Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Summer of Simmer 2011: Oklahoma, Arkansas Locations Near or Above Seasonal Heat Records

Image (click to enlarge): Temperature departure from 1981-2010 average (°C), June 1-July 17, 2011, from NOAA/ESRL

See Record Heat for the latest updates.

5 PM CDT Update: The preliminary daily climatological report from Fort Smith indicates a high temperature of 102°, bringing the number of consecutive 100° days to 15.

Tulsa has also reached at least 101° as of the past hour. The monthly total of 100° days at Tulsa is now 15. This is tied with 1917 and 1966 for the 8th highest in July.

Original post:
As the second half of meteorological summer (June-August) begins, eastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas (including Tulsa and Fort Smith) are on track to set records for hottest seasonal temperatures. The National Weather Service reports today:
THUS FAR FOR THE SUMMER SEASON...FROM JUNE 1 THROUGH JULY
18...SEVERAL LOCATIONS ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS HAVE SET OR APPROACHED ALL TIME HIGH TEMPERATURE
RECORDS...AND ARE ALSO ON PACE FOR ONE OF THE HOTTEST SUMMERS.

FORT SMITH ARKANSAS HAS THE HIGHEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
OF 87.1 DEGREES. THE SECOND WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE
SAME PERIOD IS 85.6 DEGREES FROM 1934.

TULSA OKLAHOMA IS CURRENTLY RANKED THE SECOND WARMEST...WITH AN
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 86.5 DEGREES...WITH 1980 BEING THE
WARMEST...WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 86.7 DEGREES.

THE MCALESTER AIRPORT ALSO HAS THE WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE SO
FAR THIS SUMMER...WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 85.9 DEGREES. THE
SECOND WARMEST YEAR FOR THE SAME TIME PERIOD IS 1954...WITH AN
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 84.1 DEGREES.

THE BARTLESVILLE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE SO FAR THIS SUMMER...IS 82.7
DEGREES...WHICH RANKS IT IN 5TH PLACE...BEHIND 1934 WHICH HAD AN
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 85.3 FOR THE SAME PERIOD.

LASTLY...FAYETTEVILLE HAS AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE SO FAR THIS
SUMMER OF 80.4 DEGREES...WHICH TIES 1980 FOR THE WARMEST AVERAGE
SUMMER TEMPERATURE THROUGH JULY 18TH. THE SECOND WARMEST YEAR FOR
THE SAME PERIOD WAS 1954...WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 79.9 DEGREES.

ON A SIDE NOTE...THROUGH JULY 18...FORT SMITH HAS HAD 14
CONSECUTIVE DAYS AT OR ABOVE 100 DEGREES. THE RECORD IS 17
CONSECUTIVE DAYS...FROM JULY OF 1934.

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