Climatological Report (Annual)
Issued by NWS Topeka, KS

000
CXUS53 KTOP 012311 CCB
CLATOP

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS...CORRECTION
510 PM CST SUN JAN 1 2012

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

...THE TOPEKA KS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR OF 2011...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1887 TO 2011

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             114   07/24/1936
 LOW              -26   12/23/1989
HIGHEST           112   08/02        MM      MM      106  08/13
                                                          08/02
LOWEST             -9   02/10        MM      MM       -8  01/10
AVG. MAXIMUM     67.9              66.1     1.8     66.7
AVG. MINIMUM     44.4              44.2     0.2     45.4
MEAN             56.1              55.1     1.0     56.1
DAYS MAX >= 90     73              41.5    31.5       58
DAYS MAX <= 32     24              21.3     2.7       31
DAYS MIN <= 32    113             110.9     2.1      112
DAYS MIN <= 0       5               4.0     1.0        6

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM        60.89   1973
 MINIMUM        19.07   1963
TOTALS          32.89             36.46   -3.57    36.50
DAILY AVG.       0.09              0.10   -0.01     0.10
DAYS >= .01       102              99.6     2.4       96
DAYS >= .10        64              60.6     3.4       62
DAYS >= .50        20              23.9    -3.9       20
DAYS >= 1.00        7              10.1    -3.1       13
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    2.24   11/07 TO 11/08     3.09  06/16 TO 06/16

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           48.6   1960
 24 HR TOTAL     17.3   02/26/1900 TO 02/27/1900
 SNOW DEPTH        18   03/16/1960
TOTALS           38.6              17.8    20.8     21.6
SINCE 7/1         0.1               6.5    -6.4      0.1
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      0                 0       0        0
DAYS >= TRACE      37              12.7    24.3       40
DAYS >= 1.0         6               5.2     0.8        8
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH         8   01/20                          7  01/07
 24 HR TOTAL      9.1   02/01 TO 02/01      5.2  03/19 TO 03/20

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    5012              5020      -8     4978
 SINCE 7/1       1785              2017    -232     1817
COOLING TOTAL    1924              1422     502     1852
 SINCE 1/1       1924              1422     502     1852
.................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              7.7
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    59/020    DATE  08/18
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    70/360    DATE  08/18

SKY COVER
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.30

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     66

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM             59     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN               35     RAIN                      42
LIGHT RAIN              107     FREEZING RAIN              1
LT FREEZING RAIN          3     HAIL                       3
HEAVY SNOW                4     SNOW                       6
LIGHT SNOW               24     FOG                      175
FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE    33     HAZE                      76

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

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

REMARKS...

2011 WAS NOTABLE FOR A SNOWY BEGINNING...A HOT AND DRY MIDDLE...AND
A WET END. THE TOTAL SNOWFALL MEASURED WAS THE FIFTH HIGHEST AMOUNT
IN THE 124 COMPLETE YEARS OF DATA ON RECORD FOR TOPEKA. THE SUMMER
SEASON WAS THE THIRD HOTTEST...ONLY COOLER THAN THE DUST BOWL YEARS
OF 1934 AND 1936. THE TOTAL PRECIPITATION THAT FELL IN NOVEMBER AND
DECEMBER WAS THE THIRD HIGHEST MEASURED FOR THIS PERIOD. THIS
PRECIPITATION HELPED PUSH THE YEARS TOTAL TO NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE
RANKINGS IN ANNUAL PRECIPITATION.

THE MAJORITY OF THE YEARS SNOWFALL OCCURED FROM JUST FOUR
STORMS...ALL IN THE FIRST SEVERAL WEEKS OF THE YEAR. THREE OF THEM
PLACED IN THE TOP 20 FOR THE DEEPEST SNOW TO FALL IN ONE CALENDAR
DAY. THESE WERE FEBRUARY 1 WITH 9.1 INCHES...JANUARY 19 WITH 8.7
INCHES...AND JANUARY 10 WITH 7.9 INCHES. THE FEBRUARY 1 SNOW WAS
ACCOMPANIED BY WINDS GUSTING OVER 30 MPH WHICH CAUSED CONSIDERABLE
DRIFTING OF THE SNOW AND WIND CHILL VALUES OF -10. THE FOURTH SNOW
EVENT...FEBRUARY 24...PILED UP 5.5 INCHES BUT IN ONLY A FEW HOURS
TIME AS IT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THUNDER. THE TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THESE
MONTHS PLACED IT AS THE SECOND SNOWIEST JANUARY-FEBRUARY PERIOD ON
RECORD...TRAILING ONLY 1993. ANOTHER 2.6 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATED
IN MARCH...PUTTING THE JANUARY-FEBRUARY-MARCH PERIOD AS THE THIRD
HIGHEST SUCH PERIOD BEHIND 1912 AND 1960. THE FALL AND EARLY WINTER
MONTHS OF THE END OF THE YEAR ONLY CONTRIBUTED 0.1 INCHES OF
SNOWFALL TO THE YEARLY TOTAL. ONLY SIX OTHER YEARS HAVE HAD LESS
SNOWFALL DURING THIS PERIOD.

STRONG AND PERSISTENT UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE ALLOWED THE SUMMER
MONTHS TO BE VERY HOT. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR JUNE WAS THE
EIGHTH HOTTEST JUNE ON RECORD...WITH JULY AND AUGUST VALUES RANKING
AS THE SIXTH AND THIRTEENTH HOTTEST SUCH MONTHS...RESPECTIVELY. IN
FACT...JULY WAS THE SEVENTH HOTTEST MONTH ON RECORD AND THE HOTTEST
MONTH SINCE JULY 1980. TEMPERATURES REACHED TRIPLE DIGITS FOR TEN
CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN JULY. HEAT INDICES OFTEN REACHED 105 TO 110
DEGREES. ON JULY 10...THE HEAT INDEX REACHED 118. ONLY ONE HIGHER
HEAT INDEX VALUE HAS BEEN MEASURED IN TOPEKA SINCE 1978. THE AVERAGE
OF THE DAILY LOW TEMPERATURES OF JULY WERE ALSO RECORD-BREAKING IN
THAT NO MONTH HAS HAD ITS AVERAGE LOW BE ANY WARMER. THE MERCURY
REACHED 112 DEGREES ON AUGUST 2. ONLY THREE DAYS ON RECORD HAD
TEMPERATURES ABOVE THIS VALUE. THE LAST TIME IT WAS HOTTER WAS
NEARLY 75 YEARS AGO. HIGH TEMPERATURES REACHED AT LEAST 90 DEGREES
ON HALF OF THE DAYS OF JUNE. PRECIPITATION WAS ALSO ON THE LIGHT
SIDE DURING THIS PERIOD AND ON INTO THE FALL. THE TOTAL AMOUNT
RECEIVED FROM JUNE THROUGH OCTOBER WAS THE EIGHTH DRIEST ON
RECORD...AND COMBINED WITH THE INTENSE HEAT TO BRING MODERATE
DROUGHT CONDITIONS TO THE CITY.

THE SPRING AND SUMMER MONTHS BROUGHT SEVERE WEATHER TO TOPEKA. MOST
NOTABLE WAS VERY LARGE HAIL AND A COUPLE BRIEF WEAK TORNADOES
TOUCHING DOWN IN PORTIONS OF THE CITY IN THE EARLY EVENING OF MAY 21
AS A SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS TRAVERSED TOPEKA. THE LARGEST
HAIL...SOME AS LARGE AS FIVE INCHES IN DIAMETER...OCCURED IN MAINLY
NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CITY...WITH THE TORNADO TOUCH DOWNS
OCCURING IN SOUTHERN PORTIONS. ONLY MINOR DAMAGE OCCURED WITH THE
TORNADOES. STRONG WESTERLY WINDS...ESTIMATED AT 80 MPH...AFFECTED
PORTIONS OF TOPEKA ON THE EVENING OF APRIL 3 AS A SUPERCELL
THUNDERSTORM SKIRTED THE CITY TO THE NORTH. WIDESPREAD WINDS OF 50
TO 70 MPH BLASTED THE CITY FOR NEARLY 30 MINUTES IN THE LATE EVENING
OF AUGUST 18 AS A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS PLUNGED SOUTH OUT OF
NEBRASKA.


-- DAILY RECORDS --

HIGHEST MAXIMUM - FEB 17....76F
                  FEB 20....75F
                  APR 3.....92F
                  MAY 9.....95F
                  MAY 10....92F
                  JUL 22...106F TIED
                  JUL 23...106F TIED
                  AUG 2....112F
                  SEP 1....106F
                  DEC 31....66F

LOWEST MINIMUM -- FEB 10....-9F

HIGHEST MINIMUM - MAY 10....75F
                  JUN 3.....79F
                  JUN 7.....76F
                  JUL 23....82F
                  JUL 27....83F
                  SEP 1.....80F
                  SEP 2.....81F

LOWEST MAXIMUM -- NONE

PRECIPITATION --- JAN 10...0.56"
                  MAY 25...1.42"
                  NOV 8....2.05"
                  DEC 19...1.23"

SNOWFALL -------- JAN 10...7.9"
                  JAN 19...8.7"
                  FEB 1....9.1"


-- MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN THE TOP 20 ON RECORD --

JUNE........8TH HOTTEST
JULY........6TH HOTTEST
AUGUST.....13TH HOTTEST


-- MONTHLY PRECIPITATION IN THE TOP 20 ON RECORD --

OCTOBER....12TH DRIEST
NOVEMBER....8TH WETTEST
DECEMBER....8TH WETTEST


-- MONTHLY SNOWFALL IN THE TOP 20 ON RECORD --

JANUARY.....5TH HIGHEST
FEBRUARY....3RD HIGHEST
DECEMBER...13TH LOWEST TIED


-- SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS --

TORNADO ----- MAY 21...TWO EF0 TORNADOES CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE NEAR
                       WASHBURN RURAL HIGH SCHOOL AND NEAR LAKE
                       SHAWNEE

WIND -------- APR 3....ESTIMATED 80 MPH WINDS CAUSED SCATTERED
                       DAMAGE IN SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CITY
              AUG 18...50-70 MPH WINDS LASTED FOR AROUND 30 MINUTES
                       CAUSING WIDESPREAD DAMAGE

FLOODING ---- APR 22...MINOR STREET FLOODING DUE TO NEARLY TWO
                       INCHES OF RAIN FALLING IN 90 MINUTES

HAIL -------- MAY 21...LARGE HAIL IN MANY SECTIONS OF THE CITY...
                       SOME STONES AS LARGE AS FIVE INCHES

$$