May 2002

Report and Summary

Tyler, Texas
May 2002
by Robert K. Peters, Ph.D.
National Weather Service Cooperating Observer

The month of May 2002 saw near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation.

In comparison with May 2001, last month was 0.6 deg. cooler, and 1.14 inches wetter. Precipitation through May 31, 2002 was 18.15 inches, which was 10.86 inches less than through the same period in 2001. Twelve-month precipitation through May 31 is 48.04 inches, which is 106.1 percent of normal.

The thirty-day forecast for May 2002 had called for above normal temperatures and near normal precipitation.

The week April 28-May 4 saw temperatures seven degrees warmer than normal, and rainfall about one-third normal.

Upper air high pressure, centered over the Gulf of Mexico, controlled the region's weather through the 2nd. This resulted in well-above normal temperatures.

On the 2nd, a cold front moved through the region, which lowered temperatures through the end of the week. The week's only rain occurred on the 3rd as an upper air disturbance crossed. The week's average temperature was 76.8 deg., which was 5.2 deg. warmer than the previous week.

The week May 5-11 saw temperatures 8.5 deg. warmer than normal, and rainfall about 200 percent of normal.

For most of the week, Tropical Maritime air was over the region, with an upper air high pressure ridge adding to the warmth. A cold front crossed on the 9th, bringing localized very heavy rainfall early on the morning of the 10th.

The front retreated northward as a warm front on the afternoon of the 10th, and thus brought only brief cooling. Conditions were breezy to windy on the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 11th.

The week's average temperature was 80.2, which was 3.4 deg. warmer than the previous week.

The week May 12-18 saw temperatures three degrees cooler than normal, and rainfall near normal.

The week began warm, but two strong cold fronts crossed--one on the 13th and another on the 17th. Both brought rain.

Temperatures warmed again at mid-week after the high pressure ridge behind the front moved eastward.

The week's average temperature was 70.0 deg., which was 10.2 degrees cooler than the previous week.

The week May 19-25 was even cooler, averaging six degrees below normal. There was no rainfall.

The strong cold front of the 17th was followed by a Polar Continental air mass. This established a record low minimum temperature on the morning of the 19th, and held readings below normal through the 24th.

Tropical Maritime air began returning on the 22nd, but extensive cloud cover still held down daytime temperatures.

There were a few scattered showers over the northern counties on the 25th as a cold front went stationary along Red River. The week's average temperature was 68.9 deg., which was 1.1 deg. cooler than the previous week.

The last six days of the month saw a closed upper air low slowly cross the region. This brought significant rains to the area between the night of the 27th and the afternoon of the 30th.

• 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

The reporting period for temperatures 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. The reporting period for precipitation is for the twenty-four hours ending at noon GMT--6 a.m. CST and 7 a.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.

MAY 2002

• 01 93 72 87
• 02 87 69 70 MIN 0000-1200 71, MAX 1200-2400 84
• 03 70 57 67 0.05 F, T, PCPN 1000-1600 MIN 0000-1200 62, MAX 1200-2400 68
• 04 83 62 80 0.33
• 05 87 66 84
• 06 90 73 86
• 07 89 74 86
• 08 89 73 84
• 09 90 75 83 0.02 T, PCPN 1000-1100
• 10 90 66 85 2.07 T, PCPN 0100-0900
• 11 89 71 86
• 12 90 73 85
• 13 85 55 67 0.34 T, PCPN 0600-0900 MAX 1200-2400 73
• 14 78 51 73
• 15 83 54 81
• 16 89 65 87
• 17 87 65 65 T, PCPN 1400-1900 MIN 0000-1200 73, MAX 1200-2400 77
• 18 70 56 67 0.78
• 19 74 48 69
• 20 77 51 74
• 21 81 54 78
• 22 82 57 79
• 23 82 63 79
• 24 82 61 80
• 25 86 66 83
• 26 90 69 86
• 27 90 68 83
• 28 83 67 76 0.10 T, PCPN 0200-0600 MAX 1200-2400 82
• 29 83 63 74 2.12 T, PCPN 0800-1400
• 30 81 67 77 0.06 F
• 31 86 65 83

MAY 2002, RECORDS AND SUMMARY:

• TEMPERATURE OBSERVATIONS BETWEEN 1200Z 050402 AND 000Z 051002 ARE
• FROM KTYR (TYLER--POUNDS FIELD AIRPORT AUTOMATED SURFACE
• OBSERVATION STATION) BECAUSE OF MAL-FUNCTION OF THERMOMETER;
• EQUIPMENT BACK IN SERVICE 1930Z 050902.
• 9TH RECORD HIGH MINIMUM 75, PREVIOUS RECORD 74 IN 1933;
• 19TH RECORD LOW MINIMUM 48, PREVIOUS RECORD 51 IN 1904 AND 1995;
• HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 93 ON THE 1ST;
• LOWEST TEMPERATURE 48 ON THE 19TH;
• AVERAGE MAXIMUM 83.5;
• AVERAGE MINIMUM 63.8;
• AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 73.7;
• 0.4 DEG. WARMER THAN NORMAL.
• HEATING DEGREE DAYS 9;
• 90 PERCENT OF NORMAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS.
• COOLING DEGREE DAYS 278;
• 103.7 PERCENT OF NORMAL COOLING DEGREE-DAYS;
• TOTAL PRECIPITATION 5.87 IN.;
• 1.41 IN. GREATER THAN NORMAL.
• 131.6 PERCENT OF NORMAL PRECIPITATION.
• YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION 18.15 IN.;
• 7 DAYS ON WHICH THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED;
• 2 DAYS ON WHICH THE VISIBILITY WAS 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.
• 9 DAYS ON WHICH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION OCCURRED.
• 7 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.
• 2123 SEASON-TO-DATE HEATING DEGREE DAYS,
• 541 YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS.

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