August 2010 Climate and Hydrology Summary

August & Summer (Jun-Jul-Aug) 2010

August 2010

Tulsa: August 2010 was 15th warmest (85.5°F, since 1905) and the 27th driest (1.19", since 1888) August on record.

Tulsa: 3 record daily warm minimum temperatures and 1 record daily warm average temperature were set this month. The record warm low temperature of 85°F set on Aug. 3, 2010 ranked as the 5th warmest low temperature ever recorded.

Fort Smith: August 2010 was the 3rd warmest (87.4°F) and 56th driest (2.27") August since records began in 1882.

The August average minimum temperature ranked as 3rd warmest on record at Fort Smith and the 9th warmest on record at Tulsa. Find more information about this and other near records here.

Number of days with temperatures >=100°F: Tulsa 12, Fort Smith 18 (6th greatest number of days on record), Fayetteville 4, Bartlesville 11, McAlester 17 (6th greatest number of days on record)

Fayetteville, AR only measured 0.02" of rain for the entire month at Drake Field Airport (FYV). In fact, most of Washington County, AR received only 5% of the normal August rainfall. A large portion of southeast and east central OK and northwest AR received less than 25% of the normal August rainfall.

Fayetteville, AR: 3 record maximum temperatures, 5 record warm minimum temperatures, and 1 record minimum temperature were set this month. Interestingly, record warm minimum temperatures were set 6 day before and 3 days after the record low temperature.

Drought quickly developed across east central and southeast OK and northwest AR during August 2010. According to the Drought Monitor, locations along and southeast of Interstate 44 were experiencing moderate drought conditions by the end of the month.

Find more information about the dry August 2010 here or by reading the detailed report for August 2010.

According to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey (OCS), east central OK ranked as the 5th driest August and southeast OK ranked as the 12th driest (northeast OK ranked as the 40th wettest) since records began in 1921.

Summer (Jun-Jul-Aug) 2010

Tulsa: Summer 2010 was 6th warmest (84.0°F, since 1905) and the 39th wettest (12.93", since 1888) summer on record.

Fort Smith: Summer 2010 was the 3rd warmest (85.2°F) and 56th wettest (10.10") summer since records began in 1882.

While afternoon temperatures and heat index values were hot this summer, it was actually the overnight low temperatures that had been exceptionally warm the entire summer across the area. high pressure dominated the Southern Plains and Southeastern U.S. during summer 2010, keeping a moist airmass in place over the region. The higher humidity levels kept temperatures from cooling much during the overnight hours, allowing for many consecutive days with minimum temperatures at or above 70°F. Find more information about this here.

Tulsa and Fort Smith: The August average minimum temperature ranked as 2nd warmest on record and both locations had a record number of consecutive days with low temperatures greater than or equal to 72°F. Find more information about this and other near records here.

Outlook

The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) outlook for September 2010 (issued August 31, 2010) indicates a slightly enhanced chance for above average temperatures and equal chances for above, near, and below median precipitation. For the 3-month period Sep-Oct-Nov 2010, CPC is forecasting an enhanced chance for above average temperatures and equal chances for above, near, and below median precipitation (outlook issued August 19, 2010).

Sea-surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific indicate have decreased and are now indicating La Niña conditions. According to CPC, strong cooling in the equatorial Pacific over the last several months indicates that La Niña conditions are likely to strengthen and continue through winter 2010-2011. A La Niña Advisory was issued August 5, meaning that La Niña conditions are observed and expected to continue.