Fulton Station, MO-CW-1: 5.72"
Auxvasse Station, MO-CW-5: 5.83"
**For a complete 3-day loop of this storm, visit OSNW3's blog entry October 11 Scroll to the bottom for radar loop**
Thursday, October 8
Friday, October 9Friday, October 9, 2009
Storm Rain Total
Fulton Station, MO-CW-1: 5.72"
Auxvasse Station, MO-CW-5: 5.83"
**For a complete 3-day loop of this storm, visit OSNW3's blog entry October 11 Scroll to the bottom for radar loop**
Thursday, October 8Friday, October 9
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Flooding Rain Today
Heavy rain has been affecting the area since late last night. I don't know what your favorite sound is, but mine is thunder in the morning. It can perk me up better than a finely brewed cup of coffee. This rain has come so quickly, and our ground was semi-saturated from the wet end of September and early October. Creeks and rivers have quickly filled their banks. The road by our house had 3-4" of water over it, and in the 6 years we have lived here, I have never seen it with water.
Morning observations (as of 5:30 a.m.)
Fulton Station (MO-CW-1): 1.59"
Auxvasse Station (MO-CW-5): 2.85"
I've been hearing word of students not able to come to school and some roads have been closed in the area.
Here are some local storm reports. I'll update as I get time today:
6:30 a.m. (Boone County) Several water rescues have occurred
6:55 a.m. (Callaway County) 6-8" of water on county roads
::Update::
So far at school (using an electronic rain gauge) we have experienced 4.25". I haven't checked my CoCoRaHS gauge yet, so I'm looking forward to seeing if the electronic gauge holds up.
Other reports:
3.82" reported at Sanborn Field at the MU Campus in Columbia
2.25" in Mexico, just north of here
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Rain Intensity Table
I was doing some research on the water cycle for a class when I ran across this table on the USDA website. It quantitatively defines precipitation of different intensities, and I found it to be interesting.
An early October cold front gave me a nice wake up this morning at around 5:00. Lots of lightning and 0.35" of rain fell (as of 6:00) in response to the squall line. The parent Low pressure center is currently marching into Wisconsin giving our friends up there another soaking, giving them a relief from a dry September.
The snow returns on the national radar is becoming more common each day. It won't be long!
An early October cold front gave me a nice wake up this morning at around 5:00. Lots of lightning and 0.35" of rain fell (as of 6:00) in response to the squall line. The parent Low pressure center is currently marching into Wisconsin giving our friends up there another soaking, giving them a relief from a dry September.
The snow returns on the national radar is becoming more common each day. It won't be long!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
September Weather Summary / WY 08-09 Summary
I'm pulling double duty on this month's summary. With the books officially closed on the 08-09 water year, I'd like to share some water year data with you. First, let's start with this month.
As in my previous post, this month shows more of the same in the precipitation department. We ran another surplus, but only after following a 31-day period of 0.31". Late in the month, an upper level low spinning in Colorado offered us the relief we needed, and my lawn responded with vigor! Each mow, now I am thinking, "Is this the last time?" Let's hope this weekend is the last.
Overnight, a warm front lifted NE through the area, giving us a milder start to the day than the previous few mornings (temps in the 60s rather than 40s), currently, there is a wide swath of rain and storms spreading from Texas to Missouri, and into Montana. Quite impressive indeed. There is thunder in the area, and we are sure to get the first precip of WY 09-10.
September Observations can be found here
Temperatures
September offered us very comfortable temperatures. We started and ended the month a bit on the cool side, but we stayed around average through the middle of the month.
High: 83° on 9/11 and 9/27
Low: 44° on 9/29 and 9/30
Mean High (average): 76.2° (79.1°)
Mean Low (average): 57.0° (55.4°)
# of Days Above Average High: 6
# of Days Below Average High: 20
Precipitation
Average Precip: 3.68"
September Precip: 4.28"
And our yearly totals so far...
2007 - 2009 September Comparisons
In a comparison to the previous two years, you can see a remarkable difference in rain amounts. Last year, the tropics were extremely active, and we had two tropical depressions impact our area. One even came right through Missouri! The result of that is easy to spot on the graph. 2007, on the other hand experienced some extreme drought (if you'll remember, that was the same year with the devastating Easter Freeze).
September Days with Thunder: 2
I took some time over the weekend to generate some disaggregated data concerning rainfall amounts. I was interested to know the frequencies in which we experienced heavy/light rainfall events. I'm excited to have these data now. Thanks to OSNW3 for showing me some cool features on Excel.
January - August 2009
Days With Precipitation
Water Year 2008 - 09 Summary
Yearly Precipitation Average: 41.22"
WY 2008-09 Deviation: +6.00"
Links to Monthly Summaries:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
As in my previous post, this month shows more of the same in the precipitation department. We ran another surplus, but only after following a 31-day period of 0.31". Late in the month, an upper level low spinning in Colorado offered us the relief we needed, and my lawn responded with vigor! Each mow, now I am thinking, "Is this the last time?" Let's hope this weekend is the last.
Overnight, a warm front lifted NE through the area, giving us a milder start to the day than the previous few mornings (temps in the 60s rather than 40s), currently, there is a wide swath of rain and storms spreading from Texas to Missouri, and into Montana. Quite impressive indeed. There is thunder in the area, and we are sure to get the first precip of WY 09-10.
September Observations can be found here
Temperatures
September offered us very comfortable temperatures. We started and ended the month a bit on the cool side, but we stayed around average through the middle of the month.High: 83° on 9/11 and 9/27
Low: 44° on 9/29 and 9/30
Mean High (average): 76.2° (79.1°)
Mean Low (average): 57.0° (55.4°)
# of Days Above Average High: 6
# of Days Below Average High: 20
Precipitation
Average Precip: 3.68"
September Precip: 4.28"
And our yearly totals so far...
2007 - 2009 September Comparisons
In a comparison to the previous two years, you can see a remarkable difference in rain amounts. Last year, the tropics were extremely active, and we had two tropical depressions impact our area. One even came right through Missouri! The result of that is easy to spot on the graph. 2007, on the other hand experienced some extreme drought (if you'll remember, that was the same year with the devastating Easter Freeze).
September Days with Thunder: 2
I took some time over the weekend to generate some disaggregated data concerning rainfall amounts. I was interested to know the frequencies in which we experienced heavy/light rainfall events. I'm excited to have these data now. Thanks to OSNW3 for showing me some cool features on Excel.
January - August 2009Days With Precipitation
Water Year 2008 - 09 Summary
Yearly Precipitation Average: 41.22"
WY 2008-09 Deviation: +6.00"
Links to Monthly Summaries:January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Aug 19 - Sep 19 Dry Spell
September is winding down. The trees have just started to shed their chlorophyllic pigments, and as a butterfly hatches out, each day provides more and more color. In my previous job, fall was a very demanding season, and I haven't really had the privilege to enjoy God's autumn beauty in Missouri's woodlands. This year has been different, though. I've had the chance to spend some time outside with my three girls, and just recently enjoyed some much needed time with my wife down at the lake.
But that's not the topic of this post.
September is showcasing yet another surplus month for precipitation. As of today (9/25), we are running a surplus of 0.59". With the exception of a dry January, every month has exceeded the average precipitation mark. But the data for September doesn't tell the whole story.
(click table for larger image)
For a period starting on August 19, we experienced a very dry and cool weather pattern. Foggy mornings and mostly sunny skies were the norm for much of that period. The air was dry, and we only exceeded our average high temperature four times.
As beautiful as the weather was, we did go through a period of 31 days with very little rain. We experienced only 6 days with measurable precipitation (0.01 or greater), with the total precip adding up to 0.31".
Visual stress could be seen in some plants and the soil. The cracks in my garden grew bigger and bigger as the clay in our soil shrunk like an old piece of leather. By the end of that period, I couldn't till/weed the garden as the soil had become hard as a rock.
The ground around our foundation also began to pull apart, making me all the more thankful that we don't have a basement. Folks around here are plagued by periods of dry weather. Once the first big rain comes, the water comes pouring in because of a semi-impervious dry soil.
We did get our relief as an impressive upper level low spun in Colorado for a few days, bringing the first snow to some in the mountains, and steering moisture our way. We experienced some nice cloudy days and soaking rains.
The graph below highlights the two major rains we experienced during this two-month period: August 16 - 19, and September 19 - 24. The latter being the effect of the Colorado upper level low.
I've put together some disaggregated precipitation data this week that shows the frequencies of monthly rain event intensities. I'll start posting them in my monthly reports.
As the weather gets colder, I'm getting excited for a couple of reasons: The deer woods are calling my name, and each day is a day closer to our first snowfall!
But that's not the topic of this post.
September is showcasing yet another surplus month for precipitation. As of today (9/25), we are running a surplus of 0.59". With the exception of a dry January, every month has exceeded the average precipitation mark. But the data for September doesn't tell the whole story.
(click table for larger image)
For a period starting on August 19, we experienced a very dry and cool weather pattern. Foggy mornings and mostly sunny skies were the norm for much of that period. The air was dry, and we only exceeded our average high temperature four times.
As beautiful as the weather was, we did go through a period of 31 days with very little rain. We experienced only 6 days with measurable precipitation (0.01 or greater), with the total precip adding up to 0.31".
Visual stress could be seen in some plants and the soil. The cracks in my garden grew bigger and bigger as the clay in our soil shrunk like an old piece of leather. By the end of that period, I couldn't till/weed the garden as the soil had become hard as a rock.
The ground around our foundation also began to pull apart, making me all the more thankful that we don't have a basement. Folks around here are plagued by periods of dry weather. Once the first big rain comes, the water comes pouring in because of a semi-impervious dry soil.
We did get our relief as an impressive upper level low spun in Colorado for a few days, bringing the first snow to some in the mountains, and steering moisture our way. We experienced some nice cloudy days and soaking rains.
The graph below highlights the two major rains we experienced during this two-month period: August 16 - 19, and September 19 - 24. The latter being the effect of the Colorado upper level low.
I've put together some disaggregated precipitation data this week that shows the frequencies of monthly rain event intensities. I'll start posting them in my monthly reports.
As the weather gets colder, I'm getting excited for a couple of reasons: The deer woods are calling my name, and each day is a day closer to our first snowfall!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Austrailia Dust Storm
I ran across this news article this morning. It's good reading for weather enthusiasts.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1215443/Australia-dust-storm-sweeps-eastern-coast.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1215443/Australia-dust-storm-sweeps-eastern-coast.html
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
August Weather Summary
This has been the summer that just keeps on giving. I can't remember a July and August that were as beautiful as these have been. While no records were broken, the month could be summarized as consistently cool and abundantly wet.
> Days we've met or exceeded average max temp: 5
> Days with thunder: 7
Interested in the cooler weather, I began to keep track of our deviation from the normal high temperatures. What I found didn't surprise me. Here are the data from June/July/August and a summer mean.
June:
Temperatures
As was the theme last month, we have experienced below-average temperatures for much of August. I had a few students asking if I'd close the window yesterday! I love the crisp air that September and October bring...I just never expected it to be here so early. The weather complaint compartment can take a vacation in Missouri.
High: 93° on 8/11 and 8/12
Low: 49° on 8/30
Mean Temperature (Average): 72.11° (75.65°)
Mean High (Average): 81.9° (87.3°)
Mean Low (Average): 62.4° (64.0°)
_________________________________
Precipitation
August precipitation gave us another surplus of 1.01". Check out the stark contrast between 2007 and 2009. We had quite a bad drought that summer along with some brutal 100° days. We haven't had any precipitation >0.10" for two weeks now, so even though our numbers are impressive, we are feeling pretty dry right now.
Average August Precip: 3.64"
I'm starting to see some fall color here and there (maybe some trees are experiencing stress?) One tree by our school is in bright orange/yellow. I'll post any updates as I see them. Enjoy the transition everyone!
> Days we've met or exceeded average max temp: 5
> Days with thunder: 7
Interested in the cooler weather, I began to keep track of our deviation from the normal high temperatures. What I found didn't surprise me. Here are the data from June/July/August and a summer mean.
June:
- Max Deviation: +13° on 6/1, 6/2, 6/17
- Mean Deviation: +5.73°
- Max Deviation: -19° on 7/21
- Mean Deviation: -6.84°
- Max Deviation: -18° on 8/30
- Mean Deviation: -5.42°
_________________________________
Temperatures
As was the theme last month, we have experienced below-average temperatures for much of August. I had a few students asking if I'd close the window yesterday! I love the crisp air that September and October bring...I just never expected it to be here so early. The weather complaint compartment can take a vacation in Missouri.
High: 93° on 8/11 and 8/12
Low: 49° on 8/30
Mean Temperature (Average): 72.11° (75.65°)
Mean High (Average): 81.9° (87.3°)
Mean Low (Average): 62.4° (64.0°)
_________________________________
Precipitation
August precipitation gave us another surplus of 1.01". Check out the stark contrast between 2007 and 2009. We had quite a bad drought that summer along with some brutal 100° days. We haven't had any precipitation >0.10" for two weeks now, so even though our numbers are impressive, we are feeling pretty dry right now.
Average August Precip: 3.64"
I'm starting to see some fall color here and there (maybe some trees are experiencing stress?) One tree by our school is in bright orange/yellow. I'll post any updates as I see them. Enjoy the transition everyone!
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