Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Southeast Swelters, Records Wrecked
High Temperature Extremes in Florida, Georgia, S. Carolina

Images (click to enlarge): Daily high temperatures for (top to bottom) June 15, 14, and 13 from Unisys

June 16 Update: Additional records reported by the National Climatic Data Center:
June 15
Macon GA 100 (99, 1963)
Athens GA 98 (97, 2000)
Columbia SC 101 (100, 1981)

June 14
Atlanta/Fulton GA 96 (93, 2005)
Charleston SC 99 (97, 2002)
Greenville SC 96 (tie, 2000)

June 13
N. Myrtle Beach SC 96 (95, 1998)

Original post:
Summer heat has made an early start in the southeastern U.S., where high temperature records were widespread for the last several days. Among the records tied or broken (old record and date in parentheses):
June 15
Miami FL 94 (tie, 2009)
Orlando FL 98 (97, 1998)
Gainesville FL 99 (tie, 1909)
Jacksonville FL 102 (tie, 1981)
Apalachicola FL 94 (tie, 1981)
Tallahassee FL 99 (tie, 1998)
Augusta GA 104 (100, 1971)
N. Myrtle Beach SC 98 (95, 2005)

June 14
Orlando FL 99 (tie, 1977)
St. Simons GA 99 (tie, 1963)
Apalachicola FL 95 (94, 2009)
Savannah GA 102 (100, 1921)
N. Charleston SC 99 (97, 2002)
Augusta GA 103 (101, 2000)
N. Myrtle Beach SC 98 (93, 1989)

June 13
Sarasota FL 96 (tie, 1998)
Tampa FL 96 (95, 1977)
St. Petersburg FL 97 (95, 1977)
Apalachicola FL 96 (95, 1977)
Tallahassee FL 101 (tie, 1998)
Greenville SC 96 (tie, 1958)
Asheville NC 90 (tie, 1958)
Augusta GA 101 (100, 1958)

Monday, June 14, 2010

Oklahoma City Paralyzed By Flash Floods
All-Time Daily Rainfall Record Broken

See here for other heavy rainfall posts.

June 15 AM Update: The final daily rainfall for Oklahoma City is 7.62". This breaks the all-time daily rainfall record for any day in any month. The old record was 7.53" on Sept. 22, 1970.

Midnight Update: Another 0.05" fell in the remainder of the 11:00 hour, plus 0.11" ending at midnight. The estimated total is now 7.35" with one more hour remaining (daily records are kept on standard time).

Late PM Update: Another round of heavy thunderstorms this evening has added to the total: 0.12" through 7 pm CDT, then 0.89" more by 10:25, with a moderate thunderstorm continuing. This brings the unofficial (and incomplete) daily total to 7.19", easily breaking the all-time June daily record by close to half an inch (see below).

1 PM CDT Update: An additional 0.19" fell in the hour ending at 1:00, bringing the 6-hour total to 3.94" and the daily total to 6.18". Highest daily totals in the area are now over 10".

More thunderstorms are moving into central Oklahoma with heavy rain likely between 3 and 4 pm.

Original post:
The Oklahoma City metro area this morning joined the list of major cities smashing rainfall records in the last several years. As of 11 am CDT, the 5.88" so far today has blown past the previous June 14 record of 3.95" in 1930. Rain continues to fall, although at a lower rate; 0.17" fell in the hour ending at noon CDT.

The all-time June daily record is 6.75" on June 3, 1932. Weather records in Oklahoma City extend back to 1890. Rainfall amounts in the region range as high as nearly 9".

Local TV station KOCO is reporting portions of several interstate highways have been flooded.

Images (click to enlarge): Oklahoma City area rainfall from National Weather Service

Seasonal Outlook

Latest seasonal forecast: Click here.


Latest 3-month temperature outlook from Climate Prediction Center/NWS/NOAA.