| September
2009 climate report for Tucson |
| |
| September
2009 headlines |
Decade
of 2000s headlines |
| 8th
warmest on record |
Warmest
September decade on record |
| 40th
driest on record |
2nd
driest September decade on record |
| Monsoon
2009: 3rd warmest and 11th driest on record |
| 3rd
warmest and 7th driest January-September period on
record |
| 2008-2009
water year: 7th driest on record |
|
| |
| The
lack luster 2009 Monsoon and the warm year continued through September. |
| |
| The
month started off with eyes to our south as Hurricane Jimena was moving
toward Baja California. Would this tropical moisture be pulled north
across southern Arizona to bring an increase in thunderstorm activity
from the anemic 2009 Monsoon? Moisture did move in and there was an
increase in storms from the 3rd to the 8th with rainfall amounts across
the metro ranging from a quarter of an inch to two inches with localized
spots recording up to three inches with the higher totals being recorded
up on the northwest side including portions of Oro Valley. |
| |
| Moisture
values started to decrease over the next several weeks, which is typical
during the late stages of the monsoon. There were a few days that
isolated storms developed over the area but for the most part the
rest of the month was very dry. Temperature remained warm with a heat
wave toward the end of the month as the mercury hit the century mark
on four days. |
| |
| September
2009 goes into the record books as the 8th warmest on record
with an average monthly temperature of 83.7 degrees, which is 2.8
degrees above normal. Temperature extremes for the month ranged
from a high of 102 degrees on the 28th to a low of 66 degrees on the
17th and 25th |
| |
|
September rainfall
totals were highly variable across the area as they ranged from
around a quarter of an inch to three inches, with the highest amounts
occurring along the Catalina mountains to Oro Valley and near the
Tucson mountains. Officially, the International airport recorded
three-quarters of an inch /0.74"/ of rain, which is around
three-quarters of an inch below normal. This ranks as the 40th driest
September on record.
|
| |
| September
2009 stats |
Month
|
Normal
|
Departure
|
| Average
high temperature |
96.5°
|
94.0°
|
+
2.5°
|
| Average
low temperature |
70.8°
|
67.7°
|
+
3.1°
|
| Average
temperature |
83.7°
|
80.9°
|
+
2.8°
|
| Number
of 100+ degree highs |
12
|
5
|
+
7
|
| Rainfall |
0.74"
|
1.45"
|
-
0.71"
|
|
| |
| The
2009 Monsoon, by all accounts, was a huge disappointment and
can be attributed in part by the development of El
Niño in the Pacific. The rainfall total at the airport
of 2.86" goes into the record books as the 11th driest Monsoon
on record. Rainfall amounts across the metro area ranged from two
to five inches with some higher amounts up to 7 inches being recorded
on the northwest side, mainly north of Ina Road and west of Oracle
Road (State Highway 77). It was another warm Monsoon with an average
temperature of 87.1 degrees which ranks as the 3rd warmest
Monsoon on record. The top two warmest Monsoons occurred in 1994 (88.7°)
and 1989 (87.3°). |
| |
| Monsoon
2009 stats |
Month
|
Normal
|
Departure
|
| Average
high temperature |
100.0°
|
97.6°
|
+
2.4°
|
| Average
low temperature |
74.2°
|
71.0°
|
+
3.2°
|
| Average
temperature |
87.1°
|
84.3°
|
+
2.8°
|
| Rainfall
(airport) |
2.86"
|
6.06"
|
-
3.20"
|
|
| |
| The
2008-2009 water year (October 1 to September 30) rainfall total
of 6.51" at the airport goes into the record books at the
7th driest on record. Rainfall amounts across the metro
area ranged from six inches to 12 inches. |
Top
10 driest Water Years on record
|
| |
Rank
|
Total
/ Year
|
|
Rank
|
Total
/Year
|
|
1
|
4.73"
/ 1901-02
|
6
|
6.46"
/ 1988-89
|
|
2
|
5.81"
/ 1946-47
|
7
|
6.51"
/ 2008-09
|
|
3
|
5.82"
/ 1975-76
|
8
|
6.62"
/ 1912-13
|
|
4
|
5.99"
/ 1917-18
|
9
|
6.73"
/ 1993-94
|
|
5
|
6.09"
/ 1999-2000
|
10
|
6.88"
/ 1955-56
|
|
| |
| Tucson
is still on track for recording one of its warmest years on record.
Through the end of September, the average yearly temperature of 74.4
degrees was within two-tenths of a degree of the record of 74.6 degrees
set in 1989 and 1994. |
| |
| 2009
stats thru September |
Year
|
Normal
|
Departure
|
| Average
high temperature |
88.4°
|
85.5°
|
+
2.9°
|
| Average
low temperature |
60.4°
|
57.4°
|
+
3.0°
|
| Average
temperature |
74.4°
|
71.5°
|
+
2.9°
|
| Number
of 100+ degree highs |
74
|
55
|
+
19
|
| Rainfall |
5.19"
|
9.26"
|
-
4.07"
|
| Final
2008-09 Water Year rainfall |
6.51"
|
12.17"
|
-
5.66"
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
September decade in review: the 2000s
|
|
The month of
September during the decade of the 2000s will go into the record
books as the WARMEST and 2nd driest decade on record
(dating back to the mid-1890s). The decadal average temperature
of 82.6 degrees is a half of a degree warmer
than the 1990s. The
average decadal precipitation of 0.79" is the driest September
decade since the 1950s.
|
| Decadal
average temperatures |
| 2000s |
1990s |
1980s |
1970s |
1960s |
1950s |
1940s |
1930s |
1920s |
1910s |
1900s |
| 82.6° |
82.1° |
80.5° |
79.6° |
79.6° |
81.8° |
81.3° |
79.9° |
79.4° |
79.4° |
78.7° |
| Decadal
average precipitation |
| 2000s |
1990s |
1980s |
1970s |
1960s |
1950s |
1940s |
1930s |
1920s |
1910s |
1900s |
| 0.79 |
1.55" |
1.74" |
1.41" |
1.81" |
0.60" |
1.62" |
1.01" |
1.87" |
0.93" |
0.96" |
|
| |
|
2000 (84.8°),
2007 (84.4°), 2009 (83.7°), 2005 (83.5°)are ranked as
the 1st, 3rd, 8th and 9th warmest September's on record respectively.
|
| Year-by-year
statistical recap for Tucson International airport |
| Year |
Avg.
high |
Avg.
Low |
Avg.
Temp |
Precip. |
| 2000 |
98.5° |
70.9° |
84.8° |
0.02" |
| 2001 |
97.9° |
70.9° |
84.4° |
0.33" |
| 2002 |
94.9° |
70.1° |
82.5° |
1.68" |
| 2003 |
95.8° |
69.7° |
82.7° |
2.16" |
| 2004 |
93.5° |
68.4° |
81.0° |
0.61" |
| 2005 |
96.5° |
70.6° |
83.5° |
0.05" |
| 2006 |
90.6° |
66.4° |
78.5° |
1.60" |
| 2007 |
95.3° |
70.6° |
83.0° |
0.45" |
| 2008 |
95.0° |
69.7° |
82.4° |
0.24" |
| 2009 |
96.5° |
70.8° |
83.7° |
0.74" |
| 2000s
avg. |
95.5° |
69.8° |
82.6° |
0.79" |
| 1971-2000
normal |
94.0° |
67.7° |
80.9° |
1.45" |
| 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 September 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] [September
average temperatures] [September
precipitation] |
| Move
your mouse over the locations to change graphics. Click link for larger
view. |
 |
| |
|
Temperature
extremes for the decade ranged from 107 degrees on September
14, 2000 to 54 degrees on September 22, 2004. Fifteen 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 40 years since a record low was set during
September.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Record
type |
Date |
Record |
Previous |
Year(s) |
| High |
Sept.
7, 2000 |
105° |
104° |
1979/1953/1952* |
| High |
Sept.
14, 2000 |
107° |
103° |
1956/1954/1952* |
| High
Minimum |
Sept.
15, 2000 |
79° |
78° |
1910 |
| High
Minimum |
Sept.
26, 2000 |
77° |
75° |
1989/1977 |
| High |
Sept.
29, 2000 |
101°
(tied) |
101° |
1917 |
| High
Minimum |
Sept.
11, 2001 |
78°
(tied) |
78° |
1968/1951 |
| High
Minimum |
Sept.
12, 2001 |
80° |
76° |
1990 |
| High |
Sept.
23, 2001 |
103° |
102° |
1908/1899 |
| High
Minimum |
Sept.
24, 2001 |
78°
(tied) |
78° |
1963 |
| High
Minimum |
Sept.
1, 2002 |
80°
(tied) |
80° |
1977 |
| High
Minimum |
Sept.
5, 2002 |
82° |
79° |
1903 |
| Low
Maximum |
Sept.
24, 2003 |
73°
(tied) |
73° |
1976 |
| High
Minimum |
Sept.
7, 2005 |
79° |
78° |
1986 |
| High
Minimum |
Sept.
11, 2007 |
78°
(tied) |
78° |
2001/1968/1951 |
| High |
Sept.
29, 2009 |
101°
(tied) |
101° |
2000/1917 |
|
| |
| One
rainfall record were set during the 2000s |
| Date |
Record |
Previous
/ Year |
| September
7, 2006 |
1.15" |
1.13"
/ 1950 |
|
| |
| |
| Looking
ahead into October |
| The
Climate Prediction Center
forecasts equal chances for below normal, normal and above normal
temperatures and precipitation. |
| |
|
| Normal
high temperature |
84.0° |
| Normal
low temperature |
57.0° |
| Normal
monthly temperature |
70.5° |
| Record
high temperature |
102°
on October 3, 1993 |
| Record
low temperature |
26°
on October 30, 1971 |
| Warmest
October (avg) |
76.8°
in 1950 |
| Coldest
October (avg) |
63.8°
in 1908 |
| Normal
rainfall |
1.21" |
| Wettest
October day |
2.96"
on October 1, 1983 |
| Wettest
October |
4.98"
in 2000 and 1983 |
| Driest
October |
0.00"
in 1982 (last of 10 occurrences) |
| |
|
|
The number
of daylight hours will decrease from 11 hours 50 minutes on
the 1st to 10 hours 54 minutes on the 31st, a loss of 56 minutes.
|
|
| |
Glueck
|
www.weather.gov 
