July 2008

Report and Summary

Tyler, Texas
July 2008
by Robert K. Peters, Ph.D.
National Weather Service Cooperating Observer

The month of July 2008 was warmer and much drier than normal. The temperature reached or exceeded 90 on each day in the month, and rain fell only twice. It stands in sharp contrast with July 2007 5.0 deg. Warmer and 13.43 inches drier. July 2007 was the third coolest July on record, and the wettest. Year-to-date rainfall through July 31 was 20.89 inches less in 2008 than in 2007. The thirty-day outlook had called for above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation.

The week June 29-July 5 saw temperatures about 3 degrees below normal, and rainfall about 300 percent of normal. An unusual Summer cold front with its associated storm system moved into the region on the 29th, with a reinforcing cool surge on the 30th. The system of the 29th brought general and locally heavy rainfall to the region, along with some severe weather. The cooler air accompanying the system held temperatures below normal until mid-week. At that time, the northwest flow event, which set up in mid-June, gave way to upper air high pressure, which brought warm and mostly dry weather into mid-month. The week's average temperature was 79.5, and precipitation was 2.21 inches. This was 1.6 deg. Cooler than the previous week. Compared with the same week in 2007, the week was 1.8 deg. Warmer, and 5.32 inches drier.

The week July 6-12 saw temperatures warm significantly to about 1 degree above normal; there was no rainfall. Upper air high pressure controlled through the week, with a weakness at mid-week. This permitted the sea-breeze front to penetrate to the IH-20 Corridor with a few late-day showers between the 8th and 10th. Also, a weak cold front brought scattered showers north of IH-30 on the afternoon of the 9th as it was dissipating. The week's average temperature was 84.4 deg., which was 4.9 deg. Warmer than the previous week. Compared with the same week in 2007, the week was 3.5 deg. Warmer, and 4.17 inches drier.

The week of July 8, 2007 brought an abrupt end to the heavy and flooding rains of the late- Spring of that year. The week July 13-19 saw near normal temperatures and well below normal rainfall. The week began with a mid-Summer cold front moving into the area. This produced significant rainfall from the 14th through the 16th, particularly over Anderson, Henderson, and Navarro Counties. The rains were not general, but some locations in the above counties received between two and five inches of rain. Later in the week, an upper air trough moving through the Gulf of Mexico brought widely scattered late-day showers on the 18th and 19th. Dry air moved into the region on the 15th, resulting in comfortable nighttime temperatures, and low humidities during seasonably warm afternoons. Otherwise, upper air high pressure continued to be the primary influence on the region's weather. The week's average temperature was 83.6 deg., and rainfall was 0.02 inch. This was 0.8 deg. Cooler than the previous week. Compared with the same week in 2007, the week was 3.4 deg. Warmer, and 0.48 inch drier.

The week July 20-26 saw temperatures about 3 deg. Warmer than normal, and rainfall about 20 percent of normal. The week began and ended hot, with showers and slightly lower temperatures at mid-week from Hurricane Dolly. Rain bands associated with the storm, which came ashore north of Brownsville on the 23rd, occurred on the afternoons of the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. The last was the most active day, with about 50 percent areal coverage, most of which was south of IH-20. There two distinct rain bands affecting the region. Most amounts were under one-half inch in East Texas, though a few stations over the south picked up an inch or more on the 23rd and 24th. Upper air high pressure returned on the 25th, raising temperatures and suppressing showers. The week's average temperature was 86.2 deg., and rainfall was 0.12 inch. This was 2.6 deg. Warmer than the previous week. Compared with the same week in 2007, the week was 7.8 deg. Warmer, and 0.37 inch drier.

The final five days of the month were hot, and mostly dry. Upper air high pressure was firmly anchored over the region, until weakening slightly on the 30th and 31st. This lowered temperatures back into the 90s, and permitted widely scattered showers over the northwest on both days. The showers were the result of the remnant circulation from Hurricane Dolly which was drifting southeastward in northwest flow aloft.

• KEY TO SYMBOLS:
• A = HAIL
• B = BLOWING
• D = DUST
• F = FOG
• H = HAZE
• IP = SLEET
• K = SMOKE
• L = DRIZZLE
• R = RAIN
• S = SNOW
• T = THUNDERSTORM
• Z = GREENWICH MEAN TIME
• ZL = FREEZING DRIZZLE
• ZR = FREEZING RAIN
• - = LIGHT
• + = HEAVY

R FOLLOWING A TEMPERATURE OR PRECIPITATION VALUE = RECORD

The reporting period for temperatures, precipitation, and phenomenon on each day is for the twenty-four hours ending at midnight hours GMT--6 p.m. CST and 7 p.m. CDT. All times are given using the twenty-four hour clock, and are expressed in Greenwich Mean Time.

Observations are from NWS Station 41/9207/4 in Tyler, Texas. The term "normal" refers to averages from the standard climatic period 1971-2000.

• 01 90 62 87
• 02 91 67 88
• 03 93 71 90
• 04 93 73 89
• 05 94 71 93
• 06 94 73 90
• 07 95 72 92
• 08 94 73 91
• 09 94 73 90 T
• 10 94 74 92
• 11 96 75 94
• 12 98 76 96
• 13 96 74 90
• 14 90 74 86 0.02 T, PCPN 1600-1700
• 15 91 72 87 T
• 16 95 73 91
• 17 97 71 93
• 18 97 71 89
• 18 95 74 92
• 19 95 74 92
• 20 98 74 93
• 21 99 76 96
• 22 98 75 95
• 23 97 74 94
• 24 94 73 90 0.12 T, PCPN 0000-0200
• 25 98 75 95
• 26 99 76 96
• 27 102 74 99
• 28 102 73 98
• 29 101 75 97
• 30 99 75 96
• 31 99 78 96

JULY 2008, RECORDS AND SUMMARY:

• HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 102 ON THE 27TH AND 28TH,
• LOWEST TEMPERATURE 62 ON THE 1ST,
• AVERAGE MAXIMUM 95.9 F.,
• AVERAGE MINIMUM 73.1 F.,
• AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 84.5 F.,
• 1.1 DEG. WARMER THAN NORMAL.
• HEATING DEGREE DAYS 0,
• 0 PERCENT OF NORMAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS.
• COOLING DEGREE DAYS 605,
• 106.5 PERCENT OF NORMAL COOLING DEGREE-DAYS;
• TOTAL PRECIPITATION 0.14 IN.,
• 2.12 IN. LESS THAN MONTHLY NORMAL.
• 6.5 PERCENT OF NORMAL MONTHLY PRECIPITATION.
• YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION 28.31 IN.,
• 3.31 IN. GREATER THAN NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION,
• 113.2 PERCENT OF NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION;
• 3 DAYS ON WHICH THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED;
• 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE VISIBILITY WAS HEAVILY RESTRICTED BY FOG, SMOKE, OR HAZE;
• 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED BY DUST OR BLOWING DUST;
• 0 DAYS ON WHICH FROZEN PRECIPITATION WAS OBSERVED;
• 0 IN. TOTAL SNOWFALL.
• 2 DAYS ON WHICH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION OCCURRED.
• 31 DAYS ON WHICH THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED OR EXCEEDED 90 DEG.;
• 3 DAYS ON WHICH THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED OR EXCEEDED 100 DEG.;
• 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE TEMPERATURE FAILED TO RISE ABOVE 32 DEG.
• 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED OR FELL BELOW 32 DEG.
• 0 SEASON-TO-DATE HEATING DEGREE DAYS,
• PERCENTAGE OF NORMAL SEASON-TO-DATE HEATING DEGREE DAYS: 0,
• 1531 YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS.
• PERCENTAGE OF NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS: 107.1.
• PRECIPITATION DURING THE PREVIOUS TWELVE MONTHS 36.92 IN.,
• TWELVE-MONTH PRECIPITATION PERCENTAGE 81.6.

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