Lincoln Heat Wave Update July 24, 2012

As of July 24, 2012:

Map of Maximum temperatures in degrees F for July 24, 2012

Lincoln has hit 90F or higher 43 times:
March 1 time; April 3 times; May 7 times; June  12 times; July 20 times).
The annual total average is 41 days
Lincoln has hit 100F or higher 10 times (once in June, 9 times in July)
The annual average total (1981-2010 normals) is 4.6 or 5 days.
The longest streak of daily highs 90F in 2012 is 13 days (July 12-24)
Longest streak in the climate record (1887-2012) is 38 days in 1934 
For more information about Lincoln Heat Waves:
LINK: Lincoln's Heat Wave Climatology
LINK: Table: Lincoln's total number of days 90F or higher monthly and yearly 1887 to present
LINK: Longest Streaks of 90F or Higher Temperature
LINK: Months With the Most Number of days with 90F or Higher Temperatures
LINK: Lincoln's Climatology of 100F or Higher temperatures

July 22, 2012: Hottest Day of the Year for Lincoln and Omaha

Lincoln tied a record high of 105F on Sunday July 22, 2012.  The record was first set in 1934 and tied again in 1941.

The high tempeature of 105F was the hottest tempeature of the year for Lincoln, Nebraska.  The 105F in Omaha was also a record for them and also their hottest temperature of the year.

The map shows high temperatures across our region on July 22,2012

July 22, 2012 High temperatures, low tempratures and
precipitation totals for Nebraska locations
ANW  :  AINSWORTH AIRPORT :   99 /  68  / 0.00 
BVN  :  ALBION AIRPORT    :  104 /  67  / 0.00 
AIA  :  ALLIANCE          :  103 /  62  /    T 
AUH  :  AURORA AIRPORT    :  101 /  66  / 0.00 
BIE  :  BEATRICE AIRPORT  :  105 /  72  / 0.00 
BTA  :  BLAIR AIRPORT     :  101 /  73  / 0.00 
BBW  :  BROKEN BOW AIRPORT:  104 /  62  / 0.00 
CDR  :  CHADRON           :  102 /  69  / 0.05 
OLU  :  COLUMBUS AIRPORT  :   99 /  64  / 0.00
FNB  :  FALLS CITY AIRPORT:  102 /  70  / 0.00 
FET  :  FREMONT AIRPORT   :  103 /  70  / 0.00 
GRI  :  GRAND ISLAND ARPT :  104 /  66  / 0.00 
HSI  :  HASTINGS AIRPORT  :  102 /  64  / 0.00 
HJH  :  HEBRON AIRPORT    :  102 /  65  / 0.00 
HDE  :  HOLDREGE AIRPORT  :  102 /  63  / 0.00 
IML  :  IMPERIAL AIRPORT  :  106 /  62  / 0.00 
EAR  :  KEARNEY AIRPORT   :  102 /  64  / 0.00 
IBM  :  KIMBALL AIRPORT   :   99 /  60  / 0.00 
LXN  :  LEXINGTON AIRPORT :  104 /  64  / 0.00 
LNK  :  LINCOLN AIRPORT   :  105 /  70  / 0.00 
MCK  :  MCCOOK AIRPORT    :  106 /  73  / 0.00 
AFK  :  NEBRASKA CITY ARPT:  103 /  70  / 0.00 
OFK  :  NORFOLK AIRPORT   :  105 /  71  / 0.00 
LBF  :  NORTH PLATTE ARPT :  108 /  62  / 0.00 
OFF  :  OFFUTT AFB        :  105 /  68  / 0.00 
OGA  :  OGALLALA AIRPORT  :  104 /  60  / 0.00 
OMA  :  OMAHA/EPPLEY      :  105 /  75  / 0.00 
MLE  :  OMAHA/MILLARD     :  103 /  72  / 0.00 
ONL  :  O`NEILL AIRPORT   :  102 /  71  / 0.00 
ODX  :  ORD AIRPORT       :  107 /  65  / 0.00 
PMV  :  PLATTSMOUTH ARPT  :  104 /  73  / 0.00 
BFF  :  SCOTTSBLUFF       :  101 /  66  / 0.00 
SNY  :  SIDNEY            :  103 /  60  / 0.00 
TQE  :  TEKAMAH AIRPORT   :  103 /  69  / 0.00 
TIF  :  THEDFORD AIRPORT  :  105 /  68  / 0.00 
VTN  :  VALENTINE AIRPORT :  105 /  71  /    T 
OAX  :  VALLEY NWS OFFICE :  103 /  72  / 0.00 
AHQ  :  WAHOO AIRPORT     :  103 /  66  / 0.00 
LCG  :  WAYNE AIRPORT     :  101 /  73  / 0.00 
JYR  :  YORK AIRPORT      :   99 /  64  / 0.00


:   STATE TEMPERATURE EXTREMES
:
:   108 AT NORTH PLATTE ARPT
:    60 AT KIMBALL AIRPORT...OGALLALA AIRPORT...SIDNEY

July 21, 2012: Heat Wave Continues in the Heartland

The Summer of 2012 has been dominated by excessive and persistence heat across much of the U.S.  The only area that has escaped this heat wave is the Pacific Northwest.  Temperatures in the 90's F have reached up into the Canadian Prairie Provinces and Toronto, Canada on the north shore of Lake Ontario hit 100F last week.  The heat wave periodically shrinks in size bringing relief to places like the Great Lakes region and the East Coast of the U.S. but not here in the heartland and especially Nebraska.

The map shows the high (max) temperatures for Saturday, July 21, 2012.  Note the map has a date on it of "For 12 Hours Ending 00Z, Sunday, July 22, 2012.  "Z" time is the same as GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) which is 5 hours later than CDST and 6 hours later than CST).  Therefore 00Z, July 22 is 7pm Saturday, July 21 in the CDST zone.

Note that the core of the heat yesterday was centered over Nebraska with a reading of 111F in Valentine, NE.

No relief is in sight as we experience one of the most miserable summer in recent history in Nebraska.

Heat Wave in the Corn Belt

Pretty impressive average high temperatures last week (July 1-7, 2012) for the Corn Belt and Big 10 country. Here are a few samples courtesy of the USDA Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin:

Chicago, IL: 99
Rockford, IL: 100
Fort Wayne, IN: 97
Indianapolis, IN: 101
Cedar Rapids, IA: 96
Des Moines, IA: 100
Grand Rapids, MI: 98
Minneapolis, MN: 96
Lincoln, NE: 96
Columbus, OH: 97
Toledo, OH: 97
Madison, WI: 98

Between the recent heat and moderate to extreme drought that encompasses almost all of the Corn Belt, it is no wonder that this year is starting to draw comparisons with 1988. For parts of southern Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana, this year is probably shaping up to be worse. The I-80 corridor from the Quad Cities to Lincoln has a ways to go before reaching that level of severity but the forecast sure seems to be pointing toward it. Rain dances anyone?

July 2011-June 2012 Temperature Statewide Rankings

Climate Highlights:  The 12-month period (July 2011-June 2012) was the warmest 12-month period of any 12-months on record for the contiguous U.S., narrowly surpassing the record broken last month for the June 2011-May 2012 period.. The Every state across the contiguous U.S. had warmer than average temperatures for the period, except Washington, which was near normal.

January - June 2012 Statewide Temperature Ranks

From NOAA/NCDC:

Climate Highlights — Year-to-Date (January-June)

The January-June period was the warmest first half of any year on record for the contiguous United States. The national temperature of 52.9°F was 4.5°F above average. Most of the contiguous U.S. was record and near-record warm for the six-month period, except the Pacific Northwest. Twenty-eight states east of the Rockies were RECORD WARM (including Nebraska) an additional 15 states were top ten warm.

The first six months of 2012 were also drier than average for much of the contiguous U.S., with a nationally-averaged precipitation total 1.62 inches below average. Drier-than-average conditions stretched from the West, through the Central Plains, into the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic. Fourteen states in total had precipitation totals for the six-month period among their ten driest.

Wetter-than-average conditions were present for the Northwest and Upper Midwest, where Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington had six-month precipitation totals among their ten wettest.

The U.S. Climate Extremes Index (USCEI), an index that tracks the highest and lowest 10 percent of extremes in temperature, precipitation, drought and tropical cyclones across the contiguous U.S., was a record-large 44 percent during the January-June period, over twice the average value. Extremes in warm daytime temperatures (83 percent) and warm nighttime temperatures (70 percent) covered large areas of the nation, contributing to the record high value.

June 2012 Statewide Temperature Ranks

According to NOAA scientists, the average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during June was 71.2°F, 2.0°F above the 20^th century average, ranking 14^th warmest June on record. Scorching temperatures during the second half of the month broke or tied over 170 all-time high temperature records in cities across America.
Note that Colorado had its warmest June on record.  The 110 for Nebraska means it was the 110th coldest or 9th WARMEST ON RECORD for the state out of 118 years of data.  The states in orange and red all had much above normal temperatures for the month.  The southeastern U.S. and the Pacific northwest were the only regions that experienced below normal temperatures.