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000
CXUS56 KOTX 011427 CCA
CLMGEG

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE, WA
417 AM PDT SAT JUN 1 2013

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

MAY 2013 BROUGHT A WIDE VARIETY OF WEATHER TO NORTHEAST WASHINGTON
AND THE NORTH IDAHO PANHANDLE.  AFTER A COLD START ON THE MORNING OF
THE 1ST WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES...TEMPERATURES JUST GOT WARMER
AND WARMER EVERY DAY THROUGH THE 11TH.  A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH
PRESSURE BROUGHT TEMPERATURES TYPICAL OF LATE JULY OR AUGUST WITH
HIGH TEMPERATURES PEAKING ON THE 9TH THROUGH THE 11TH WHERE SPOKANE
REACHED THE MID AND UPPER 80S.  SPOKANE AIRPORT REACHED 80 DEGREES
OR WARMER FOR SEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS...WHICH WAS THE LONGEST STRETCH
ON RECORD FOR THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON.  THIS HEAT WAVE ENDED ON THE
12TH WITH A STRONG SYSTEM PASSING THROUGH ON THE 13TH.  AFTER A
STEADY RAIN IN THE MORNING...AFTERNOON SUN BREAKS ALLOWED
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP IN THE AFTERNOON NORTH OF SPOKANE WHERE
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TRACKED ACROSS THE OKANOGAN
HIGHLANDS...NORTHEAST WASHINGTON MOUNTAINS...AND NORTH IDAHO
PANHANDLE. TEMPERATURES TRENDING DOWNWARD FOR THE REST OF THE
MONTH.  FROM THE 13TH THROUGH THE 20TH TEMPERATURES COOLED TO NEAR
NORMAL VALUES.  ON THE 21ST THROUGH THE 29TH A MUCH COOLER AND
UNSETTLED PERIOD FOLLOWED.

A STRONG WEATHER SYSTEM PASSED THROUGH ON THE 21ST AND 22ND.  A
STRONG COLD BROUGHT VERY UNUSUAL CONDITIONS TO SPOKANE ON THE 21ST
WHERE TEMPERATURES FELL DRASTICALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON.
TEMPERATURES FELL FROM 71 DEGREES AT NOON TO 51 DEGREES AT 5 PM WITH
ONLY A TRACE OF RAIN DURING THIS PERIOD. THE WIND GUSTED UP TO 43
MPH WITH THE FRONT.  SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE EMBEDDED WITH THIS
SYSTEM ON THE 21ST NORTH AND EAST OF SPOKANE FROM THE CENTRAL
PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS STRETCHING TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST WASHINGTON
MOUNTAINS.  BEHIND THE COLD FRONT A BAND OF PERSISTENT RAINFALL SET
UP OVER BOUNDARY AND NORTHERN PEND OREILLE COUNTY.  METALINE FALLS
RECEIVED 2.50 INCHES OF RAIN...2.42 INCHES AT SANDPOINT....AND 2.29
INCHES AT BONNERS FERRY. THE COOLER AIR BEHIND THE FRONT AND
PERSISTENT HEAVY PRECIPITATION ALLOWED THE SNOW LEVEL TO BRIEFLY
FALL TO THE VALLEY FLOORS DURING THE AFTERNOON IN BONNERS
FERRY...ANOTHER UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE FOR LATE MAY.  THIS ALL
TRANSLATED TO ACCUMULATING SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS.

ONE DAILY RECORD WAS BROKEN DURING THE MONTH AT SPOKANE
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  ON THE 9TH THE LOW TEMPERATURE OF 56 SET A
RECORD FOR THE WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE FOR THE DATE.

...THE SPOKANE WA AIRPORT CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2013...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1881 TO 2013

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              97   05/25/1928
 LOW               24   05/08/2002
HIGHEST            86   05/11        MM      MM       86  05/15
                        05/10
                        05/09
LOWEST             30   05/01        MM      MM       30  05/10
AVG. MAXIMUM     68.5              66.4     2.1     65.2
AVG. MINIMUM     45.2              43.8     1.4     42.5
MEAN             56.9              55.1     1.8     53.9
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.2    -0.2        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 32      1               1.1    -0.1        1
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         5.71   1948
 MINIMUM         0.06   1935
TOTALS           0.80              1.62   -0.82     0.69
DAILY AVG.       0.03              0.05   -0.02     0.02
DAYS >= .01         8              10.2    -2.2        6
DAYS >= .10         3               4.3    -1.3        3
DAYS >= .50         0               0.9    -0.9        0
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.1    -0.1        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.25   05/13 TO 05/13           05/03 TO 05/03

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL            3.5   1967
TOTALS            0.0               0.1    -0.1      0.0
SINCE 7/1        43.5              44.9    -1.4     36.8
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      0                MM      MM        0
DAYS >= 1.0         0               0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH         0                                  0
 24 HR TOTAL      0.0                                  0


DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     272               321     -49      345
 SINCE 7/1       6100              6457    -357     6327
COOLING TOTAL      30                14      16        8
 SINCE 1/1         30                14      16       10
....................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              7.2
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    36/230    DATE  05/21
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    43/240    DATE  05/21

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            9
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             11
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY         11

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     54

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       0
LIGHT RAIN               13     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     SLEET                      0
FOG                       8     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      2
HAZE                      1

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

$$