9 August 2011
Oklahoma July Temp. Average Is Hottest of Any State-Ever
Posted by Dan Satterfield
July heat records from NOAA-NCDC. The number of record high low temperature records is due to the high humidity that was a characteristic of this heat wave. Mouse image for full resolution.
From the NCDC today: “Oklahoma’s statewide average temperature was the warmest monthly statewide average temperature on record for any state during any month.” That amazing statistic underscores just what kind of summer it has been across the U.S. and the records keep falling. The average temp. in Oklahoma based on all stations for the entire month of July was 88.9. degrees. This breaks the record of July 1954 of 88.1 degrees.
The ground is so hot in Oklahoma and Texas, that in spite of the significant weakening of the high pressure system in the mid levels of the atmosphere, the temp is staying well above 100 degrees. It will take some significant rains to cool the ground and bring temps back to normal, but this will likely be slow to happen. Long range guidance does show the heat wave weakening and already temps. in Iowa and Kansas have dropped back considerably.
Here is a summary of the incredible records of July from NCDC.
Click image for pdf with all the major records from the Nat. Climate Data Center.
In the USA, there have been1,437 record highs and just 52 record lows in the first 7 days of August. It’s worth mentioning that almost all climate researchers expect the night-time lows to climb much faster than the daytime highs over the next 100 years, and this heat wave has seen just that with 7,511 record high lows and just 436 record lows.
Record highs over the last year have outpaced record lows by almost three to one. From NCDC.
Dan Satterfield has worked as an on air meteorologist for 32 years in Oklahoma, Florida and Alabama. Forecasting weather is Dan's job, but all of Earth Science is his passion. This journal is where Dan writes about things he has too little time for on air. Dan blogs about peer-reviewed Earth science for Junior High level audiences and up.
July was very much a month of extremes during a year of extremes in the US. In the spring the Southwest US and western Plains experienced exceptional drought whilst exceptional flooding occurred to the east (as well as many tornadoes). In July the drought continued in the west and much of the east began to dry out. Gaylord Michigan and others set driest records while Dubuque IA and nearby Galena set rainfall records, seeing 10-15″ in one night. Drought or deluge, indeed. USGS now has its monthly State of the Climate report out and is well worth a read: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/national/2011/7 .
Oops, I meant to say that NCDC has its State of the Climate report out!
Yes, I have seen it but thanks for linking it- I should have done the same. Am waiting for the NCDC global version. NASA’s data is out with July data at 3rd warmest. NCDC does it slightly differently so am interested in their data.