October 2007

Report and Summary

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

The month October 2008 was cooler and slightly drier than normal. The 2008 growing season ended on the 28th with the season's first freeze. It was 235 days having started on March 9. This was 10 days shorter than normal. Compared with October 2007, the month was 5.1 deg. Cooler, and 3.31 inches drier. Year-to-date rainfall through October 31 was 2.41 inches less in 2008 than 2007 with both years running well above normal The thirty-day outlook had called for near normal temperatures and near normal precipitation.

The week September 28-October 4 saw temperatures about 4 degrees cooler than normal, and no rainfall Surface and upper air high pressure continued to control the area's weather through the week. This resulted in mild nighttime and seasonably warm daytime temperatures daily. No major storm systems affected the region. The week's average temperature was 69.2 deg. This was 3.8 deg. Cooler than the previous week. This was 10.3 deg. cooler than the same week in 2007, and there was no rainfall during the week in either year. The week October 5-11 saw temperatures about 2 degrees below normal, and rainfall about 133 percent of normal. A strong system crossed the region on the night of the 7th. It caused a couple of severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall, and one tornado which tracked from Anderson County into southern Smith County, causing some structural damage. Following this feature, surface high pressure brought below normal temperatures until the 11th, when temperatures and humidities began to rise. The week's average temperature was 67.9 deg., and rainfall was 1.66 inches. This was 1.3 deg. Cooler than the previous week. Compared with the same week in 2007, the week was 6.6 deg. Cooler, and there was no rain in 2007.

The week October 12-18 saw near normal temperatures. And rainfall about 200 percent of normal The week began warm, but cooled off at mid-week following a powerful upper air storm system. This crossed on the 15th, and brought widespread rain to the area. In a band from Anderson through Cherokee and into Rusk County, amounts of between three and five inches were reported. The late-week was cool and dry. The week's average temperature was 68.3 deg., which was 0.4 deg. Warmer than the previous week. Rainfall was 2.71 inches. Compared with the same week in 2007, the week was 1.6 deg. Cooler, and 2.17 inches wetter.

The week October 19-25 was about 4 degrees cooler than normal, with rainfall about 10 percent of normal. The week began with near normal temperatures, which dropped below normal when a cold front arrived on the 22nd. The front was accompanied by the week's only rainfall, which was scattered, and with most stations reporting under one-half inch. The week's average temperature was 61.3 deg., which was 7.0 deg. Cooler than the previous week. Rainfall was 0.13 inch. Compared with the same week in 2007, the week was 2.5 deg. Warmer, and 0.52 inch drier.

The first freeze of the season came about 18 days early this year on the 28th. A strong cold front crossed the region on the evening of the 26th. It was accompanied by only a few spotty showers, but it lowered temperatures significantly as high pressure built into the region. Most of the northern half of the area experienced a freeze on that morning. A gradual warming trend began the following day, continuing through month's end.

• 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.

OCTOBER 2008

• DY MX MN OBS PCPN REMARKS
• 01 80 51 70
• 02 81 53 72
• 03 83 57 75
• 04 83 64 77
• 05 81 61 75
• 06 84 66 76 tr.
• 07 75 54 66 1.66 T, PCPN 0300-1000 MN 0000-1200 64
• 08 76 49 65
• 09 78 49 69
• 10 80 56 71
• 11 82 59 73
• 12 81 64 74
• 13 83 66 76
• 14 82 70 76
• 15 77 63 70 2.28 PCPN 1300-1400, 1800-2400 MN 0000-1200 69
• 16 64 62 0.43 PCPN 0000-0400, 1500-1700 MX 1200-2400 63
• 17 73 52 64 MN 0000-1200 58
• 18 75 49 64
• 19 74 51 65
• 20 78 50 68
• 21 77 53 67
• 22 77 52 53 0.13 T, PCPN 2200-2400 MN 0000-1200 54
• 23 67 43 55 Tr.
• 24 73 41 60
• 25 78 44 65
• 26 82 51 70
• 27 59 36 49 MX 1200-2400 58, MN 0000-1200 44
• 28 63 32 52
• 29 71 40 59
• 30 76 45 65
• 31 77 52 66

• OCTOBER 2008, RECORDS AND SUMMARY:
• 28TH FIRST FREEZE, GROWING SEASON BEGAN MARCH 8, 235 DAYS;
• 84 ON THE 6THHIGHEST TEMPERATURE
• LOWEST TEMPERATURE 32 ON THE 28TH;
• AVERAGE MAXIMUM 76.5 F.,
• AVERAGE MINIMUM 51.1 F.,
• AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 63.8 F.,
• 3.6 DEG. COOLER THAN NORMAL.
• HEATING DEGREE DAYS 96,
• 213.3 PERCENT OF NORMAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS.
• COOLING DEGREE DAYS 75,
• 62.5 PERCENT OF NORMAL COOLING DEGREE-DAYS;
• TOTAL PRECIPITATION 4.50 IN.,
• 0.64 IN. LESS THAN MONTHLY NORMAL.
• 87.5 PERCENT OF NORMAL MONTHLY PRECIPITATION.
• YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION 49.55 IN.,
• 13.52 IN. GREATER THAN NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION,
• 137.5 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.
• 4 DAYS ON WHICH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION OCCURRED.
• 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED OR EXCEEDED 90 DEG.;
• 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED OR EXCEEDED 100 DEG.;
• 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE TEMPERATURE FAILED TO RISE ABOVE 32 DEG.
• 1 DAY ON WHICH THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED OR FELL BELOW 32 DEG.
• 45 SEASON-TO-DATE HEATING DEGREE DAYS,
• PERCENTAGE OF NORMAL SEASON-TO-DATE HEATING DEGREE DAYS: 204.3;
• 2392 YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS.
• PERCENTAGE OF NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS: 96.1;
• PRECIPITATION DURING THE PREVIOUS TWELVE MONTHS 55.40 INN.,
• TWELVE-MONTH PRECIPITATION PERCENTAGE 122.4.

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