Powerful Pacific System Impacting the West; First Significant Snow for Portions of the East

Power Pacific system will continue to bring significant impacts for Pacific Northwest into northern California the remainder of the week. Dangerous coastal affects, heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and higher elevation mountain snow continues. Meanwhile, a storm across the east is set to bring the first accumulating snow to many higher elevations of the Catskills into the central Appalachians. Read More >

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June 2012

Tulsa: June 2012 was the 18th warmest (80.7°F; since 1905) and the 61st driest (4.29"; since 1888) June on record.

Tulsa: Daily records set or tied this month include a record warm maximum temperature, a record cold maximum temperature, record warm minimum temperatures, a record cold minimum temperature, record warm mean temperatures, a record cold mean temperature, and a record daily rainfall.

Fort Smith: June 2012 was the 8th warmest (82.6°F, tied with 1952; since 1882) and the 19th driest (1.57"; since 1882) June on record.

Fort Smith: Daily records set or tied this month include record warm maximum temperatures, a record warm minimum temperature, and a record warm mean temperature.

Fort Smith recorded an all-time hottest June temperature of 106°F on June 27 and 28, 2012. This ties the previous record from June 20 and 22, 1936.

Fort Smith set record daily high temperatures 6 days in a row June 25-30, 2012!

Fort Smith had high temperatures greater than or equal to 100°F for 9 consecutive days, ending on July 1, 2012. This stretch ties for 18th greatest number of days, with a record of 35 days ending 8/8/2011.

McAlester: Daily records set or tied this month include record warm maximum temperatures, a record warm minimum temperature, a record warm mean temperature, and a record daily rainfall.

Fayetteville: Daily records set or tied this month include record warm maximum temperatures and a record cold maximum temperature.

Fayetteville set record daily high temperatures 4 days in a row June 25-28, 2012!

Fayetteville recorded an all-time hottest June temperature of 101°F on June 25, 27, and 28, 2012. This ties the previous record from June 19, 1953.

Fayetteville had high temperatures greater than or equal to 100°F for 4 consecutive days, ending on June 28, 2012. This stretch ties for 7th greatest number of days, with a record of 10 days ending 7/19/1980.

Temperatures exceeded 100°F several times this month, with most stations reporting Top 10 highest number of 100°F days for the month of June: Fort Smith ranked 3rd, Fayetteville ranked 3rd, McAlester ranked 4th, Tulsa ranked 8th, and Bartlesville ranked 8th.

This year, the enitre states of Oklahoma and Arkansas recorded their all-time warmest January 1-June 30 since records began in 1895. Tulsa, Bartlesville, McAlester, Fort Smith, and Fayetteville also recorded their warmest January 1-June 30 period for their respective periods of record.

Using the radar-derived estimated observed precipitation from the RFCs, rainfall totals for June 2012 ranged from around a meager 0.50” in isolated areas to near 7” in a few spots. Most of the HSA received 1”-3”. A large portion of the area received less than half of the normal June rainfall this month and locations across far northeast OK, southeast OK, northwest AR, and the Arkansas River Valley received only 10%-50% of normal. Only a few places in eastern OK received between 110%-150% of the normal June rain.

According to the Drought Monitor from June 26, 2012, all of eastern OK and northwest AR were in dry/drought conditions. Extreme drought (D3) was affecting Franklin and Carroll Counties. Severe (D2) drought was present across Choctaw, southeast Pushmataha, far southern Le Flore, Sebastian, Crawford, Madison, and Carroll Counties. Moderate (D1) drought was occurring across portions of Pawnee, Creek, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, McIntosh, Muskogee, southern Cherokee, Adair, Sequoyah, Haskell, Le Flore, Pushmataha, Benton, and Washington (AR) Counties. Abnormally dry (D0) conditions existed across the remainder of the area.

According to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey (OCS) for the 31 day period June 1-July 1, 2012, northeast OK ranked as the 22nd driest, east central OK ranked as the 17th driest, and southeast OK ranked as the 16th driest since records began in 1921.

Outlook

The Climate Prediction Center CPC outlook for July 2012 (issued June 30, 2012) indicates an enhanced chance for above normal temperatures. This outlook also denotes a slightly enhanced chance for below median rainfall across far northeast OK and far northwest AR and equal chances for above, near, and below median precipitation for the rest of the area. This outlook was based primarily on short-term dynamic computer models, which are indicating the persistent ridge pattern will remain over the central U.S. for the first part of July.

For the 3-month period July-August-September 2012, CPC is forecasting an enhanced chance for above average temperatures and equal chances for above, near, and below median precipitation across the region (outlook issued June 21, 2012). This outlook is based on dynamic computer model output and long term trends. According to CPC, ENSO neutral conditions are ongoing and expected to continue through the summer. There is at 50% chance for El Niño conditions by the end of the year.

According to CPC, ENSO neutral conditions are ongoing and expected to continue through the summer. There is at 50% chance for El Niño conditions by the end of the year.

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Powerful Pacific System Impacting the West; First Significant Snow for Portions of the East

June 2012 Climate and Hydrology Summary