Furnace on the Great Plains: 7/10/09

[Tim Vasquez]

It was interesting seeing this tonight in the zone forecasts.

ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1104 PM CDT THU JUL 9 2009

OKZ005-100930-
WOODS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALVA
1104 PM CDT THU JUL 9 2009

.REST OF TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE MID 70S. SOUTH WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH.
.FRIDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS AROUND 110. SOUTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH.

I suppose 110-degree forecasts have been issued in the past for that hot spot called Altus, but this is the first time I've personally seen anything that hot in a forecast product east of the Rockies. Dodge City was carrying 110 degrees in the NDFD grids near Medicine Lodge KS but they cut it back to 107-108F this morning.

Tim

 

[Kenny Drake]

http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/nebraska/south-dakota-july2006-record-high-state-temperature.html Also, I think it was forecasted quite well if I rightly recall so there were likely 110+ being mentioned in forecast products for July 15, 2006.

 

[Tim Vasquez]

Holy smoke, 115-116F... yep, those had to have been 110-degree forecasts.

Tim

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

Correct me if I am wrong, but these temperatures are the hottest I can remember since summer of 2000. In 2000 in Tulsa we went the entire month of August without any measurable precip and hit 100 degrees for something like 21 days straight.

 

[CZandbergen]

Correct me if I am wrong, but these temperatures are the hottest I can remember since summer of 2000. In 2000 in Tulsa we went the entire month of August without any measurable precip and hit 100 degrees for something like 21 days straight.

Greg it certainly feels that way. Taking a look at the climatology information reveals the following. 2009 was the 13th warmest June on record according to the NWS Tulsa. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tsa/climate/tulsacli.html

Also, the average high for June is 88 http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tsa/climate/tulsacli.html and June 2009 the average high was 91.7. Looking at the last 10 years it seems they are pretty evenly spread across the historical numbers so it would seem we are about average over all.

That said, it sure doesn't seem that way. It is hot as all get out...

 

[Jay McCoy]

Yesterday Buffalo was 115 which is the hottest temp in Oklahoma in 15 years. Today will be about the same. Its 106 in Woodward, 108 in Buffalo, and 109 in Freedom at noon!!! The Texas panhandle and west Oklahoma are the hottest area in the US even beating Arizona and Vegas. Thats saying something in mid july!! At least its drier up in NW Ok than it is in southern parts where the DP's are still close to 70..uuugh

 

[John Cameron]

If my memory serves, the warmest temp in Wichita Falls in the last 10 years was on September 4th, 2000 when we hit 111

 

[Tim Vasquez]

113 deg F (45 C) was being reported at the Freedom OK mesonet site earlier this hour.

At least it's a dry heat, unlike the June 1980 heat wave in Texas.

Tim

 

[Connor Keef]

As of 2:15, the mesonet at Freedom says 114 deg F w/ a 109 deg F heat index

 

[Tim Vasquez]

METAR KAVK 101913Z AUTO 23017G27KT CLR 47/16 A2987 RMK AO2 PWINO

i.e. 117 deg F. I have no idea whether the station is sited properly or not, but I'm just throwing it out there. The all-time high for the state is 120 deg F, so it looks like no earth-shattering records today.

Tim

 

[jeremy wilson]

Set a record here yesterday at 109. Feels horrible outside right now with a temp of 105. South wind is howling which makes it feel like a blast furnace outside. This sucks! I hate summer! Only eight more months till chase season though....

 

[Tim Vasquez]

Well it could be worse... it could be July 10, 2008, in which case there's 20 more months until chase season!

Tim

 

[Tim Vasquez]

Wait, what's this?

Seems there's a possibility for deep, surface-based convection with 115 degrees, though I'm not sure whether or not vastly deeper mixed layers are called for in sounding computations with this kind of situation.

Tim

 

[CZandbergen]

Tim,

I noticed that earlier in the day and is was very well defined. Here is the shot from earlier. http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/sat...=small&endDate=20090710&endTime=16&duration=0

 

[Rob Satkus]

Looks like steam coming off the farm ponds as they boil away.