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Records at Amarillo: new wind record and more temperature records on the way

snowmanwx

By snowmanwx,
in Central/Western States

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snowmanwx

snowmanwx

Posted
Posted

NWS Amarillo, Texas emitted the following today: 

702
NOUS44 KAMA 242046
PNSAMA
OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-242200-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
346 PM CDT FRI JUN 24 2011

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE TIED IN AMARILLO TODAY...

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE IN AMARILLO REACHED 108 DEGREES AT 343 PM TODAY.  
THIS TIES THE RECORD HIGH OF 108 SET IN 1953 AND 1990. THIS ALSO 
TIES THE ALL TIME RECORD HIGH FOR AMARILLO.  

$BILODEAU

Got that?

Now, year-to-date precipitation at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport stands at just 0.68 inch, most of which fell as snow in February. The normal wet season in Amarillo runs May through August; Amarillo benefits from the normal wet season on the south Plains and peripherally from the Southwestern monsoon. The last inch of rain at Amarillo fell on 12 November 2010. Although Amarillo normally features a semi-arid climate, this duration of intense drought still sets records. Check out the latest drought information statement: 

THE SPRING SEASON HAS BEEN VERY DRY.  FROM FEBRUARY 10TH UNTIL JUNE 
9TH...115 DAYS...ONLY 0.19 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION HAS FALLEN. THIS IS 
THE DRIEST START TO A YEAR EVER.  

FROM JANUARY 1 OF 2011 THROUGH JUNE 8 OF 2011...THE FOLLOWING 
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WERE RECORDED.  

AMARILLO RECEIVED 0.68 INCHES OF RAIN.  NORMAL RAINFALL FOR THIS 
PERIOD IS 6.91 INCHES.

Zero precipitation has reached the ground at Amarillo since the issuance of this statement. Less than one inch of rain fell in May and in June in 1953, 1990, and 1998. Only 1953 lacked an inch of rain in any month from December through June, and that drought was not quite as absolute. Intense heat baked the southern Plains that June, but some rainfall resumed in July and August.

Amarillo could continue to set high-temperature records until rains arrive and soak the soils, triggering vegetative greenup. The drought in Amarillo is not unrepresentative of that in other locations throughout west Texas.

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snowmanwx

snowmanwx

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the all time high for AMARILLO TX is only 108??

and if it is then it was tied 3 times all on the same date? (june 24th)

Yes indeed, so it was until yesterday, when the temperature climbed still further to 109. Notice those years: 1990 and 1953. Amarillo also tied its all-time record high on 27 and 28 June 1998. All three of those years had less than one inch of rain in May and less than one inch in June, a rare combination to start the rainy season in Amarillo. June in fact typically ranks as the wettest month of the year.

Amarillo lies on a plateau, the "High Plains," with an elevation of 3600 feet above mean sea level, which protects the city from the intense heat that frequents the Plains to the east with significantly lower elevation (near 1000 feet). Intense dry heat blasts from the desert typically peak this time of year and cannot occur after the onset of the Southwestern monsoon, which climatology suggests should begin shortly.

Here's a review of the most intense heat waves at Amarillo:

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/ama/climate/SummerTemps.pdf

Note the statistic: half of all 105-plus-degree days ever recorded occur between 20 June and 1 July.

Maybe the monsoon will start soon and dump some beneficial rains. Maybe not.

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brettjrob

brettjrob

Posted
Posted

the all time high for AMARILLO TX is only 108??

and if it is then it was tied 3 times all on the same date? (june 24th)

It's all in the elevation. Go 2-3 counties east off the Caprock and it's probably been 118 F. Just think about the H85/H7 temperatures that would be required for a reading like that at 4000 ft. ASL, even with dry adiabatic lapse rates!

Just as a completely empirical rule of thumb, I've noticed that the axis of hottest summer temps in the southern/central Plains tends to be centered near the 2000 ft. ASL elevation contour. Once you get out near AMA/GCK the elevation is too high, while once you get to OKC/ICT/DFW it's difficult to get the type of downslope and drying seen farther W. Local agricultural uses also play a significant role, as wheat is most common in W OK, as opposed to rangeland or cotton in the TX Panhandle.

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snowmanwx

snowmanwx

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It's all in the elevation. Go 2-3 counties east off the Caprock and it's probably been 118 F. Just think about the H85/H7 temperatures that would be required for a reading like that at 4000 ft. ASL, even with dry adiabatic lapse rates!

Just as a completely empirical rule of thumb, I've noticed that the axis of hottest summer temps in the southern/central Plains tends to be centered near the 2000 ft. ASL elevation contour. Once you get out near AMA/GCK the elevation is too high, while once you get to OKC/ICT/DFW it's difficult to get the type of downslope and drying seen farther W. Local agricultural uses also play a significant role, as wheat is most common in W OK, as opposed to rangeland or cotton in the TX Panhandle.

Checking reports from Texas, the hottest I could find for yesterday was 113 at Cedar RAWS and Pecos AWOS. 


INK  : WINK ASOS                 :    111  /  73 /  0.00/

PEQ  : PECOS AWOS                :    113  /  68 /  0.00/

TGAT2: LAJITAS 1NNW              : DH0800/ 110 /  76 /  0.00

PNWT2: PENWELL                   : DH0800/ 110 /  72 /  0.00

PRET2: PRESIDIO 2                : DH1000/ 111 /  71 /  0.00
RGVT2: RIO GRANDE VILLAGE        : DH0800/ 112 /  77 /  0.00


LITTLEFIELD         110  69   72          

PADUCAH             110  78   80          

TURKEY              110  79   79          

CAPROCK CANYONS STATE PARK             110  79   79    

COYANOSA N2         112  72   77     


BORGER AIRPORT       110   82   0.00       

CEDAR RAWS           113   80   0.00       

PANHANDLE           110   69   69   0.00       
SANFORD DAM         110   76   83   0.00

Looks like the real hot air just stayed on the plateau yesterday. But if it descends down the Caprock, look out!

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tacoman25

tacoman25

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Yes indeed, so it was until yesterday, when the temperature climbed still further to 109. Notice those years: 1990 and 1953. Amarillo also tied its all-time record high on 27 and 28 June 1998. All three of those years had less than one inch of rain in May and less than one inch in June, a rare combination to start the rainy season in Amarillo. June in fact typically ranks as the wettest month of the year.

Amarillo lies on a plateau, the "High Plains," with an elevation of 3600 feet above mean sea level, which protects the city from the intense heat that frequents the Plains to the east with significantly lower elevation (near 1000 feet). Intense dry heat blasts from the desert typically peak this time of year and cannot occur after the onset of the Southwestern monsoon, which climatology suggests should begin shortly.

Here's a review of the most intense heat waves at Amarillo:

http://www.srh.noaa....SummerTemps.pdf

Note the statistic: half of all 105-plus-degree days ever recorded occur between 20 June and 1 July.

Maybe the monsoon will start soon and dump some beneficial rains. Maybe not.

108 still seems low for that location. Denver is a lot further north and a lot higher (5280', though the airport is actuall about 5400') and has reached 105 on several occasions.

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Ed Lizard

Ed Lizard

Posted
Posted

108 still seems low for that location. Denver is a lot further north and a lot higher (5280', though the airport is actuall about 5400') and has reached 105 on several occasions.

Its about sea level, but even Houston has done 108ºF before, with our pleasant Mediterranean climate modified (usually) by proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. Was 105ºF a little over a week ago. But it has been dry here as well.

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brettjrob

brettjrob

Posted
Posted

108 still seems low for that location. Denver is a lot further north and a lot higher (5280', though the airport is actuall about 5400') and has reached 105 on several occasions.

It is somewhat interesting, I agree. I just checked GLD, which is at a similar longitude and elevation, and they've hit at least 111 F before.

As far as latitude goes, it's not necessarily intuitive. It appears that LBF, RAP, and PIR have all seen much higher readings (112-117 F). Perhaps the SW Monsoon is the reason, as snowmanwx suggests.

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snowmanwx

snowmanwx

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The Southwestern monsoon appears weak or delayed with even clouds at this hour--ripe for evening rain showers in a less intense drought--almost absent north of Durango except a few in the highest mountains of extreme west Chihuahua. Drought in northern Mexico has been particularly intense this year, a sharp contrast to the flooding rains in southern Mexico late last tropical season. Tropical waves continue to bring needed moisture to southern Mexico.

Anyway, a cold front passed through Amarillo today. Even with the calm and now upslope flow behind the front, the temperature still soared to 107 degrees Fahrenheit What a pathetically weak cold front!

Ahead of the front, Hollis and Erick in Oklahoma both touched 111 degrees Fahrenheit. The front should retreat tomorrow, leaving Amarillo in downsloping flow. Amarillo consequently may make another run at its new all-time record high tomorrow.

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brettjrob

brettjrob

Posted
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Yeah, it seems like temperatures are maximized immediately ahead of this boundary in recent days. Expecting the hottest day of this stretch in OKC to be Monday, when the front should intrude into NW OK and veer low-level flow a bit more around these parts. Tomorrow should be brutal again for W OK and the E TX Panhandle.

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Ed Lizard

Ed Lizard

Posted
Posted

108 still seems low for that location. Denver is a lot further north and a lot higher (5280', though the airport is actuall about 5400') and has reached 105 on several occasions.

Just a though, Denver is immediately East of mountains, and the exactly wrong wind direction of a very dry airmass could really bring in downslope winds.

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beavis1729

beavis1729

Posted
Posted

Even as a weak "cold front" turned winds to the NE yesterday in far N TX, locations south of the front sill baked. Pecos, TX hit 114 yesterday.

It looks like today may be the hottest day yet across N and W TX. Some places may touch 115-116...and Amarillo 110? What is the all-time highest temp ever recorded in TX?

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Srain

Srain

Posted
Posted

Even as a weak "cold front" turned winds to the NE yesterday in far N TX, locations south of the front sill baked. Pecos, TX hit 114 yesterday.

It looks like today may be the hottest day yet across N and W TX. Some places may touch 115-116...and Amarillo 110? What is the all-time highest temp ever recorded in TX?

August 12, 1936 in Seymour, TX. 120F...;)

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Memphis Weather

Memphis Weather

Posted
Posted

...ALL TIME RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET IN AMARILLO TODAY...

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE IN AMARILLO REACHED 110 DEGREES AT 220 PM

TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE RECORD HIGH OF 107 SET IN 1990 AND TIED

AGAIN IN 1998.

THE 110 DEGREES SETS THE ALL TIME RECORD HIGH FOR AMARILLO. THE OLD

RECORD WAS 109 SET ON JUNE 24TH 2011.

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OHSnow

OHSnow

Posted
Posted

111 F at 4pm.

About 100 mi. to the SE, KCDS sitting at 116 F currently.

I just checked the NWS NowData website, and that's the 2nd highest reading on record at Childress. Also Lubbock is at its 2nd highest reading on record.

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  • 4 weeks later...
snowmanwx

snowmanwx

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I'm resurrecting this thread based on some PNS dispatches, but first, a disclaimer:

"The highest wind speed recorded was 84 mph from the southwest on May 15, 1949. A tornado passed within 0.8 miles of the station."

That was a 1-minute wind speed. Equipment to measure 3-s wind gusts arrived in 1971.

000

NOUS44 KAMA 222123

PNSAMA

OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-222330-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX

423 PM CDT FRI JUL 22 2011

...ALL TIME HIGHEST WIND GUST TIED AT AMARILLO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...

AMARILLO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KAMA) RECORDED AN 81 MPH WIND GUST AT 322 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WIND GUST TIES THE ALL TIME HIGHEST WIND GUST FOR KAMA RECORDED ON BOTH APRIL 19 1973 AND JUNE 19 2008.

$

KNS

Also, 12 days including today, 22 July 2011, posted high temperature ≥100°F at Amarillo this July. The record is 13 in 2001. Reaching ≥100°F on any 2 of the next 9 days will break this record. The coolest daily maximum thus far this month is 94°F on 4 July. The record highest for this parameter is 89°F in 1966 and 2001. I checked records back only to 1948, but no year of record posted more than 30 of 31 days with maximum temperatures ≥90°F.

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