22-26 August 2011

DataStreme Earth Climate Systems will return for Fall 2011 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 29 August 2011. All the current online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

• Check http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/drought/2011/7 --
  July drought report -- The National Climate Data Center has posted its July 2011 drought report online. Using the Palmer Drought Severity Index, approximately XX percent of the coterminous United States experienced severe to extreme drought conditions at the end of June, while XX percent of the area had severely to extremely wet conditions. …

• …
• An All-Hazards Monitor -- This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, fire weather, marine weather, severe weather, drought and floods. [NOAAWatch]
• Global and US Hazards/Climate Extremes -- A review and analysis of the global impacts of various weather-related events, including drought, floods and storms during the current month. [NCDC]

• /// NOTE: According to http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/schedule.html -- SON 2011 outlook to be issued 18 Aug 2011
  Check these sources:
  http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/seasonal.php?lead=1
  and for National Drought Outlook
  http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/season_drought.gif
  Remove before posting ///
• Fall season climate outlook for the nation issued -- Last week, forecasters with NOAA's Climate Prediction Center issued their outlooks for temperature and precipitation across United States for the three months of September through November 2011, which are defined as meteorological autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. The temperature outlook indicates that //// fill in the geographic areas/// would have a better than even chance of experiencing higher than normal temperatures. On the other hand, //// fill in the geographic areas/// could expect a good chance of below average temperatures. Elsewhere, the outlook for sections of the Northwest and the Southeast does not appear to have a strong signal, resulting in an outlook that calls for equal chances of above or below average fall temperatures.
  The precipitation outlook for Fall 2011 indicates that the //// fill in the geographic areas/// would have a better than even chance of above average precipitation. The forecasters anticipate that //// fill in the geographic areas/// would have a good chance of below average fall rainfall. Elsewhere, the outlook called for equal chances of above or below average precipitation. [NOAA Climate Prediction Center]
• National seasonal drought outlook issued -- The forecasters with NOAA's Climate Prediction Center also issued their US Seasonal Drought Outlook that would run from late August through November 2011, covering meteorological autumn. These forecasters foresee improvement in the current drought conditions //// fill in the geographic areas/// . However, current drought conditions were expected to persist or new drought areas develop over //// fill in the geographic areas///. [NOAA Climate Prediction Center]

• …

• ….
• Website for human dimensions of climate change -- An interagency effort within the US federal government that included NOAA, the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service, has resulted in a website called HD.gov (for HumanDimensions.gov) that provides users, such as natural resource managers, with information on the human dimensions on a variety of topics of interest such as climate change. [HD.gov]
• Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

• 22 August 1816...The growing season for corn was cut short as damaging frosts were reported from North Carolina to interior New England in the "Year-without-a-Summer". (David Ludlum)
• 22 August 1976...The temperature soared to record high for Newfoundland: with a 98.1-degree reading at Botwood. (The Weather Doctor)
• 24 August 1992...Hurricane Andrew slammed into south Florida, devastating the community of Homestead with 181-mph winds. With a central pressure at landfall of 922 millibars (27.22 inches of mercury), which at the time was the third lowest ever recorded in a hurricane at landfall in the United States. Camille (1969) and the Labor Day Hurricane (1935) were more intense. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina became the third most intense landfalling hurricane with a 920-millibar pressure reading (or 27.17 in Hg) when it reached the Louisiana Gulf Coast. (The Weather Doctor)
• 25 August 1910...The temperature at Bowen, MT dropped to 5 degrees, the lowest ever for the 48 states in August. (Intellicast)
• 25 August 1940...New Jersey experienced its coldest August morning of record, with lows of 32 degrees at Layton and Charlotteburg. (The Weather Channel)
• 25 August 1987...A new record for monthly rainfall was set at Chicago when a storm brought the total to 15.73 inches erasing the previous record for any month, which had been 14.17 inches in September, 1961 (Storm Data) (Intellicast)
• 26 August 1883...Krakatoa Volcano exploded in the East Indies. The explosion was heard more than 2500 miles away, and every barograph around the world recorded the passage of the air wave, up to seven times. Giant waves, 125 feet high and traveling 300 mph, devastated everything in their path, hurling ashore coral blocks weighing up to 900 tons, and killing more than 36,000 persons. Volcanic ash sent into the stratosphere was carried around the globe in thirteen days producing blue and green suns in the tropics, and then vivid red sunsets in higher latitudes. The temperature of the earth was lowered one degree for the next two years, finally recovering to normal by 1888. (David Ludlum)
• 26 August 1935...San Francisco, CA had their heaviest 24-hour rainfall for August when 0.25 inches fell. (Intellicast)
• 26 August 1989...Anchorage, AK was soaked with a steady rain, and the 24-hour total of 4.12 inches smashed their previous 24-hour precipitation total of 2.10 inches. It also pushed their rainfall total for the month past their previous record for August. (The National Weather Summary)
• 27 August 1948...Buffalo, NY hit its all-time maximum temperature of 99 degrees. (Intellicast)
• 27 August 1970...Elko, NV was deluged with 3.66 inches of rain in just one hour, establishing a state record. (The Weather Channel)
• 27 August 1973...The largest documented Canadian hailstone fell at Cedoux, Saskatchewan. The stone weighed 0.55 pounds and measured 4.5 inches across. (The Weather Doctor)
• 27 August 1986...A mix of snow, ice pellets and rain fell on Sault Ste. Marie, MI during the evening, the first time snow was observed in August since records started in 1888. (Intellicast)
• 27 August 1995...Remains of Tropical Storm Jerry unloaded 12.32 inches of rain in 24 hours in Greer, SC, a record for 24 hours, for a rain event and for August. At Antreville, 17.00 inches fell in 24 hours, setting a 24-hour rainfall record for the Palmetto State. (Intellicast)
• 28 August 1911...Saint George, GA was deluged with 18.00 inches of rain in 24 hours to establish a state record that was subsequently broken by the current record of 21.10 inches in July 1994. (The Weather Channel)
• 28-29 August 1962...Hackberry, LA was deluged with 22 inches of rain in 24 hours, establishing a state record. (The Weather Channel)

Return to DataStreme ECS website

Prepared by Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
© Copyright, 2011, The American Meteorological Society.