Climatological Report (Annual)
Issued by NWS Topeka, KS

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000
CXUS53 KTOP 012036
CLATOP

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
236 PM CST SAT JAN 01 2022

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

...THE TOPEKA KS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR OF 2021...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1887 TO 2021

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          101   06/17         MM      MM       97  08/28
LOWEST           -21   02/16         MM      MM        1  02/14
AVG. MAXIMUM    68.2               66.7     1.5     67.5
AVG. MINIMUM    45.9               44.9     1.0     45.3
MEAN            57.0               55.8     1.2     56.4
DAYS MAX >= 90    50               49.6     0.4       54
DAYS MAX <= 32    15               21.8    -6.8       10
DAYS MIN <= 32    MM              113.9      MM      116
DAYS MIN <= 0      6                2.7     3.3        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM       60.89   1973
 MINIMUM       19.07   1963
TOTALS         36.64              36.53    0.11    35.50
DAILY AVG.      0.10               0.10   -0.00     0.10
DAYS >= .01       95               98.1    -3.1       86
DAYS >= .10       56               59.7    -3.7       56
DAYS >= .50       28               23.4     4.6       19
DAYS >= 1.00      13               10.5     2.5       12
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   2.34   08/13 TO 08/13               2.53  07/29 TO 07/29

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          14.9               17.1    -2.2      5.8
SINCE 7/1          T                5.5    -5.5       MM
SNOWDEPTH AVG.     0                                   0
DAYS >= TRACE     23               12.0    11.0       29
DAYS >= 1.0        4                5.0    -1.0        2
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH        4   01/02                           2  02/15
                                                          02/14
                                                          02/13
 24 HR TOTAL     0.0    MM                           2.7

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL   4397               4860    -463     4587
 SINCE 7/1      1389               1925    -536       MM
COOLING TOTAL   1666               1534     132     1537
 SINCE 1/1      1666               1534     132       MM
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              7.4
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   1/160
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    41/170    DATE  12/15
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    64/250    DATE  12/15

SKY COVER
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.32

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     66

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM             41     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN               36     RAIN                      49
LIGHT RAIN              103     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          2     HAIL                       1
HEAVY SNOW                2     SNOW                       6
LIGHT SNOW               19     SLEET                      0
FOG                     163     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE     29
HAZE                     51

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

REMARKS...

AN EXTREME COLD SPELL IN FEBRUARY WAS BRACKETED BY ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES IN JANUARY AND MARCH AS WELL AS WARMER THAN NORMAL
CONDITIONS IN THE AUTUMN AND DECEMBER TO RESULT IN A WARMER THAN
NORMAL YEAR...RANKING AS THE TWELFTH-WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD.
PRECIPITATION WAS NOT VERY HEAVY ON ANY PARTICULAR DAY WITH THE
YEAR/S TOTAL SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. SOME HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR
FOLLOW.

NEARLY ONE-THIRD OF THE YEAR/S SNOW FELL ON JANUARY 1ST. JANUARY
14TH AND 15TH SAW NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH BOTH DAYS.
THE WIND ON THE 15TH COMBINED WITH LIGHT SNOW TO BRING VISIBILITIES
DOWN TO ONE QUARTER MILE AT TIMES. THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE TO OCCUR
IN JANUARY WAS 16 DEGREES -- ONLY THREE OTHER JANUARYS HAD A WARMER
LOWEST TEMPERATURE.

FEBRUARY WILL LONG BE REMEMBERED FOR ITS EXTREME COLD. THE HIGHEST
TEMPERATURE ON FEBRUARY 15TH WAS -1 AND THE LOW ON THE 16TH WAS -21.
THE -21 DEGREE READING TIES FOR THE SEVENTH-COLDEST TEMPERATURE FOR
ANY DAY ON RECORD AND WAS THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE SINCE DECEMBER
23RD...1989. THE -1 DEGREE HIGH TIED FOR THE ELEVENTH-COLDEST DAILY
MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE ON RECORD AND WAS THE COLDEST DAILY MAXIMUM
TEMPERATURE SINCE DECEMBER 22ND...1989. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR
THE SEVEN-DAY PERIOD FROM FEBRUARY 10TH THROUGH FEBRUARY 16TH WAS
THE WAS 3 DEGREES...PLACING AS THE 26TH-COLDEST WEEK ON RECORD. HIGH
TEMPERATURES EACH DAY FROM FEBRUARY 7TH THROUGH FEBRUARY 16TH WERE
AT OR BELOW 15 DEGREES. THIS IS THE LONGEST SUCH STREAK ON RECORD.
WIND CHILL VALUES DROPPED TO -10 ON FEBRUARY 10TH AND REMAINED NEAR
THIS LEVEL THROUGH FEBRUARY 14TH...THEN PLUNGED TO -20 TO -30 FOR
FEBRUARY 15TH AND 16TH. VERY WARM CONDITIONS FOLLOWED HOWEVER...WITH
A 71-DEGREE HIGH TEMPERATURE ON FEBRUARY 23RD. THIS 92-DEGREE RISE
FROM FEBRUARY 16TH WAS THE LARGEST ONE-WEEK SWING IN TEMPERATURES ON
RECORD.

THE MIDDLE OF MARCH WAS DAMP WITH AT LEAST A TRACE OF PRECIPITATION
FALLING EVERY DAY FROM MARCH 12TH THROUGH MARCH 18TH. THUNDERSTORMS
WITH SMALL HAIL JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT OF MARCH 14TH WERE FOLLOWED BY
TRACE AMOUNTS OF SNOW THAT EVENING. SOUTH WINDS ON MARCH 29TH REACH
53 MPH AT BILLARD AIRPORT AND 58 MPH AT FORBES FIELD. NORTH WINDS
FOLLOWED THE NEXT MORNING WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH.

SNOW FELL FROM THE THE PRE-DAWN HOURS TO THE MID-MORNING HOURS OF
APRIL 20TH WITH 3.1 INCHES ACCUMULATING. THIS WAS THE EIGHTH-HIGHEST
SNOWFALL FOR ANY DAY IN APRIL ON RECORD AND WAS THE SECOND-LATEST
MEASURABLE SNOWFALL ON RECORD. THE BULK OF THE SNOW MELTED AWAY BY
MID-AFTERNOON.

MAY SAW ANOTHER STRETCH OF WET CONDITIONS WITH AT LEAST 0.01 INCHES
FALLING FROM MAY 15TH TO MAY 23RD AND OTHER RAIN EVENTS BRINGING
MEASURABLE AMOUNTS TO SEVENTEEN DAYS OF THE MONTH.

INTENSE SUMMER HEAT BEGAN BY LATE JUNE WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES
REACHING AROUND 103 FROM JUNE 17TH TO JUNE 20TH. THE AIR TEMPERATURE
REACHED 101 DEGREES ON JUNE 17TH...WHICH WAS THE FIRST INSTANCE OF
TEMPERATURES REACHING TRIPLE DIGITS SINCE 2018. OVERNIGHT CONDITIONS
WERE RATHER WARM ON JUNE 18TH WITH THE LOW TEMPERATURE ONLY REACHING
81...SETTING THE RECORD FOR THAT DAY. MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION FELL
ON EACH OF THE LAST SEVEN DAYS OF THE MONTH WITH SEVERE WEATHER ON
JUNE 25TH...INCLUDING 77 MPH WINDS BEFORE DAWN AT FORBES FIELD AND
60 MPH WINDS IN CENTRAL TOPEKA THAT AFTERNOON.

JULY BROUGHT SEVERAL DAYS OF RATHER HIGH HEAT LEVELS...INCLUDING A
FOUR-DAY STRETCH FROM JULY 27TH TO JULY 30TH WHERE THE HEAT INDEX
PEAKED FROM 106 TO 112.

NINE DAYS IN AUGUST SAY HEAT INDICES PEAK AROUND 105...WITH FOUR
DAYS OF SUCH HEAT OCCURRING ON CONSECUTIVE DAYS...AUGUST 9TH THROUGH
12TH AND AUGUST 23RD THROUGH 26TH.

THE AUTUMN MONTHS OF SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER SAW TEMPERATURES
FREQUENTLY ABOVE NORMAL AND ONLY A FEW DAYS WITH
PRECIPITATION...THOUGH WHEN PRECIPITATION DID FALL THE AMOUNTS WERE
BENEFICIAL.

DECEMBER WAS VERY WARM AND DRY. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE
MONTH WAS THE THIRD WARMEST ON RECORD THAT INCLUDED RECORD HIGHS ON
THREE DAYS -- DECEMBER 2ND WITH 72 DEGREES...DECEMBER 15TH WITH 76
DEGREES...AND DECEMBER 24TH WITH 74 DEGREES. DECEMBER 15TH RANKS AS
THE SECOND-WARMEST DAY DECEMBER DAY EVER RECORDED WHILE DECEMBER 2ND
TIED FOR THE NINTH-WARMEST DECEMBER DAY ON RECORD. TOTAL
PRECIPITATION FOR THIS MONTH WAS THE EIGHTH-DRIEST DECEMBER ON
RECORD. THE LACK OF PRECIPITATION AND LACK OF COLD AIR LEAD TO A
LACK OF SNOW AS WELL...WITH NO MEASURABLE SNOW FALLING IN DECEMBER
OR FOR THE COLD SEASON TO DATE. ONLY SEVEN OTHER COLD SEASONS HAD A
LATER FIRST MEASURABLE SNOWFALL. A VERY INTENSE STORM SYSTEM RAPIDLY
CROSSED THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON DECEMBER 15TH. SOUTH WINDS GUSTED UP
TO 65 MPH AHEAD OF A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT BLASTED THROUGH THE
CITY IN 30 MINUTES. SOUTHWEST WINDS WITH THE STORMS GUSTED TO
SIMILAR SPEEDS. BEHIND THE STORMS...WEST-SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTED UP
TO 63 MPH. WIND GUSTS OVER 50 MPH FOR NEARLY SEVEN HOURS THAT DAY.
POWER OUTAGES WERE SCATTERED ACROSS THE CITY WITH TREE AND SOME
MINOR PROPERTY DAMAGE.


-- SEASONAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURES PLACING IN THE TOP 20 ON RECORD --

AUTUMN......11TH WARMEST /TIED...SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER/

-- SEASONAL TOTAL PRECIPITATION PLACING IN THE TOP 20 ON RECORD --

NONE

-- SEASONAL TOTAL SNOWFALL PLACING IN THE TOP 20 ON RECORD --

NONE

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

JANUARY.....15TH WARMEST
FEBRUARY.....8TH COLDEST
MARCH.......11TH WARMEST
JUNE........17TH WARMEST
SEPTEMBER...12TH WARMEST /TIED/
DECEMBER.....3RD WARMEST

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

JANUARY.....11TH WETTEST
FEBRUARY....14TH DRIEST
OCTOBER.....13TH WETTEST
DECEMBER.....8TH DRIEST

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

APRIL.......10TH HIGHEST

-- DAILY RECORDS --

HIGHEST MAXIMUM - NOV 27.....71 F /TIED/
                  DEC 2......72 F
                  DEC 15.....76 F
                  DEC 24.....74 F

HIGHEST MINIMUM - JUN 18.....81 F

LOWEST MAXIMUM -- FEB 15.....-1 F

LOWEST MINIMUM -- FEB 14......4 F /TIED/
                  FEB 15.....-9 F
                  FEB 16....-21 F

PRECIPITATION --- NONE

SNOWFALL -------- APR 20....3.1 IN

-- THUNDERSTORM-RELATED SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS --

WIND - 77 MPH GUST AND TREE DAMAGE JUNE 25
       55 TO 65 MPH GUSTS AND SCATTERED TREE DAMAGE JULY 10
       SCATTERED TREE DAMAGE AUGUST 20
       SCATTERED TREE AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE DECEMBER 15

$$


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