October 2001

Report and Summary

Tyler, Texas
October 2001
by Robert K. Peters, Ph.D.
National Weather Service Cooperating Observer

The month of October 2001 was cooler and drier than normal. In comparison with October 2000, last month was 3.8 degrees cooler and 1.18 inches drier.

Year-to-date rainfall through October 31 was 12.04 inches greater this year than last, and precipitation over the past twelve months is 152.7 percent of normal.

The thirty-day outlook for October 2001 had called for near normal temperatures and near normal precipitation. The week September 30-October 6 saw temperatures six degrees cooler than normal, and rainfall under ten percent of normal.

The high pressure ridge, which built into the region late in September, persisted through the 4th. This was responsible for the cool temperatures.

On the 5th, a weak storm feature crossed. This brought the week's only rain, and another cold front lowered temperatures again on the 6th.

The average temperature during the week was 74.3 deg. This was 8.8 degrees warmer than the previous week.

The week October 7-13 saw temperatures two degrees cooler than normal and rainfall 225 percent of normal. During the first part of the week, Tropical Maritime air was present over the region. A cold front and storm system on the 11th and 12th were responsible for the rain and lowered temperatures. With an average temperature of 65.8, the week was 1.5 degrees warmer than the previous week.

The week october 14-20 was four degrees cooler than normal, and rainfall was about five percent of normal.

Another Polar Continental air mass entered the area on the 16th. This kept temperatures cool, equalling record low minimum readings on the morning of the 17th. The week's only rain was observed on the 14th with the passage of the front.

Towards week's end, warm and moist air returned to the region as Tropical Maritime air returned on the morning of the 19th. The week's average temperature was 61.7 deg., 4.1 degrees lower than the previous week.

The week October 21-27 saw temperatures four degrees warmer than normal, and no rainfall.

Tropical Maritime air was over the area between the 21st and 24th, with a modified Polar Continental air mass during the last part of the week. ?As a consequence, temperatures were quite warm through the 24th, and quite cool thereafter.

There was no rainfall during the week, since the moist air layer was very shallow on the afternoon of the 24th when the first of two cold fronts crossed. There was very little available moisture on the morning of the 27th when a reinforcing cool air mass arrived.

The week's mean temperature was 67.9 deg., which was 6.2 degrees warmer than the previous week. The final four days of the month were cool and dry under a strong surface high pressure ridge. On the 31st, a warming trend began, which continued into early-November.

• 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 1961-1990.

OCTOBER 2001

• 01 78 51 70
• 02 80 51 70
• 03 80 56 73
• 04 84 63 76
• 05 84 58 58 T, PCPN 1900-2300 MIN 0000-1200 66
• 06 66 48 63 0.05
• 07 70 43 65
• 08 77 49 71
• 09 77 61 76
• 10 85 70 78
• 11 78 64 69 0.34 T, PCPN 1000-1200, 1300-1500 MIN 0000-1200 72, MAX 1200-2400 74 12 78
• 52 73 0.40
• 13 73 57 57 1.55 T, F, PCPN 0600-2000 MIN 0000-1200 61, MAX 1200-2400 64 14 79
• 47 64 0.08
• 15 82 51 72
• 16 72 44 55 MAX 1200-2400 65
• 17 69 39 60
• 18 74 43 65
• 19 79 54 69
• 20 79 59 71
• 21 81 56 74
• 22 82 64 77
• 23 84 72 78
• 24 87 71 72
• 25 76 46 63
• 26 73 46 57
• 27 68 44 57
• 28 67 42 61
• 29 70 40 58
• 30 72 40 60
• 31 75 47 69

OCTOBER 2001, RECORDS AND SUMMARY:

• 17TH EQUALLED RECORD LOW MINIMUM OF 39, SET FIRST IN 1954;
• HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 87 on the 24TH,
• LOWEST TEMPERATURE 39 ON THE 17TH;
• AVERAGE MAXIMUM 76.1 F.,
• AVERAGE MINIMUM 52.5 F.,
• 1.8 DEG. COOLER THAN NORMAL.
• HEATING DEGREE DAYS, 103
• 139.2 PERCENT OF NORMAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS.
• COOLING DEGREE DAYS 87,
• 63.5 PERCENT OF NORMAL COOLING DEGREE-DAYS;
• TOTAL PRECIPITATION 2.42 IN.,
• 1.63 IN. LESS THAN NORMAL.
• 59.8 PERCENT OF NORMAL PRECIPITATION.
• YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION 48.78 IN.,
• 3 DAYS ON WHICH THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED;
• 1 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.
• 5 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. 0 DAYS
• ON WHICH THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED OR FELL BELOW 32 DEG.
• 112 SEASON-TO-DATE HEATING DEGREE DAYS,
• 2328 YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS.

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