Climatological Report (Annual)
Issued by NWS Topeka, KS

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000
CXUS53 KTOP 151535 CCA
CLATOP

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
400 PM CST FRI JAN 01 2021

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

...THE TOPEKA KS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR OF 2020...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1887 TO 2020

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           97   08/28         MM      MM       98  07/20
                                                          07/18
                                                          07/19
LOWEST             1   02/14         MM      MM       -3  01/30
AVG. MAXIMUM    67.5               66.1     1.4     65.5
AVG. MINIMUM    45.3               44.2     1.1     44.6
MEAN            56.4               55.1     1.3     55.0
DAYS MAX >= 90    54               41.5    12.5       43
DAYS MAX <= 32    10               21.3   -11.3       28
DAYS MIN <= 32   116              110.9     5.1      124
DAYS MIN <= 0      0                4.0    -4.0        2

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM       60.89   1973
 MINIMUM       19.07   1963
TOTALS         35.50              36.46   -0.96    48.75
DAILY AVG.      0.10               0.10    0.00     0.13
DAYS >= .01       86               99.6   -13.6      114
DAYS >= .10       56               60.6    -4.6       75
DAYS >= .50       19               23.9    -4.9       30
DAYS >= 1.00      12               10.1     1.9       15
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   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           5.8               17.8   -12.0     25.0
SINCE 7/1        0.6                6.5    -5.9      0.6
SNOWDEPTH AVG.     0                                   0
DAYS >= TRACE     29               12.7    16.3       43
DAYS >= 1.0        2                5.2    -3.2        9
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH        2   02/15                           4  12/16
                       02/14                              02/20
                       02/13                              01/23

 24 HR TOTAL     2.7   02/12 TO 02/12                4.4  12/15

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL   4587               5020    -433     5117
 SINCE 7/1      1806               2017    -211       MM
COOLING TOTAL   1537               1422     115     1609
 SINCE 1/1      1537               1422     115     1609
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              7.4
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   1/150
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    38/300    DATE  06/04
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    58/320    DATE  07/09

SKY COVER
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.33

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     65

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM             46     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN               34     RAIN                      45
LIGHT RAIN              104     FREEZING RAIN              4
LT FREEZING RAIN          6     HAIL                       4
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       1
LIGHT SNOW               15     SLEET                      5
FOG                     156     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE     32
HAZE                     58

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

REMARKS...

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE YEAR WAS SOMEWHAT ABOVE NORMAL WHILE
THE TOTAL PRECIPITATION WAS JUST BELOW NORMAL.

THE WARMTH STARTED EARLY AS THE FIRST NINE DAYS OF THE MONTH SAW
THEIR AVERAGE TEMPERATURE TO BE NEAR THOSE OF EARLY MARCH. WINTER
DID STILL MAKE ITSELF KNOWN AS FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET CAUSED SOME
POWER OUTAGES ON JANUARY 10 AND WIND CHILLS FELL TO AROUND TEN
DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON FEBRUARY 13 AND 14. THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE
MEASURED IN MARCH...HOWEVER...WAS ONLY 22 DEGREES. ONLY FOURTEEN
OTHER MARCHES ON RECORD HAD A WARMER LOWEST TEMPERATURE. FREEZING
RAIN...SLEET...AND LIGHT SNOW FELL FELL ON THE MORNING OF APRIL 3
WHICH LED TO MANY TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. A FEW DAYS LATER...ON APRIL
8...THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 88 DEGREES...TYING THE RECORD HIGH FOR
THAT DAY. THUNDERSTORMS ON THE EVENING OF APRIL 11 PRODUCED HAIL UP
TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS IN WESTERN AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF TOPEKA
AND SMALL HAIL RETURNED AFTER DAWN ON THE 12TH...BUT A STRONG COLD
FRONT BROUGHT TEMPERATURES DOWN FROM THE 60S IN THE MORNING TO THE
30S IN THE AFTERNOON WITH WIND CHILLS NEAR 20 THAT EVENING. WEATHER
MORE TYPICAL OF SPRING THEN DEVELOPED WITH NEARLY TWO INCHES OF RAIN
ON MAY 4 FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCED A 68 MPH WIND GUST
AT FORBES FIELD AND TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE ACROSS MUCH OF THE
CITY. A RECORD RAIN OF 2.38 INCHES FELL ON JUNE 27 INCLUDING 1.65
INCHES IN JUST ONE HOUR. OVER THE PERIOD OF JULY 27 TO 30...5.61
INCHES OF PRECIPITATION WAS MEASURED WHICH CAUSED SOME FLASH
FLOODING OF HOMES ON JULY 30. SUMMERTIME HEAT BUILT BY MID JULY WITH
HEAT INDICES REACHING 100 TO 105 JULY 17 TO 19 AND JULY 23 TO
26...WITH A PEAK OF 110 ON JULY 18...HOWEVER THE MERCURY FELL TO 53
DEGREES ON AUGUST 4 WHICH WAS THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE TO HAVE
OCCURRED IN THE FIRST HALF OF AUGUST SINCE 2005. PERIODS OF RAIN AND
DRIZZLE DOMINATED SEPTEMBER 9 AND 10 WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY
54 DEGREES ON THE 9TH...BREAKING THAT DAY/S RECORD LOWEST MAXIMUM
TEMPERATURE BY TEN DEGREES. ANOTHER COOL PERIOD OCCURRED FROM
OCTOBER 23 TO 29 WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING TO BE FIFTEEN DEGREES
BELOW NORMAL...INCLUDING RECORD LOWEST TEMPERATURES OF 32 ON THE
26TH AND 36 ON THE 27TH. A RECORD OF 0.6 INCHES OF SNOW ALSO FELL ON
THE 26TH AND LIGHT FREEZING RAIN FELL ON THE 27TH...THE LATTER OF
WHICH LEAD TO SOME TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. NOVEMBER SAW FAIRLY PERSISTENT
WARMTH WITH ONLY SEVEN DAYS SEEING THEIR AVERAGE TEMPERATURE BELOW
NORMAL. NEARLY ALL THE PRECIPITATION IN DECEMBER FELL ON ONE DAY.
FREEZING RAIN STARTED IN THE PRE-DAWN HOURS OF DECEMBER 29 AND
CONTINUED THROUGH MUCH OF THE MORNING WITH A FEW TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
RESULTING. RAIN CONTINUED INTO THE EARLY EVENING WITH THE DAY/S
TOTAL PRECIPITATION AT 1.21 INCHES. THIS SET THE RECORD FOR THE MOST
PRECIPITATION FOR THE DAY.


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

WINTER......12TH WARMEST /DECEMBER 2019-FEBRUARY 2020/

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

NONE

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

NONE


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

JANUARY.....12TH WARMEST
MARCH.......15TH WARMEST
JUNE.........9TH WARMEST
OCTOBER.....15TH COLDEST
NOVEMBER....13TH WARMEST

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

JULY.........7TH WETTEST
AUGUST.......9TH DRIEST
OCTOBER.....10TH DRIEST

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

NONE


-- DAILY RECORDS --

HIGHEST MAXIMUM - FEB 2......72 F

HIGHEST MINIMUM - JUN 30.....77 F
                  NOV 8......57 F

LOWEST MAXIMUM -- MAY 11.....51 F
                  SEP 9......54 F
                  OCT 26.....32 F
                  OCT 27.....36 F

PRECIPITATION --- JAN 10...0.75 INCHES
                  JAN 17...0.42 INCHES
                  JUN 27...2.38 INCHES
                  JUL 29...2.53 INCHES
                  DEC 29...1.21 INCHES

SNOWFALL -------- OCT 26....0.6 INCHES


-- THUNDERSTORM-RELATED SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS --

HAIL ----- GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL APRIL 11

WIND ----- 55 TO 60 MPH GUSTS APRIL 28
           68 MPH GUST AT FORBES FIELD MAY 4
           GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH JUNE 4
           GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH JUNE 5
           58 MPH GUSTS AT BILLARD AIRPORT JULY 9

$$


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