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April 24, 2013 April 24, 2013 April 24, 2013 April 24, 2013
The uncommon cold
Bone rattling. Mind numbing. Teeth chattering. It got way too cold for this late
in April this morning. In a strange way, it actually feels better than yesterday,
however, since there wasn't as much wind. I don't even think it's much of a stretch
to say this was the coldest morning ever for so late in the year for some locations.
At least not a Louis Gossett Jr. in "An Officer and A Gentleman" stretch (how long
were those arms, anyway??).
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/gossett-stretch.jpg
But let's start with yesterday first, a record-setter in its own right. Take a look
again at the high temperatures from the Mesonet for yesterday. Then take a gander
at the record low maximum temps. Records fell all across the northwest.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130423/april23.lotmax.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/april-23rd-highs.png
In fact, the previous lowest high temperature ever recorded on April 23, dating
back to the late 1800s, was 34 degrees from Boise City back in 1995. Six Mesonet
stations therefore broke that all-time record for that date.
Then, of course, we have this morning's ridiculously cold readings.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/april24-lows.png
15 degrees in Boise City? That's just a dumb thing for Mother Nature to pull
on those folks. That broke the previous record for that day in Boise City by
12 degrees! And records again fell all across the state, let alone the NW.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/april24-record-lows.png
Now to go all "in fact" on you again, the lowest temperature ever recorded for
this date in history was 21 degrees from Idabel in 1910, although I think that
datum is a bit suspect. We'll have to investigate that one. Next on the list
would be 24 degrees from Guthrie back in 1893 and 25 degrees from Beaver back
in 1968. At any rate, regardless of the validity of Idabel's reading of 21
degrees, that record was shattered.
Hold on, still going! Not only was it the coldest temperature ever recorded on
April 24 back into history, it's the LATEST coldest temperature ever recorded
in history. So the previous latest day a temperature of 15 degrees was recorded
was April 14. That occurred at Goodwell and Turpin back in 1997. So the 15 degrees
at Boise City this morning was the latest to see that cold of a reading by 10
days or so. I'm not sure if that makes sense to ya, so here's a table to help.
-***-
Lowest Minimum Temperatures On Record by Day
Day Temp (F) Location(s) Year
April 14 15 Goodwell, Turpin 1997
April 15 18 Okeene 1928
April 16 20 Regnier 1945
April 17 20 Hooker 1907
April 18 21 (several) (several)
April 19 22 Guymon,Hooker 2008,1939
April 20 19 Boise City 1966
April 21 20 Goodwell,Hooker 1966
April 22 22 Goodwell,Hooker 1959
April 23 22 Kenton 1920
April 24 15 Boise City 2013
April 25 24 Okeene 1910
April 26 21 Hooker 1907
April 27 24 Goodwell 1917
-****-
So you get the picture. The record lows for the state from there forward continue
to go up.
The hours below freezing maps for the last few days look pretty bad for folks
growing things. Here are the maps from midnight April 23 through 9am this
morning.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/hours-below-24.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/hours-below-28.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/hours-below-32.png
Here are those values for all of April 2013 thus far.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/april-hours-below-24.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/april-hours-below-28.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/april-hours-below-32.png
You want a real kick to the area where it hurts the worst? Take a look at the
hours below freeze for the entirety of spring (climatological spring, March-May)
2012.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/spring2012-hours-below-32.png
Yeah, that hurt. Now what we're really talking about there is March-April 2012,
since May's normally not a big contributor to that map except in the far
northwest. But easily more hours below freezing this April than all of last
spring. Heck, for some areas, more hours below freezing THE LAST TWO DAYS versus
all of last spring.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/hours-below-32.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/spring2012-hours-below-32.png
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remember when we used to have cold Aprils? You know, four years ago?
It's not like we have never seen this cold of April before. It's just we haven't
seen one this cold in the last few years.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20130424/april-temps-1895-2012.png
It was just six years ago we saw a really cold April, when 2007 became the 8th
coldest on record for the state at 55.2 degrees. For April thus far, we have
a statewide average of 53.4 degrees, 4.6 degrees below normal. Now it's not
going to stay that cold, since we apparently have some warm days ahead of us
before the month ends. But it does look like this April will finish below normal,
and probably significantly below normal.
How about for the spring thus far? A statewide average of 53.4 degrees, which
would make it 3.2 degrees below normal. For the same period (March 1-April 23)
in 2012? A statewide average of 60.6 degrees, 7.2 degrees above normal.
What a difference a year makes, eh?
Gary McManus
Associate State Climatologist
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
(405) 325-2253
gmcmanus@mesonet.org
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