September 2008

Report and Summary

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

September 2008 was cooler and wetter than normal.

Hurricane Gustav crossed to the east of the region on the 1st, and Ike directly through the region on the 13th. Both were followed by cool air masses. For the last half of the month, upper air high pressure blocked storm systems from reaching the area. Compared with September 2007, the month was 5.8 deg. Cooler, and 6.26 inches drier. Year-to-date rainfall through September 30 was 5.72 inches less in 2008 than in 2007, though these values were well above normal in both years. The thirty-day outlook had called for near normal temperatures and near normal precipitation.

The week August 31-September 6 saw temperatures about 5 degrees below normal, and rainfall about 150 percent of normal. Hurricane Gustav moved slowly along the Texas-Louisiana border between the 1st and 4th, with general rains which increased from a few hundredths of an inch over the west to several inches over the east. Afterwards, a cold front moved into the region on the 4th, ending the week with mild and dry weather. The week's average temperature was 76.0, which was 6.1 deg. Cooler than the previous week. Rainfall was 1.09 inches. Compared with the same week in 2007, the week was 5.6 deg., cooler, and 0.55 inch wetter.

Hurricane Ike dominated the area's weather during most of the week September 7-13. The area came under the outer fringe of his circulation on the 10th, keeping temperatures warm and suppressing rainfall. On the 9th, an old frontal boundary combined with an upper air low to produce heavy rains over much of the area, with record rainfall in Tyler. On the morning of the 13th, he came ashore at Point Bolivar, causing immense damage along the coast and on Galveston Island. Ike moved rapidly northward through East Texas, with the eye crossing Tyler around3 p.m. on the 13th. The highest wind gust in Tyler was 46 mph, and tropical storm force winds blew for about seven hours. There were numerous downed trees, and power failures affected about 11 percent of Smith County's residents. Power failures were about 25 percent in the area, and were concentrated south of a Rusk-Carthage line. The week's average temperature was 78.0 which was 1 degree below normal. Rainfall was 5.06 inches, about 700 percent of normal. The week was 2.0 degrees warmer than the previous week, and 0.2 deg. Cooler than the same week in 2007. There was no rainfall during the week in 2007.

Ike's departure brought a strong cold front into the area, which held temperatures far below normal for much of the week September 14-20, with warming towards the end of the week. The dry northerly to northeasterly flow kept moisture out of the area, and no rain fell. The week's average temperature was 69.1, 8 degrees cooler than normal, and 8.9 deg. Cooler than the previous week. Rainfall was 0.65 inch, about 90 percent of normal. The week was 8.5 deg. Cooler than the same week in 2007, and there was no rain in that year, either.

A dry and stable weather pattern was in control for the entire week of the 21-27. Surface high pressure extended from the Canadian Maritimes southwestward, and upper air high pressure was to the west of the region. This brought fair skies, seasonal temperatures for most of the week, and suppressed any rainfall. A weak cold front on the 25th lowered readings to below normal levels. The week's average temperature was 73.0 deg., which was 2 degrees below normal, and 3.9 degrees warmer than the previous week. The week was 6.2 degrees cooler than the same week in 2007. There was no rain during the week in either 2008 or 2007. The final three days of the month were dry, with a cold front on the 30th lowering temperatures.

• 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.

September 2008

• 01 88 74 78 0.10 PCPN 2200-2300
• 02 79 73 74 0.59 PCPN 0700-2400
• 03 73 67 70 0.40 PCPN 0300-2200 MN 0000-1200 72
• 04 85 66 78
• 05 85 63 79
• 06 85 62 80
• 07 88 63 83
• 08 89 68 82
• 09 78 70 76 2.96R T, PCPN 0200-0400, 1000-1200
• 10 87 72 80 0.04 PCPN 2100-2200
• 11 90 73 82 0.01 PCPN 2200-2300
• 12 86 74 80
• 13 79 75 76 2.05 PCPN 1200-2400
• 14 81 66 76 0.65 PCPN 0000-0300, MN 0000-1200 69
• 15 73 57 69 MN 0000-1200 59
• 16 78 55 71
• 17 78 54 72
• 18 76 59 71
• 19 84 61 75
• 20 84 62 76
• 21 85 64 77
• 22 85 64 79
• 23 85 63 78
• 24 84 66 77
• 25 84 61 76
• 26 83 60 75
• 27 83 55 74
• 28 83 55 74
• 29 84 55 74
• 30 81 59 72

September 2008, RECORDS AND SUMMARY:

• 2ND, TIED RECORD LOW MAXIMUM 79, FIRST SET IN 1979, DECAYING HURRICANE
• GUSTAV 100 MILES EAST;
• 9TH, RECORD RAINFALL 2.96 INCHES, PREVIOUS RECORD 1.93 IN 1974;
• 13TH, HURRICANE IKE, VERY WINDY, CENTER CROSSED OVER CITY AT 20Z, PK GST 40 KT AT 1932Z;
• 19TH, EQUIPMENT REPLACED BY NWS AT 1900Z,
• 22ND, ASTRONOMICAL ONSET OF AUTUMN AT 1544Z,
• HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 90 ON THE 11TH,
• LOWEST TEMPERATURE 54 ON THE 17TH,
• AVERAGE MAXIMUM 82.8 F.,
• AVERAGE MINIMUM 63.9 F.,
• AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 73.4 F.,
• 4.0 DEG. COOLER THAN NORMAL.
• HEATING DEGREE DAYS 0,
• 0 PERCENT OF NORMAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS.
• COOLING DEGREE DAYS 254,
• 67.8 PERCENT OF NORMAL COOLING DEGREE-DAYS;
• TOTAL PRECIPITATION 6.80 IN.,
• 3.92 IN. GREATER THAN MONTHLY NORMAL.
• 175.3 PERCENT OF NORMAL MONTHLY PRECIPITATION.
• YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION 45.05 IN.,
• 14.16 IN. THAN NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION,
• 145.8 PERCENT OF NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION;
• 1 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.
• 8 DAYS ON WHICH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION OCCURRED.
• 1 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.
• 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,
• 2317 YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS.
• PERCENTAGE OF NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS: 97.8,
• PRECIPITATION DURING THE PREVIOUS TWELVE MONTHS 52.09 IN.,
• TWELVE-MONTH PRECIPITATION PERCENTAGE 115.1.

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