National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

• Home
• Site Map
• News
• Organization
• Search for: NWS All NOAA 

000
CXUS55 KTFX 011639
CLMGTF


CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
712 AM MDT WED MAY 1 2013

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

...THE GREAT FALLS MT CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2013...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1886 TO 2013

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE
                                          NORMAL
.............................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              89   04/20/1980
 LOW              -10   04/02/1936
HIGHEST            72   04/26        60      12       84
                        04/02
LOWEST              9   04/09        27     -18       22
AVG. MAXIMUM     51.8              55.6    -3.8     60.5
AVG. MINIMUM     27.0              30.5    -3.5     34.9
MEAN             39.4              43.1    -3.7     47.7
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0
DAYS MAX <= 32      5               0.9     4.1
DAYS MIN <= 32     21              17.6     3.4
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.2    -0.2

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         4.63   1975
 MINIMUM         0.05   1981
TOTALS           1.01              1.42   -0.41     2.37
DAYS >= .01        13               9.4     3.6
DAYS >= .10         4               3.9     0.1
DAYS >= .50         0               0.7    -0.7
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.1    -0.1
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.33   04/20 TO 04/21

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           35.4   2009
                        1967
 24 HR TOTAL       MM
TOTALS           16.4               8.6     7.8      7.2
SINCE 7/1        76.2              60.5    15.7     36.5
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      1
DAYS >= TRACE      12               4.5     7.5
DAYS >= 1.0         7               2.3     4.7
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH         5   04/21
 24 HR TOTAL      4.6   MM

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     761               659     102      516
 SINCE 7/1       6466              7117    -651     6069
COOLING TOTAL       0                 1      -1        3
 SINCE 1/1          0                 1      -1        3
..............................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              12.8
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    44/280    DATE  04/29
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    55/250    DATE  04/29

SKY COVER
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.50

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     58

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       0
LIGHT RAIN                6     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                1     SNOW                       4
LIGHT SNOW               12     SLEET                      0
FOG                      12     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      2
HAZE                      8

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

&&

SUMMARY...A STRONGER THAN AVERAGE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC
OCEAN ESTABLISHED A NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT OVER WESTERN MONTANA. THIS CONFIGURATION
ALLOWED SEVERAL INTRUSIONS OF COLD CANADIAN AIR MASSES INTO CENTRAL AND EASTERN
MONTANA. AS A RESULT...APRIL 2013 FINISHED AS THE 15TH COOLEST APRIL ON RECORD.
THE MONTHLY TOTAL PRECIPITATION WAS JUST 71 PERCENT OF NORMAL...BUT THE TOTAL
SNOWFALL WAS 191 PERCENT OF NORMAL DUE TO THE COLDER TEMPERATURES AND THE REGULAR
OCCURRENCE OF NORTHERLY UPSLOPE FLOW.

THE FOLLOWING DAILY WEATHER RECORDS WERE TIED OR BROKEN AT GREAT FALLS DURING
APRIL 2013. A RECORD DAILY LOW TEMPERATURE OF 9 DEGREES WAS SET ON APRIL 9TH.
A RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL OF 4.6 INCHES WAS SET ON APRIL 21ST. A NEW DAILY RECORD
WIND GUST OF 55 MPH WAS SET ON APRIL 29TH.

$$