562
CXUS53 KICT 032132 CCA
CLMICT
CLIMATE REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
430 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012
...............................
...THE WICHITA MID CONTINENT KS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2012...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1888 TO 2012
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR'S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
............................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 98 04/06/1893
LOW 15 04/03/1975
04/03/1936
HIGHEST 95 04/25 90 04/09
04/03
LOWEST 35 04/08 29 04/05
AVG. MAXIMUM 73.0 67.7 5.3 72.4
AVG. MINIMUM 51.9 44.5 7.4 45.2
MEAN 62.4 56.1 6.3 58.8
DAYS MAX >= 90 1 0.4 0.6 2
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 0 2.4 -2.4 1
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 12.42 1944
MINIMUM 0.22 1963
1919
1914
TOTALS 5.24 2.59 2.65 1.46
DAILY AVG. 0.17 0.09 0.08 0.05
DAYS >= .01 9 8.0 1.0 8
DAYS >= .10 7 4.9 2.1 2
DAYS >= .50 5 1.6 3.4 1
DAYS >= 1.00 2 0.6 1.4 1
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.24 04/03 TO 04/04
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 19.7 5
0
-26215
TOTALS 0.0 0.2 -0.2 T
SINCE 7/1 3.0 14.7 -11.7 17.3
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 0 MM MM 0
DAYS >= 1.0 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 0 MM 0 MM
24 HR TOTAL 0.0 04/30 TO 04/30 T
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 132 291 -159 206
SINCE 7/1 3605 4508 -903 4370
COOLING TOTAL 61 24 37 28
SINCE 1/1 101 26 75 40
.............................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 11.3
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 37/210 DATE 04/15
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 84/150 DATE 04/14
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 15
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 9
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 69
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 5 RAIN 6
LIGHT RAIN 11 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 1
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 15 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 3
HAZE 9
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
...APRIL MARRED BY TORNADO OUTBREAK OF THE 14TH...
WHILE APRIL 14TH 2012 MARKED THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SINKING OF THE
TITANIC...IT'LL BE REMEMBERED BY RESIDENTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH-CENTRAL
KANSAS FOR A TORNADO OUTBREAK THAT OCCURRED THAT AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
A TOTAL OF 24 TORNADOES STRUCK THE WICHITA COUNTY WARNING AREA...ONE OF
WHICH WAS A VIOLENT EF4 THAT WENT ON A 40-MILE LONG SPRINT FROM CENTRAL
RICE COUNTY JUST NORTH OF LYONS...ACROSS SOUTHEAST ELLSWORTH...TO ALMOST
SALINA. THE TWISTER BEGAN AT 533 PM...AVERAGED 1/4 TO 1/2 MILE WIDE AND
WAS ON THE GROUND FOR 1 HOUR AND 3 MINUTES. HARDEST HIT WAS KANOPOLIS
LAKE...WHERE A FARMSTEAD WAS LEVELED AND PAVEMENT WAS SCOURED FROM A FEW
ROADS.
LATE THAT EVENING...A PAIR OF EF3 TORNADOES STRUCK SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS.
THE 1ST EF3 STRUCK SUMNER COUNTY AT 910 PM AND HAD A TRACK 18 MILES LONG
AND AVERAGED 1/4 MILE WIDE. THE TORNADO DESTROYED A HOME JUST SOUTHWEST
OF CONWAY SPRINGS. THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR 30 MINUTES. THE 2ND
EF3 STRUCK SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST WICHITA AND CAUSED THE GREATEST DAMAGE.
THE TORNADO BEGAN AT 921 PM...HAD A TRACK 13 MILES LONG...AND WAS 1 MILE
WIDE. THE SOUTHEAST WICHITA...OAKLAWN TOOK A DIRECT HIT AND NO DOUBT WAS
WHERE THE GREATEST DAMAGE OCCURRED. THERE WERE 38 INJURIES BUT
FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO FATALITIES.
ONE OTHER TORNADO IS WORTH MENTIONING. THE TWISTER STRUCK HARPER COUNTY.
ALTHOUGH RATED AN EF1...THE TORNADO HAD A TRACK 23 MILES LONG AND WAS
NEARLY 3/4 OF A MILE WIDE. FORTUNATELY THE VERY LARGE WEDGE TORNADO
REMAINED IN RURAL AREAS FOR HAD IT STRUCK A CITY OR TOWN...IT IS LIKELY
DAMAGE WOULD'VE BEEN EXTENSIVE AND THE VORTEX WOULD'VE RECEIVED A HIGHER
INTENSITY RATING.
NOT SURPRISINGLY THE TORNADO-PRODUCING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OF THE 14TH
ALSO PRODUCED HAIL AS LARGE AS BASEBALLS AND DAMAGING WINDS THAT REACHED
75 TO 85 MPH. IN FACT...AN 84-MPH GUST WAS MEASURED AT MID-CONTINENT
AIRPORT THAT...COMBINED WITH TORRENTIAL RAINS...PRODUCED NEAR ZERO
VISIBILITIES.
EXCEPT FOR THE 14TH...APRIL WAS RELATIVELY QUIET AS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
PAID FEW VISITS TO THE WICHITA CWA. THE MONTH DID END IN A STORMY MANNER
AS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED HAIL AS LARGE AS GOLFBALLS...DAMAGING
WINDS AROUND 70 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAINS THAT CAUSED FLASH FLOODING. THE
MOST SERIOUS FLOODING OCCURRED IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS WHERE SOME PEOPLE HAD
TO BE EVACUATED. IN LABETTE COUNTY...TWO PEOPLE WERE RESCUED FROM THEIR
HOME. IN COFFEYVILLE...STREET FLOODING WAS SO SIGNIFICANT PEOPLE HAD TO
BE RESCUED FROM THEIR VEHICLES.
THE RECORD DEPARTMENT DID LITTLE BUSINESS...BE IT ON A DAILY OR MONTHLY
BASIS. THE ONLY RAINFALL RECORD WAS ON THE 4TH WHEN SALINA MEASURED 1.33
INCHES. THIS WASHED OUT THE PREVIOUS HIGH WATER MARK OF 0.77 INCH
MEASURED BACK IN 1983. IT WAS ALSO ON THE 4TH THAT SALINA SET A RECORD
WARMEST LOW WHEN THE MERCURY SETTLED TO 53 DEGREES. THIS SHADED THE MARK
OF 51 SET IN 1997. TEMPERATUREWISE...A THERMAL TIDAL BORE ARRIVED ON THE
25TH...AS WICHITA'S HIGH OF 95 DEGREES BURNED THE MARK OF 90 DEGREES SET
WAY BACK IN 1901. THE RECORD STOOD THE TEST OF TIME FOR 101 YEARS. FOR
SALINA...CHANUTE AND RUSSELL...THE HIGHS OF 92...89 AND 90 DEGREES WERE
THE 2ND WARMEST FOR THE DATE FOR EACH TOWN...RESPECTIVELY.
THE YEAR 2012 IS 33% COMPLETE...WHICH MEANS WE HAVE NOW ENTERED THE PEAK
PERIOD FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES. HERE'S HOPING THERE WON'T
BE TOO MUCH ATMOSPHERIC 'MAY'HEM THIS MONTH.
ES
*CORRECTED 2ND PARAGRAPH...3RD LINE OF TEXT.*
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page