000
CXUS53 KICT 010823
CLMICT

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
321 AM CDT THU NOV 1 2012

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

...THE WICHITA MID CONTINENT KS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 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              97   10/01/2006
 LOW               14   10/30/1917
HIGHEST            91   10/23                         90  10/04
                                                          10/03
LOWEST             24   10/27                         28  10/20
AVG. MAXIMUM     71.5              69.7     1.8     73.9
AVG. MINIMUM     45.3              46.9    -1.6     46.6
MEAN             58.4              58.3     0.1     60.2
DAYS MAX >= 90      1               0.4     0.6        2
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 32      4               1.2     2.8        4
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         9.42   1998
 MINIMUM         0.00   1958
                        1952
TOTALS           0.32              2.78   -2.46     1.83
DAILY AVG.       0.01              0.09   -0.08     0.06
DAYS >= .01         3               7.0    -4.0        4
DAYS >= .10         1               4.1    -3.1        2
DAYS >= .50         0               1.8    -1.8        2
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.8    -0.8        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.28   10/12 TO 10/13

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL            2.5   5
                        0
                        -26215
TOTALS            0.0               0.1    -0.1      0.0
SINCE 7/1         0.0               0.1    -0.1      0.0
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   10/31 TO 10/31               0.0

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     244               243       1      194
 SINCE 7/1        260               286     -26      225
COOLING TOTAL      46                35      11       55
 SINCE 1/1       2301              1684     617     2310
.................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              11.4
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    36/300    DATE  10/18
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    47/MM     DATE   MM

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.40
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           14
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             14
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          3

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     58

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                1     RAIN                       3
LIGHT RAIN                6     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     SLEET                      0
FOG                       7     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      1
HAZE                      8

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

$$

               ...OCTOBER DOMINATED BY QUIET WEATHER...

AS ALL KNOW...OCTOBER 2012 WILL BE FOREVER REMEMBERED FOR "SANDY" A.K.A.
THE INFAMOUS "FRANKENSTORM" THAT CAUSED SUCH INCREDIBLE DEVASTATION FROM
THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST TO THE GREAT LAKES AND APPALACHIANS FROM THE 29TH
TO THE 31ST.

IN EXTREMELY SHARP CONTRAST...FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN KANSAS...THE 2012
EDITION PASSED VERY QUIETLY WITH THE MONTH DOMINATED BY COOLER AND DRIER
THAN NORMAL WEATHER.

EVEN THOUGH THE MONTHLY STATISTICS INDICATE THAT TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW
NORMAL...THERE WERE STILL PERIODS...TWO IN FACT...WHICH WERE VERY WARM.
IN MID-OCTOBER...HIGHS REACHED THE 80S. FORTUNATELY IT WAS A DRY HEAT AS
LOWS PLUNGED INTO THE 40S AND LOWER 50S IN MOST AREAS. THE 2ND PERIOD IN
WHICH TEMPERATURES SOARED LIKE ROCKETS WAS FROM THE 20TH TO THE 24TH AS
HIGHS ONCE AGAIN REACHED THE 80S IN MOST AREAS. THE HEAT REACHED A PEAK
ON THE 23RD WHEN WICHITA REACHED 91 DEGREES. THIS ECLIPSED THE 89 DEGREE
MARKS SET IN 1991 AND WAY BACK IN 1939. WICHITA`S HIGH OF 89 DEGREES ON
THE 21ST TIED THE RECORD THAT HAD BEEN SET FOR THE DATE IN 1978.

WITH AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURES THAT WERE...FOR MANY LOCATIONS...BELOW
NORMAL...IT`S NO SURPRISE THEN THAT AIRMASSES OF CANADIAN ORIGIN VISITED
THE KANSAS NEIGHBORHOOD. THE FIRST VISIT ARRIVED ON THE 6TH AND LASTED
UNTIL THE 10TH. IN FACT...IT WAS DOWNRIGHT CHILLY AS RUSSELL TIED RECORD
LOWS ON THE 7TH (22 DEGREES) AND THE 10TH (27 DEGREES). SALINA CHILLED
OUT WITH LOWS OF 25 AND 29 DEGREES ON THOSE TWO DATES RESPECTIVELY...BUT
NEITHER TIED OR BROKE A RECORD.

THE 2ND "COLD SNAP" ARRIVED ON THE 25TH WHEN AN OBVIOUSLY POWERFUL COLD
FRONT PLOWED THROUGH KANSAS...SENDING TEMPERATURES TUMBLING DOWN SPIRAL
STAIRCASES. THE INTENSE CANADIAN-ORIGINATED AIRMASS GRIPPED CENTRAL AND
EASTERN KANSAS FOR 4 OR 5 DAYS...DURING WHICH LOWS PLUNGED INTO THE MID
AND UPPER 20S. NO RECORDS WERE SET OR TIED...BUT THAT WAS BECAUSE RECORD
LOWS FOR THIS PERIOD ARE IN THE UPPER TEENS. TO GIVE ONE A BETTER IDEA
AS TO HOW STRONG THE COLD FRONT WAS CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

ON THE 23RD...SALINA`S HIGH WAS 87. ON THE 25TH...THEIR LOW WAS 34...A
53 DEGREE DROP IN 2 DAYS. ON THE 23RD...WICHITA`S HIGH WAS THE RECORD-
SETTING 91 DEGREES. ON THE 25TH...THEIR LOW WAS 37...A 54 DEGREE DROP IN
THE SAME 2-DAY SPAN. THE BASE OF THE THERMAL TRENCH WOULDN`T BE REACHED
UNTIL THE 27TH.

RAINFALL WAS SCARCE...ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS...WHERE WICHITA
EXPERIENCED THEIR 10TH DRIEST OCTOBER ON RECORD WITH ONLY 0.32 INCH. NOT
FAR BEHIND WAS HUTCHINSON WITH 0.51 INCH. IN CENTRAL KANSAS...MANY AREAS
BARELY REACHED 1 INCH WITH RUSSELL RECEIVING A WOEFUL 1.01 INCHES WHILE
SALINA RECORDED 1.19 INCHES.

NO DOUBT...THE SCANT OCTOBER RAINFALL WILL CAUSE THE DROUGHT TO PERSIST
AND LIKELY REINTENSIFY ACROSS KANSAS IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER. DROUGHT
INFORMATION STATEMENTS WILL ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IN GREATER DETAIL.