number=43 | last=Dhadialla | first=Tarlochan | pages=x+531 | series=Advances in Insect Physiology | title=Insect growth disruptors | isbn=978-0-12-391500-9 | id={{ISBN|978-0-12-394412-2}} | oclc=820839000}}

      |{{*}} {{cite journal | year=2017 | first3=Roger | first1=Grady | last2=Austin | first2=James W. | last3=Gold | last1=Glenn | journal=[[Sociobiology (journal)|Sociobiology]] | s2cid=49549585 | title=Efficacy of Commercial Termite Baiting Systems for Management of Subterranean Termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Texas}}
   }}
</ref> The Formosan Termite (''[[Coptotermes formosanus]]'') is an [[invasive pest]] originally from the [[Far East]].<ref name="TAM-Formosa" /><ref name="Austin" /> [[Texas A&M University|T A&M]] considers it to be economically devastating.<ref name="TAM-Formosa" />

===Climate===
{{climate chart
| San Antonio
| 37.6 | 61.1 | 1.76
| 42.4 | 67.1 | 1.79
| 49.9 | 74.3 | 2.31
| 56.9 | 80.4 | 2.10
| 65.5 | 86.0 | 4.01
| 71.6 | 91.4 | 4.14
| 74.0 | 94.6 | 2.74
| 73.6 | 94.7 | 2.09
| 68.8 | 90.0 | 3.03
| 59.4 | 82.0 | 4.11
| 48.6 | 71.4 | 2.28
| 40.8 | 64.0 | 1.91
| units = imperial
| float = right
| clear = both
| source = NOAA}}
San Antonio has a transitional [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfa'') that borders a [[hot semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''BSh'') towards the west of the city<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theweatherprediction.com/weatherpapers/041/index.html |title=The Roles of Geography and Climate in Forecasting Weather in South Texas |publisher=Theweatherprediction.com |access-date=March 6, 2013}}</ref><ref>[https://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/ewx/sat/satclisum.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111212140241/https://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/ewx/sat/satclisum.pdf|date=December 12, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Climatemapusa2.PNG |title=Climatemapusa2.PNG file- Wikimedia Commons |date=February 11, 2008 |publisher=Commons.wikimedia.org |access-date=March 6, 2013}}</ref> featuring very hot, long, and humid summers and mild to cool winters. The area is subject to descending northern cold fronts in the winter with cool to cold nights, and is warm and rainy in the spring and fall. San Antonio falls in [[USDA]] [[hardiness zones]] 8b (15&nbsp;°F to 20&nbsp;°F) and 9a (20&nbsp;°F to 25&nbsp;°F).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.plantmaps.com/hardiness-zones-for-san-antonio-texas |title=San Antonio Texas USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map |publisher=plantmaps.com plantmaps|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref>

San Antonio receives about a dozen subfreezing nights each year, typically seeing snow, sleet, or freezing rain about once every two or three winters, but accumulation and snow itself are very rare. Winters may pass without any frozen precipitation at all, and up to a decade has passed between snowfalls. According to the [[National Weather Service]], there have been 32 instances of snowfall (a trace or more) in the city in the past 122 years, about once every four years. Prior to 2021 snow was most recently seen on December 7, 2017, when {{convert|1.9|in|cm|1}} of snow coated the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.weather.gov/ewx/wxevent-20171207|title=December 2017 Snow Event|work=www.weather.gov|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref> On January 13, 1985, San Antonio received a record snowfall of {{convert|16|in|cm}}.<ref>{{cite news |title= San Antonio Suffers Worst Snowfall |agency=United Press International |date= January 12, 1985 |url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GAwhAAAAIBAJ&pg=5513,2984374&dq=austin+snowstorm&hl=en |location=Schenectady, New York}}</ref><ref>"Record Snow Buries San Antonio". ''Associated Press''. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. A3.</ref> During the [[February 13–17, 2021, North American winter storm]], San Antonio was blanketed with 4–6 inches (10–15&nbsp;cm) of snow. The cold air which accompanied this storm caused [[2021 Texas power crisis|massive rolling blackouts]] throughout the city until the 18th. The [[February 15–20, 2021, North American winter storm]] dropped another 1–2 inches (2.5–5&nbsp;cm) on the city on the 16th.

San Antonio and [[New Braunfels]], {{convert|40|mi|km|0}} to the northeast, are some of the most flood-prone regions in North America.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.floodsafety.com/texas/regional-info/san-antonio-flooding/|title=San Antonio Flooding – Updated November, 2020|access-date=September 21, 2020|archive-date=September 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927174012/http://www.floodsafety.com/texas/regional-info/san-antonio-flooding/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[October 1998 Central Texas floods]] were among the costliest floods in United States history, resulting in $750&nbsp;million in damage and 32 deaths. In 2002, from June 30 to July 7, {{convert|35|in|abbr=on}} of rain fell in the San Antonio area, resulting in widespread flooding and 12 fatalities.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.floodsafety.com/texas/documentaries/j2002/index.htm|title=South Central Texas June 30 – July 7, 2002|publisher=Flood Safety Education Project}}</ref>

Tornadoes within the city limits have been reported as recently as February 2017, although they seldom occur.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Tornado-touched-down-during-overnight-storms-2209975.php|title=Tornado rakes S.A. neighborhood|website=Mysanantonio.com|date=October 10, 2011|access-date=July 12, 2018}}</ref> An F2 tornado lands within {{convert|50|mi|abbr=on}} of the city on average once every five years. San Antonio has experienced two F4 tornadoes, [[Tornado outbreak sequence of April 28 – May 2, 1953|one in 1953]] and another in 1973. The 1953 tornado resulted in two deaths and 15 injuries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.homefacts.com/tornadoes/Texas/Bexar-County/San-Antonio.html|title=San Antonio, Bexar County, TX Tornadoes|website=www.homefacts.com}}</ref>

In San Antonio, July and August tie for the average warmest months, with an average high of {{convert|95|°F|0}}. The highest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|111|F|C|0}} on September 5, 2000.<ref name="climate-summary" /> The average coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature ever was {{convert|0|F|C|0}} on January 31, 1949.<ref name="climate-summary" /> May, June, and October have quite a bit of precipitation. Since recordkeeping began in 1871, the average annual precipitation has been {{convert|29.03|in|mm|0}}, with a maximum of {{convert|52.28|in|mm|0}} and a minimum of {{convert|10.11|in|mm|1}} in one year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/ewx/sat/satmonrain.pdf|title=MONTHLY/ANNUAL/AVERAGE PRECIPITATION SAN ANTONIO, TX (1871–2010)|publisher=[[National Weather Service]]|access-date=June 3, 2012}}</ref>
{{San Antonio weatherbox}}
{|style="width:100%;text-align:center;line-height:1.2em;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
!Colspan=14|Climate data for San Antonio
|-
!Month
!Jan
!Feb
!Mar
!Apr
!May
!Jun
!Jul
!Aug
!Sep
!Oct
!Nov
!Dec
!style="border-left-width:medium"|Year
|-
!Mean daily daylight hours
|style="background:#F7F722;color:#000000;"|11.0
|style="background:#F7F722;color:#000000;"|11.0
|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.0
|style="background:#FFFF44;color:#000000;"|13.0
|style="background:#FFFF55;color:#000000;"|14.0
|style="background:#FFFF55;color:#000000;"|14.0
|style="background:#FFFF55;color:#000000;"|14.0
|style="background:#FFFF44;color:#000000;"|13.0
|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.0
|style="background:#F7F722;color:#000000;"|11.0
|style="background:#F7F722;color:#000000;"|11.0
|style="background:#F0F011;color:#000000;"|10.0
|style="background:#FFFF35;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"|12.2
|-
!Average [[Ultraviolet index]]
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;"|4
|style="background:#f85900;color:#000000;"|6
|style="background:#d8001d;color:#000000;"|8
|style="background:#d8001d;color:#000000;"|10
|style="background:#6b49c8;color:#000000;"|11
|style="background:#6b49c8;color:#000000;"|11
|style="background:#6b49c8;color:#000000;"|11
|style="background:#6b49c8;color:#000000;"|11
|style="background:#d8001d;color:#000000;"|10
|style="background:#f85900;color:#000000;"|7
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;"|5
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;"|4
|style="background:#d8001d;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"|8.2
|-
!Colspan=14 style="background:#f8f9fa;font-weight:normal;font-size:95%;"|Source: Weather Atlas<ref name="Weather Atlas" />
|}
{{Graph:Weather monthly history
| table=Ncei.noaa.gov/weather/San Antonio.tab
| title=San Antonio monthly weather statistics
}}