| August 2009
climate report for Tucson |
| |
| August
2009 headlines |
Decade
of 2000s headlines |
| 2nd
warmest August on record |
2nd
warmest August decade on record |
| 5th
driest August on record |
3rd
driest August decade on record |
| Summer
2009: 4th
warmest and 13th driest on record. |
| Summer
decade of 2000s: WARMEST
on record with near normal rainfall. |
| 3rd
warmest and 9th driest January-August period on record |
|
| |
| Many
words can be used to describe August, Summer and the 2009 Monsoon.
For simplicity, we will go with HOT and
DRY. |
| |
| The
month started off hot and dry with high temperatures in the 105 to
108 range. The combination of these hot temperatures and some additional
moisture led to scattered showers and thunderstorms on the 4th and
5th. Although the airport recorded a trace of rain for both dates,
up to a half of an inch was recorded across parts of the metro area.
It turned dry again for six days before moisture increased again across
the area. This brought scattered showers and thunderstorms to the
area on the 12th and 13th. Rainfall amounts for both days combined
were generally less than a quarter of an inch with a few spots recording
up to four-tenths of an inch. |
| |
| Drier
air moved back across the area by mid-month which brought cooler overnight
low temperatures but no rain. The last significant moisture increase
of the month occurred on the 21st and 22nd which led scattered afternoon
and evening showers and thunderstorms. Two day totals were generally
less than a half of an inch, except up along the Catalina foothills
where totals were up to an inch and a half. The last week of the month
was hot and dry with high temperatures between 102 and 106. |
| |
| August
2009 goes into the record books as the 2nd warmest August on
record with an average monthly temperature of 88.7 degrees, which
is 3.8 degrees above normal. This also ranks as the 10th
warmest calendar month on record. When you combined July and August
together, the average temperature of 89.4 degrees goes into the record
books as the 2nd warmest on record, behind 90.3 degrees set
in 1994.. |
| |
|
On August 8th, the low temperature at the airport was 71 degrees.
This ended a streak of 29 consecutive days, starting on July 10th,
of daily low temperature being 75 degrees or warmer. This easily eclipsed
the old record of 18 consecutive days set in 2006 and in 2003. The
table below lists the top 5 longest streaks. |
| |
| Longest
streaks with low temperature of 75 degrees or warmer |
| Rank |
#
of days |
Year/Dates |
Average
low temperature |
| 1) |
29 |
2009
(7/10 - 8/ 7) |
79.0° |
| 2T) |
18 |
2006
(7/9-26) |
80.6° |
| 18 |
2003
(6/28 - 7/15) |
77.8° |
| 4T) |
17 |
2007
(7/2-18) |
79.8° |
| 17 |
2005
(7/13-29) |
79.1° |
|
| |
|
Temperature extremes for the month ranged from a high of 108 degrees
on the 5th to a low of 70 degrees on the 16th, which is the 7th time
on record that the August monthly low temperature did not go lower
than 70 degrees (2009, 2007, 1996, 1988, 1977, 1970, 1969). Five daily
record temperature were set during August. Record highs were tied
on the 5th (108°: 1995/1994) and 27th (106°: 2002/2001/1930),
while record high minimums were set/tied on the 3rd (81; old record
79° set in 1995/1942/1903); the 6th (84°; old record 83°
in 1977) and the 31st (78°: 2003/1977/1949). |
| |
|
Rainfall totals
were highly variable across the area during August as they ranged
from around a quarter of an inch to slightly over two inches, with
the highest amounts occurring mainly across the northern portions
of the metro area near the Catalina mountains. Officially, the International
airport recorded a third of an inch /0.33"/ of rain, which
is about two inches below. This ranks as the 5th driest August on
record (#1 0.08"/1924;#2 0.10"/1926; #3 0.23"/1976;
#4 0.32"/1975) and is the least amount of rain the airport
has recorded during August since 1994 /0.45"/, which is the
warmest August on record.
|
| |
| August
2009 stats |
Month
|
Normal
|
Departure
|
| Average
high temperature |
101.9°
|
97.4°
|
+
4.5°
|
| Average
low temperature |
75.4°
|
72.4°
|
+
3.0°
|
| Average
temperature |
88.7°
|
84.9°
|
+
3.8°
|
| Number
of 100+ degree highs |
25
|
12
|
+
13
|
| Rainfall |
0.33"
|
2.30"
|
-
1.97"
|
|
| |
| 2009
stats thru August |
Year
|
Normal
|
Departure
|
| Average
high temperature |
87.4°
|
84.1°
|
+
3.3°
|
| Average
low temperature |
59.2°
|
55.9°
|
+
3.3°
|
| Average
temperature |
73.3°
|
70.0°
|
+
3.3°
|
| Number
of 100+ degree highs |
67
|
49
|
+
18
|
| Rainfall |
4.45"
|
7.81"
|
-
3.36"
|
| 2008-09
Water Year rainfall (Oct-Aug.) |
5.77"
|
10.72"
|
-
4.95"
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| The
first half of 2009 goes into the records books as the 3rd warmest
on record with an average temperature of 73.3 degrees. The warmest
January to August period occurred in 1994 and 1989 when the average
temperature was 73.4 degrees. The 2009 Monsoon rainfall total at the
airport of 2.12" ranks as the 13th driest on record to date (with
one month left in the season). The 2008-2009 water year rainfall total
at the airport is nearly FIVE inches below normal. This ranks
as the 6th driest water year to date, with one month left in
the water year period.. |
| |
August decade in review: the 2000s
|
|
The month of
August during the decade of the 2000s will go into the record books
as the 2nd warmest and 3rd driest decade on record
(dating back to the mid-1890s). The decadal average temperature
of 85.6 degrees is a half of a degree cooler
than the 1990s. The
average decadal precipitation of 1.76" is the driest August
decade since the 1970s.
|
| Decadal
average temperatures |
| 2000s |
1990s |
1980s |
1970s |
1960s |
1950s |
1940s |
1930s |
1920s |
1910s |
1900s |
| 85.6° |
86.1° |
85.1° |
84.2° |
83.6° |
84.1° |
84.4° |
84.2° |
83.7° |
83.9° |
83.6° |
| Decadal
average precipitation |
| 2000s |
1990s |
1980s |
1970s |
1960s |
1950s |
1940s |
1930s |
1920s |
1910s |
1900s |
| 1.76" |
2.75" |
2.66" |
1.48" |
2.37" |
2.42" |
2.37" |
2.52" |
1.70" |
1.89" |
1.97" |
|
| |
|
2009 (88.7°)
and 2007 (86.9°) are ranked as the 2nd and 4th warmest August's
on record respectively. The 0.33" of rain recorded at the International
airport during 2009 ranks as the 5th driest August on record.
|
| Year-by-year
statistical recap for Tucson International airport |
| Year |
Avg.
high |
Avg.
Low |
Avg.
Temp |
Precip. |
| 2000 |
97.3° |
72.5° |
84.9° |
1.70" |
| 2001 |
98.9° |
72.8° |
85.9° |
0.85" |
| 2002 |
98.7° |
73.5° |
86.1° |
1.63" |
| 2003 |
97.7° |
74.8° |
86.3° |
2.04" |
| 2004 |
96.9° |
72.9° |
84.9° |
0.95" |
| 2005 |
95.0° |
72.8° |
83.9° |
4.52" |
| 2006 |
94.0° |
73.4° |
83.7° |
3.01" |
| 2007 |
98.0° |
75.7° |
86.9° |
0.90" |
| 2008 |
96.8° |
74.0° |
85.4° |
1.70" |
| 2009 |
101.9° |
75.4° |
88.7° |
0.33" |
| 2000s
avg. |
97.5° |
73.8° |
85.6° |
1.76" |
| 1971-2000
normal |
97.4° |
72.4° |
84.9° |
2.30" |
| Click
on a year for full climate report previously posted. |
|
| |
|
The first two
graphs below shows the daily departure from normal, or periods of
warm/cold, for each July day from 2000 through 2009. The third graph
is the departure from normal for the monthly average temperatures.
The fourth graph is the departure from normal for the monthly rainfall.
(all years compared against 1971-2000 normals except 2000/2001 which
were compared to 1961-1990 normals).
|
|
[Daily
highs] [Daily
lows] [August
average temperatures] [August
precipitation] |
| Move
your mouse over the locations to change graphics. Click link for larger
view. |
 |
| |
|
Temperature
extremes for the decade ranged from 110 degrees on August
10, 2003 to 64 degrees on August 31, 2000. Twenty-four record
temperatures were set/tied this past decade (listing below is in
chronological order). No record lows were set during the 2000s.
In fact, it has been over 50 years since a record low was set during
August (63° on Aug. 3rd).
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Record
type |
Date |
Record |
Previous |
Year(s) |
| Low
Maximum |
August
28, 2000 |
86°
(tied) |
86° |
1951 |
| Low
Maximum |
August
30, 2000 |
83° |
86° |
1966 |
| High |
August
25, 2001 |
106°
(tied) |
106° |
1985/1901 |
| High |
August
26, 2001 |
107° |
106° |
1901 |
| High |
August
27, 2001 |
106°
(tied) |
106° |
1930 |
| High
Minimum |
August
16, 2002 |
80°
(tied) |
80° |
1962 |
| High |
August
25, 2002 |
106°
(tied) |
106° |
2001/1985/1901 |
| High |
August
27, 2002 |
106°
(tied) |
106° |
2001/1930 |
| High
Minimum |
August
7, 2003 |
84° |
83° |
1995 |
| High |
August
10, 2003 |
110° |
109° |
1994/1993 |
| High
Minimum |
August
12, 2003 |
81°
(tied) |
81° |
1915 |
| High
Minimum |
August
31, 2003 |
78°
(tied) |
78° |
1977/1949/1897 |
| High
Minimum |
August
9, 2004 |
82° |
81° |
1995 |
| Low
Maximum |
August
14, 2005 |
79° |
82° |
1933 |
| High
Minimum |
August
22, 2005 |
80° |
79° |
1981/1969/1935 |
| Low
Maximum |
August
6, 2007 |
80° |
86° |
1918 |
| High
Minimum |
August
22, 2007 |
80°
(tied) |
80° |
2005 |
| High
Minimum |
August
23, 2007 |
81° |
78° |
1997 |
| High
Minimum |
August
30, 2007 |
80°
(tied) |
80° |
1929 |
| High
Minimum |
August
3, 2009 |
81° |
79° |
1995/1942/1903 |
| High |
August
5, 2009 |
108°
(tied) |
108° |
1995/1994 |
| High
Minimum |
August
6, 2009 |
84° |
83° |
1977 |
| High |
August
27, 2009 |
106°
(tied) |
106° |
2002/2001/1930 |
| High
Minimum |
August
31, 2009 |
78°
(tied) |
78° |
2003/1977/1949 |
|
| |
| One
rainfall record were set during the 2000s |
| Date |
Record |
Previous
/ Year |
| August
23, 2005 |
2.29" |
1.96"
/ 1992 |
|
| |
Summer season decade in review: the 2000s
|
| The
summer season during the decade of the 2000s will go into the record
books as the WARMEST on record (dating back to the mid-1890s)
with near normal rainfall. The decadal average temperature of 86.5
degrees is four-tenths of a degree warmer than the 1990s. The average
decadal precipitation of 4.55" was slightly DRIER than
the 1990s. |
| Decadal
average temperatures |
| 2000s |
1990s |
1980s |
1970s |
1960s |
1950s |
1940s |
1930s |
1920s |
1910s |
1900s |
| 86.5° |
86.1° |
85.5° |
84.5° |
83.7° |
84.7° |
84.7° |
84.2° |
83.7° |
83.4° |
83.2° |
| Decadal
average precipitation |
| 2000s |
1990s |
1980s |
1970s |
1960s |
1950s |
1940s |
1930s |
1920s |
1910s |
1900s |
| 4.55 |
4.70" |
5.20" |
3.87" |
4.63" |
5.99" |
4.21" |
4.39" |
3.90" |
5.04" |
4.41" |
|
|
| SIX
of the top 10 warmest summers on record have occurred during the decade
of the 2000s: 2009 (87.2°, 4th); 2003 (87.1°, 5th); 2007 (86.9°,
T-6th); 2002 (86.9°, T-6th); 2006 (86.8°, T-8th) and 2005
(86.7°, 10th). 2004 (1.81") and 2009 (2.16") are ranked
as the 8th and 13th driest summers on record respectively. |
| Season-by-season
statistical recap for Tucson International airport |
| Year |
Avg.
high |
Avg.
Low |
Avg.
Temp |
Precip. |
| 2000 |
98.8° |
73.0° |
85.9° |
4.85" |
| 2001 |
99.1° |
72.6° |
85.9° |
2.48" |
| 2002 |
100.5° |
73.4° |
86.9° |
4.10" |
| 2003 |
100.4° |
73.7° |
87.1° |
4.54" |
| 2004 |
99.0° |
72.1° |
85.5° |
1.81" |
| 2005 |
99.8° |
73.6° |
86.7° |
5.25" |
| 2006 |
98.7° |
74.9° |
86.8° |
8.91" |
| 2007 |
99.7° |
74.1° |
86.9° |
6.12" |
| 2008 |
98.7° |
73.3° |
86.0° |
5.28" |
| 2009 |
100.5° |
74.0° |
87.2° |
2.16" |
| 2000s
avg. |
99.5° |
73.5° |
86.5° |
4.55" |
| 1971-2000
normal |
99.1° |
71.3° |
85.2° |
4.61" |
| Click
on a year for full climate report previously posted. |
|
| |
| |
| Looking
ahead into September |
| The
Climate Prediction Center
forecasts enhanced probabilities of above normal temperatures
and equal chances of below and above normal precipitation. |
| |
|
| Normal
high temperature |
94.0° |
| Normal
low temperature |
67.7° |
| Normal
monthly temperature |
80.9° |
| Record
high temperature |
107°
on September 1, 1993 |
| (last
of 9 occurrences) |
| Record
low temperature |
43°
on September 26, 1913 |
| Warmest
September (avg) |
84.8°
in 2000 |
| Coldest
September (avg) |
76.3°
in 1964 |
| Normal
rainfall |
1.45" |
| Wettest
September day |
2.85"
on September 10, 1964 |
| Wettest
September |
5.11"
in 1964 |
| Driest
September |
0.00"
in 1953 |
| |
|
|
The number
of daylight hours will decrease from 12 hours 49 minutes on
the 1st to 11 hours 52 minutes on the 30th, a loss of 57 minutes.
|
| |
| Looking
ahead into Fall 2009 |
| The
Climate Prediction Center
will have enhanced probabilities of above normal temperatures
and equal chances of below and above normal precipitation. |
| |
|
| Normal
high temperature |
83.4° |
| Normal
low temperature |
56.6° |
| Normal
seasonal temperature |
70.0° |
| Warmest
Fall (avg) |
74.0°
in 1999 |
| Coldest
Fall (avg) |
66.0°
in 1972/1923/1919 |
| Normal
Fall rainfall |
3.33" |
| Wettest
Fall |
10.97"
in 1983 |
| Driest
Fall |
0.18"
in 1953 |
| |
|
|
The autumnal equinox, otherwise known as the beginning
of fall, will begin on September 22nd at 2:18 PM MST
when the sun begins to cross the equator into the southern hemisphere. |
|
| |
Glueck
|
www.weather.gov 
