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000
CXUS53 KICT 010925
CLMSLN

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
425 AM CDT SAT SEP 1 2012

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

...THE SALINA KS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2012...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1894 TO 2012

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             118   08/13/1936
 LOW               42   08/28/1916
                        08/27/1916
                        08/30/1915
HIGHEST           104   08/08                        110  08/01
LOWEST             51   08/20                         60  08/26
AVG. MAXIMUM     90.5              91.1    -0.6     95.6
AVG. MINIMUM     63.5              68.1    -4.6     69.8
MEAN             77.0              79.6    -2.6     82.7
DAYS MAX >= 90     20              17.4     2.6       25
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        13.75   1977
 MINIMUM         0.04   2007
TOTALS           2.70              3.95   -1.25     2.70
DAILY AVG.       0.09              0.13   -0.04     0.09
DAYS >= .01         6               7.8    -1.8       10
DAYS >= .10         4               5.5    -1.5        7
DAYS >= .50         2               2.2    -0.2        2
DAYS >= 1.00        1               1.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    1.51   08/24 TO 08/25

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL       0                 1      -1        0
 SINCE 7/1          0                 1      -1        0
COOLING TOTAL     377               453     -76      555
.................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              8.2
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    45/360    DATE  08/02
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    55/360    DATE  08/02

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.10
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           26
NUMBER OF DAYS PC              4
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          1

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     55

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                3     RAIN                       7
LIGHT RAIN               10     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     SLEET                      0
FOG                       6     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      0
HAZE                      2

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

$$

                  ...HEAT EASES CONSIDERABLY IN AUGUST...

AFTER BEING PLAGUED BY HIDEOUS HEAT IN MAY...JUNE AND JULY KANSANS WERE
GIVEN A MUCH NEEDED BREAK IN AUGUST AS THE ATMOSPHERE TURNED DOWN THE
THERMOSTAT CONSIDERABLY.

FROM JUNE 1ST TO JULY 31ST...WICHITA HAD AVERAGED AN EVEN 84 DEGREES TO
PUT 2012 ON A PACE TO BECOME THE 4TH HOTTEST SUMMER ON RECORD. AUGUST
LITERALLY SAW TEMPERATURES RETURN TO NORMAL WITH THE MONTHLY AVERAGE OF
80.1 DEGREES...JUST 0.1 DEGREE ABOVE NORMAL. HOWEVER...THE COOLDOWN DID
NOT ARRIVE SOON ENOUGH TO PREVENT 2012 FROM GAINING ADMISSION INTO THE
"10 HOTTEST SUMMERS FRATERNITY"...FINISHING 6TH WITH AN AVERAGE OF 82.7
DEGREES.

THE COOLING TREND IN SALINA WAS PRONOUNCED. SALINA`S 2-MONTH AVERAGE OF
83.9 DEGREES FROM JUNE 1ST TO JULY 31ST HAD PLACED 2012 IN A TIE FOR
3RD PLACE WITH 1980...BUT THE 77.0 DEGREE AVERAGE IN AUGUST...SOME 2.6
DEGREES BELOW NORMAL...DROPPED 2012 OUT OF THE TOP 10 FRATERNITY.

CHANUTE WAS ON A PACE TO EXPERIENCE THEIR 7TH HOTTEST SUMMER ON RECORD
WITH A 2-MONTH AVERAGE OF 81.5 DEGREES...BUT THEIR AUGUST AVERAGE OF
78.6 DEGREES...WHICH WAS 0.3 DEGREE BELOW NORMAL...WAS JUST COOL ENOUGH
TO DROP 2012 INTO AN 11TH PLACE TIE WITH 1943 ON THE HOTTEST SUMMERS
LIST WITH AN AVERAGE OF 80.5 DEGREES.

ALTHOUGH AUGUST SAW COOLER TEMPERATURES THE MONTH DIDN`T START OUT THAT
WAY. IN FACT...THE MONTH GOT OFF TO A BLAZING START FOR FROM THE 1ST TO
THE 8TH MANY AREAS CONTINUED TO BAKE IN 100-DEGREE PLUS HEAT. SOUTHEAST
KANSAS WILTED IN 100-DEGREE PLUS HEAT EACH DAY EXCEPT THE 5TH WHILE MOST
OF SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS REACHED TRIPLE DIGITS ON SIX OCCASIONS. IN FACT
PARTS OF EXTREME SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS REACHED 105 TO 110 DEGREES EACH
AFTERNOON FROM THE 1ST TO THE 4TH.

IT WAS ON THE WEEKEND OF 3RD TO THE 5TH THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD STARTED TO
BID GOOD RIDDANCE TO THE OPPRESSIVE HEAT AS THE FIRST OF SEVERAL COLD
FRONTS VENTURED INTO CENTRAL KANSAS. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED
ALONG THE FRONT AS IT MOVED SOUTHEAST BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT WAS THE
ARRIVAL OF MUCH COOLER AIR TO CENTRAL KANSAS. IN FACT...RUSSELL`S LOW OF
55 DEGREES ON THE 5TH TIED THE RECORD SET FOR THE DATE IN 1990. OVER THE
FOLLOWING WEEKEND ANOTHER COLD FRONT SURGED SOUTHEAST ACROSS KANSAS...
SPARKING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION. FAIRLY STRONG HIGH
PRESSURE FOLLOWED TO USHER IN MORE COOL AIR TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. ON THE
10TH...SALINA`S LOW OF 54 DEGREES SET A RECORD FOR THE DATE. ON THE 17TH
SALINA SET ANOTHER RECORD WITH ANOTHER LOW OF 54 DEGREES. HIGHS RANGING
FROM THE LOWER 80S TO THE MID 90S WOULD DOMINATE THE AREA THE REST OF
THE MONTH.

IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT...THE MONTHLY TOTALS WERE DECEIVING. WICHITA HAD
MEASURED 3.38 INCHES BUT 2.74 INCHES OF THIS TOTAL OCCURRED ON THE 25TH.
THIS SET A CALENDAR DAY RECORD...INUNDATING THE MARK OF 1.74 INCHES SET
WAY BACK IN 1944 BY EXACTLY 1 INCH. THE HEAVY RAINS THAT OCCURRED ON THE
25TH PREVENTED 2012 FROM BECOMING WICHITA`S 5TH DRIEST SUMMER ON RECORD
WITH 6.19 INCHES MEASURED. THE COPIOUS AMOUNT ALSO PREVENTED 2012 FROM
BECOMING THE AIR CAPITAL`S 9TH DRIEST AUGUST.

BY MEASURING 6.33 INCHES THROUGH AUGUST 30TH...CHANUTE WAS ON THE VERGE
OF EXPERIENCING THEIR 5TH DRIEST SUMMER ON RECORD...BUT ON THE 31ST THE
REMNANTS OF "ISAAC` SPREAD NORTH FROM ARKANSAS AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA TO
PRODUCE 0.64 INCH ON THE 31ST...BRINGING THEIR SUMMER TOTAL TO 6.97
INCHES.

SALINA`S AUGUST TOTAL OF 2.70 INCHES BROUGHT THEIR FINAL SUMMER TOTAL TO
6.96 INCHES...MAKING 2012 THEIR 14TH DRIEST SUMMER ON RECORD.

THE COOLER TEMPERATURES AND MODEST RAINFALLS WERE NO MATCH FOR THE NASTY
DROUGHT THAT HAS GRIPPED KANSAS SINCE MID-AUGUST...HOWEVER THEY AT LEAST
MANAGED TO STABILIZE THE DROUGHT. WHEN AUGUST ARRIVED...EXTREME DROUGHT
HAD COVERED ALL OF THE WFO WICHITA JURISDICTION BUT BY MID-AUGUST...THE
DROUGHT HAD REACHED THE WORST LEVEL POSSIBLE WHEN ALL OF CENTRAL...PARTS
OF SOUTH-CENTRAL AND ALL OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS HAD REACHED EXCEPTIONAL OR
D4 STATUS. THE DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT DISCUSSES THE TOPIC IN MUCH
GREATER DETAIL.

WITH SEPTEMBER`S ARRIVAL...TWO THIRDS OF 2012 IS IN THE BOOKS. SEPTEMBER
ALSO SIGNALS THE ARRIVAL OF A SECONDARY PEAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND
ALL OF THEIR PRODUCTS. IT`S BEEN IN SEPTEMBER THAT KANSAS HAS WITNESSED
THE LARGEST HAIL IN THE STATE`S HISTORY. ON SEPTEMBER 3RD 1970
COFFEYVILLE WAS CLOBBERED BY A 5.7 INCH DIAMETER HAILSTONE...AND NO ONE
IN WICHITA WILL EVER FORGET SEPTEMBER 15TH 2010...WHEN A 7 3/4 INCH
"METEORITE" LANDED 2 MILES WEST OF MID-CONTINENT AIRPORT. SOFTBALL AND
GRAPEFRUIT SIZED HAIL BOMBARDED A PATH 15 MILES LONG AND 5 MILES WIDE
FROM WESTERN SEDGWICK TO SOUTHEAST SEDGWICK COUNTY. SO BEWARE! SEPTEMBER
CAN BE ONE `HAIL` OF A MONTH!

$$

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