Tulsa's August unusually hot
BY ALTHEA PETERSON World Staff Writer
Thursday, September 01, 2011
9/01/11 at 10:28 AM
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Tulsa set and tied six daily highs in the month of August, while also having more rain than any other month of 2011, according to the National Weather Service.
Both temperatures and precipitation levels were atypically high for August, said Tulsa National Weather Service meteorologist Chuck Hodges. Daily temperatures averaged about 5 degrees above normal, while the month's rainfall was about 3 inches above normal.
"Most of it came in the first half of the month," Hodges said of Tulsa's August rainfall. "Almost 3.5 inches came on the 10th."
Most of Tulsa's record-setting hot days were also in the beginning of the month, with the rain causing Tulsa to cool down for a few days in the middle, Hodges said. However, Tulsa set another record high on Aug. 24, as temperatures rose to 108 that day.
"It's typically the hottest time of the year, late July into early August," Hodges said.
According to the National Weather Service, the 14 days in the 100s for August is short of the all-time record of 26 days, set in 1936. However, it is a tie for 16th all-time for days in the 100s in August with several other years.
With two days in June, 26 days in July and 14 days in August in the 100s, Tulsa has had 42 days in the 100s so far in 2011. This would rank sixth all time, trailing 1936 (65), 1934 (59), 1980 (58), 1925 (47) and 1954 (46).
It might come as some relief to Tulsa to know that the hot temperatures are not expected to last past this week. Hodges said after Saturday, a strong cold front is forecast to move into the area, bringing daily highs down to the 80s, and lows down to the 50s or 60s.
While there is not expected to be much, if any rainfall with the cooler temperatures, it might mean the end of record-setting highs for Tulsa for awhile, Hodges said.
"Enjoy the weather next week," Hodges said. "I think we deserve it."
August weather records for Tulsa set in 2011:
110: Tied record high for Aug. 1, also set in 1923
112: Record high for Aug. 2, previously 108 set in 1980
113: Record high for Aug. 3, previously 110 set in 1923
112: Record high for Aug. 5, previously 110 set in 1964
109: Tied record high for Aug. 6, also set in 1956
108: Record high for Aug. 24, previously 107 set in 1936
Source: National Weather Service
Wednesday's high hits 105
Tulsa had a high temperature of 105 degrees on Wednesday, the 14th time the city had a daily high in the 100s in August. It was one degree shy of the record for the date of 106, set in 1951.
The normal high for Aug. 31 is 90, making Wednesday's high 15 degrees above normal.
Wednesday's high 105
Wednesday's low 80
Thursday's forecast high 102
Thursday's forecast low 76
100-degree days this summer* 42
*since summer started June 21
Original Print Headline: 2011 August set records for heat
Althea Peterson 918-581-8361
althea.peterson@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Three-year-old Wesley Learmonth plays with a toy in a fountain basin at 41st and Riverside on Aug. 3. Wesley just moved to Tulsa with his mother Shannon Learmonth and was enjoying the park for the first time. JEFF LAUTENBERGER / Tulsa World
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