000
CXUS53 KICT 020458 AAA
CLMICT

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1155 PM CDT FRI JUN 1 2012

...................................

...THE WICHITA MID CONTINENT KS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2012...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1888 TO 2012

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             100   05/09/2011
                        05/23/1996
                        05/10/1967
 LOW               27   05/01/1909
HIGHEST            95   05/26                        100  05/09
LOWEST             47   05/08                         34  05/02
AVG. MAXIMUM     84.7              76.7     8.0     78.4
AVG. MINIMUM     60.8              55.2     5.6     54.4
MEAN             72.8              66.0     6.8     66.4
DAYS MAX >= 90     11               1.5     9.5        4
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM        13.14   2008
 MINIMUM         0.52   1973
TOTALS           2.10              4.57   -2.47     2.45
DAILY AVG.       0.07              0.15   -0.08     0.08
DAYS >= .01         5              11.4    -6.4       10
DAYS >= .10         2               7.1    -5.1        5
DAYS >= .50         2               3.2    -1.2        2
DAYS >= 1.00        1               1.4    -0.4        1
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    1.47   05/30 TO 05/30

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL              T   2010
                        2008
                        5
TOTALS            0.0               0.0     0.0      0.0
SINCE 7/1         3.0              14.7   -11.7     17.3
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      0                MM      MM        0
DAYS >= 1.0         0               0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH         0   MM                             0  MM
 24 HR TOTAL      0.0   05/31 TO 05/31               0.0

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL      12                80     -68      110
 SINCE 7/1       3617              4588    -971     4480
COOLING TOTAL     260               110     150      162
 SINCE 1/1        361               136     225      202
.................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              12.6
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    41/350    DATE  05/30
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    53/350    DATE  05/30

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            9
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             19
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          3

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     59

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                2     RAIN                       2
LIGHT RAIN                5     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       1
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     SLEET                      0
FOG                       6     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      1
HAZE                      5

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

$$

...MAY BECOMES ONE OF THE 10 WARMEST AND 10 DRIEST FOR SOME LOCATIONS...

SUMMER 2012 OFFICIALLY ARRIVES ON JUNE 20TH AT 609 PM CDT. IF MAY PROVES
TO BE A HARBINGER OF WHAT THIS SUMMER WILL BE LIKE THEN THE 2012 EDITION
WILL REALLY BE A `WESTERN SIZZLER` FOR SURE. HOWEVER...IF 2012 TRENDS IN
THE SAME MANNER AS 1962...DURING WHICH MAY WAS THE HOTTEST ON RECORD FOR
EACH OF THE 3 PRIMARY CLIMATE SITES...THEN THIS SUMMER MAY NOT BE SO HOT
AFTER ALL. IN FACT...SUMMER 1962 DIDN`T EVEN COME CLOSE TO CRACKING THE
10 HOTTEST ON RECORD FOR WICHITA...SALINA OR CHANUTE AND OF THE 3 CITIES
ONLY CHANUTE MADE IT INTO THE TOP 50.

FOR WICHITA...THE MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 72.8 DEGREES MAKES 2012
THE 2ND WARMEST MAY ON RECORD...BEING SURPASSED ONLY BY THE 75.3 DEGREES
SET 50 YEARS AGO IN 1962. THE SUMMER AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR 1962...FROM
JUNE 1ST TO AUGUST 31ST...WAS 78.5 DEGREES...WHICH DIDN`T EVEN CRACK THE
50 HOTTEST ON RECORD.

FOR SALINA...THE MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 71.9 DEGREES ALSO MAKES
2012 THEIR 2ND WARMEST MAY ON RECORD...BEING SURPASSED ONLY BY THE 73.6
DEGREE MARK THAT WAS ALSO SET 50 YEARS AGO IN 1962. THE SUMMER AVERAGE
OF 77.2 DEGREES WHICH RANKED ONLY 44TH IN THE SUMMER HEAT DEPARTMENT.

FOR CHANUTE...THE MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 70.9 DEGREES PLACED MAY
2012 IN A TIE FOR 2ND WITH 1987 AND WAS ALSO SURPASSED ONLY BY THE 74.7
DEGREES SET IN...YOU PROBABLY GUESSED IT...1962. THE SUMMER AVERAGE OF
77.3 DEGREES...LIKE WICHITA`S...DIDN`T EVEN CRACK THE `TOP 50` EITHER.

A TOTAL OF NINE TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE EITHER SET OR TIED AT THE THREE
PRIMARY CLIMATE SITES. OF THIS TOTAL...ONLY ONE WAS SET IN WICHITA WHEN
A WARMEST LOW OF 75 DEGREES OCCURRED ON THE 26TH. THIS BROKE THE RECORD
OF 72 DEGREES SET IN 1953.

SALINA SET RECORD HIGHS ON THE 4TH (95 DEGREES) AND ON THE 26TH (AN EVEN
100 DEGREES). WARMEST LOWS WERE SET OR TIED ON 3 DATES. THE LOW OF 68
DEGREES ON THE 18TH TIED THE MARK SET IN 1998 AND IN 1987. THE LOW OF 75
ON THE 26TH EASILY BROKE THE PREVIOUS MARK OF 70 DEGREES SET IN 1980 AND
THE 73 DEGREE LOW ON THE 27TH BROKE THE MARK OF 70 SET IN 2006.

CHANUTE`S HIGH OF 93 DEGREES ON THE 28TH TIED THE RECORD SET FOR THE DAY
IN 1966. A LOW OF 69 DEGREES ON THE 2ND TIED THE MARK SET FOR THE DATE
BACK IN 1959 WHILE THE 73 DEGREE LOW ON THE 24TH TIED THE RECORD SET IN
1989.

IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT...MOST OF MAY WAS VERY DRY. THE SCANT 0.40 INCH
MEASURED IN SALINA MADE 2012 THE 2ND DRIEST ON RECORD...BEING SURPASSED
BY THE 0.25 INCH MEASURED IN 1966. WICHITA HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING THEIR
2ND DRIEST MAY ON RECORD WITH 0.63 INCH MEASURED UP TO AND INCLUDING THE
29TH...BUT THEN THUNDERSTORMS ARRIVED THE EVENING OF THE 30TH AND
PRODUCED 1.47 INCHES OF RAIN. THIS BROUGHT THE FINAL MAY TOTAL TO 2.10
INCHES WHICH DROPPED 2012 ALL THE WAY TO 24TH. IN FACT...THE 1.47 INCHES
MEASURED ON THE 30TH SET A RECORD FOR THE DATE...BREAKING THE MARK OF
1.35 INCHES MEASURED WAY BACK IN 1907. CHANUTE WAS EXPERIENCING THEIR
3RD DRIEST MAY ON RECORD WITH 1.80 INCHES MEASURED THROUGH THE 29TH BUT
THEN...LIKE WICHITA...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS INVADED THE AREA LATE IN THE
EVENING OF THE 30TH WHEN 1.39 INCHES WERE MEASURED WITH AN ADDITIONAL
0.07 INCH MEASURED SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. THIS BROUGHT THE MAY TOTAL TO
3.26 INCHES WHICH DROPPED 2012 TO 22ND PLACE.

WHILE MOST OF MAY WAS QUIET IT SURE ENDED ON A STORMY NOTE WHEN PROLIFIC
HAIL-PRODUCING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS INVADED CENTRAL AND SOUTH-CENTRAL
KANSAS ON THE EVENING OF MAY 30TH. PING PONG BALL TO HEN EGG SIZED HAIL
WAS REPORTED IN MANY AREAS...DAMAGING MANY VEHICLES AND STRIPPING TREES
OF LEAVES. THE EVENT EVOLVED INTO A DAMAGING WIND EVENT...WITH 60 TO 70
MPH GUSTS REPORTED...ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS WHERE POWER
LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN WITH MANY POWER POLES TOPPLED OR SNAPPED AT THEIR
BASES. THIS NO DOUBT CAUSED WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES...ESPECIALLY IN
AND AROUND HUTCHINSON. TREE DAMAGE WAS OF COURSE WIDESPREAD. SOME TREES
WERE UPROOTED WITH TRUNKS AS THICK AS 2 FEET IN DIAMETER.

MAY WAS A RELATIVELY QUIET MONTH BUT ONE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT WEATHER IN
JUNE CAN BE VOLATILE WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAKING FREQUENT VISITS TO
KANSAS. WE WILL KNOW VERY SHORTLY IF THE 2012 EDITION FOLLOWS TRADITION.

$$

ES