Ticker for September 8, 2011

                
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September 8, 2011  September 8, 2011  September 8, 2011  September 8, 2011


Hot news hot off the presses

The official numbers from NCDC are out and while these are still a bit
preliminary (some quality assurance still needed and more stations will
continue to trickle in), Texas has won the prize for hottest summer for any
state since records began at 86.8 degrees for this year. Oklahoma finished
second at 86.5 degrees in 2011 and also hold the third spot from 1934.
Louisiana moved into fourth place with an average of 84.5 degrees.

State           Year      Avg. Temp
Texas           2011        86.8
Oklahoma        2011        86.5
Oklahoma	1934	    85.2
Louisiana       2011        84.5
Oklahoma	1936	    84.4
Oklahoma	1980	    84.3
Louisiana	1998	    84.3
Texas	        1980	    84.3
Texas	        1998	    84.3
Oklahoma	1954        84.2
Texas	        1934	    84.2

Keep in mind these are NCDC preliminary numbers. The finalized numbers from
Oklahoma's own weather network, the Oklahoma Mesonet, came in at 86.8 degrees
for the summer. The NCDC numbers become the *official* climate record, however.
About 60 or so Oklahoma Mesonet stations are included in NCDC's numbers as
COOP stations. We won't nitpick. This is not really a record to gloat over (but
if we did, we'd brag about having five of the warmest 11 summers on record in
the U.S., and also having this July end up as the warmest month on record for
the U.S. for any state), so we're more than happy to acquiesce to Texas on this
one.

For a Sugar Ray Leonard flurry right before the bell (no way he beat Hagler!!),
let me add that Texas and Oklahoma also finished #1 and #2 for warmest August
for any state since 1895 at 88.1 and 87.4 degrees, respectively.

State           Year      Avg. Temp
Texas           2011        88.1
Oklahoma        2011        87.4
Oklahoma        1936        87.2
Oklahoma        1943        86.4
Oklahoma        1934        86.3

Dubious honors, obviously.

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The latest drought monitor map was released today as well and little change
once again. We did lose our last remaining spots of D1 drought over in eastern
Oklahoma and had that bumped up to D2.



It's now been three weeks since our last good soaking...Mesonet rainfall stats
since August 14:




Gary McManus
Associate State Climatologist
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
(405) 325-2253