September 2006

Report and Summary

Tyler, Texas
September 2006
by Robert K. Peters, Ph.D.
National Weather Service Cooperating Observer

The month of September 2006 was slightly cooler and much drier than normal. The protracted drought, which began in Spring 2006, continued over most of the region. Though a few locations over the north and south received beneficial rainfall during the month, Tyler did not. Year-to-date rainfall was 3.05 inches greater through September 30, 2006 than through the same date in 2005. Compared with September 2005, the month in 2006 was 5.1 degrees cooler, and 1.35 inches drier.

The thirty-day outlook for September 2006 had called for near normal temperatures and near normal precipitation.

The week August 27-September 2 saw near normal temperatures and rainfall about 40 percent of normal. Summer's excessive heat broke during the week. A cold front crossed on the 28th with the week's only rain. Slight warming occurred under returning upper air high pressure late in the week, with lowering temperatures at week's end as the upper air high shifted westward. The week's average temperature was 81.0, and rainfall was 0.33 inch. This was 6.6 degrees cooler than the previous week. Compared with the same week in 2005, the week was 2.1 deg. Cooler, and 0.26 inch wetter.

The week September 3-9 saw temperatures about 3 degrees cooler than normal, and rainfall about one-fifth normal. Cold fronts on the 5th and 7th held down temperatures. The storm accompanying the first front brought the week's rain. The week's average temperature was 76.7 degrees, while rainfall was 0.15 inches. The week was 4.3 degrees cooler than the previous week. Compared with the same week in 2005, the week was 3.2 degrees cooler, and there was no rain during 2005.

The week September 10-16 saw temperatures about 2 degrees above normal, and rainfall about one-third normal. Weak upper air high pressure was in control for most of the week. A cold front and storm system on the 11th brought the week's rain, and lowered mid-week temperatures. At late-week, temperatures and humidities rose ahead of the storm system which crossed early the following week. The week's average temperature was 79.5 degrees, which was 2.8 degrees warmer than the previous week. Rainfall was 0.23 inch. Compared with the same week in 2005, the week was 3.7 degrees cooler and 0.05 inch drier.

The week September 17-23 was slightly warmer than normal, with about two-thirds normal rainfall. The week began warm, cooled with a front on the 18th, but warmed rapidly at week's end ahead of the storm system and cold front of the 23rd. On the morning of the 22nd, Tyler's low temperature was 79, not only a record high minimum for the date but the warmest minimum observed in September. The morning low of 81 on the 23rd would have replaced that record had it stood, but the cold front reached the city at late-day, and lowered the temperature below that. The record high minimum of 76 was tied on the 17th. The week's rains fell with the two fronts. The week's average temperature was 78.2 degrees, which was 1.3 degrees cooler than the previous week. Rainfall was 0.53 inch. Compared with the same week in 2005, the week was 5.4 degrees cooler, and 1.36 inches drier.

The early and middle of the week were mild, with warming at week's end. The week September 24-30 saw temperatures about 2 degrees cooler than normal, and rainfall less than 5 percent of normal. The only rain was a lingering shower on the 24th behind the previous day's cold front, and light showers on the 27th ahead of another front. Warming occurred at late-week as upper air high pressure began building over the region. The week's average temperature was 71.9 deg., and rainfall was 0.03 inch. This was 6.3 degrees cooler than the previous week. Compared with the same week in 2005, the week was 8.2 degrees cooler and 0.09 inch drier.

• 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 2006

• 01 93 70 88
• 02 91 69 84
• 03 86 74 83
• 04 83 70 75 MX 1200-2400 79
• 05 83 69 79 0.15 PCPN 0400-1100, 1900-2100
• 06 87 64 82
• 07 89 63 82
• 08 91 65 84
• 09 88 66 85
• 10 91 68 86
• 11 92 71 79 0.23 T
• 12 92 70 87
• 13 87 61 81 MX 1200-2400 86
• 14 91 60 84
• 15 95 65 89
• 16 95 76 91
• 17 94 76 76 0.02 PCPN 2200-2400 MN 0000-1200 79
• 18 79 68 76 0.46 PCPN 0000-0900, MN 0000-1200 72
• 19 87 57 79
• 20 87 59 81
• 21 87 60 82
• 22 95 79R 90
• 23 90 76 79 0.05 T, PCPN 2100-2200 MN 1200-2400 81
• 24 79 63 73 0.03 PCPN 0000-0100
• 25 82 53 75
• 26 87 52 80
• 27 88 59 82 tr. T
• 28 82 64 73 MX 1200-2400 80
• 29 85 54 79
• 30 93 67 86

SEPTEMBER 2006, RECORDS AND SUMMARY:

• 17TH EQUALLED RECORD HIGH MINIMUM OF 76 SET FIRST IN 1931;
• 22ND, RECORD HIGH MINIMUM 79, PREVIOUS RECORD 78 IN 1921, TIES MONTHLY
• RECORD HIGH MINIMUM, SET FIRST SEPTEMBER 27, 1977;
• 23RD, ASTRONOMICAL ONSET OF AUTUMN 0403Z
• 23RD, MORNING LOW 81, ACTUAL MINIMUM 76, WOULD HAVE BEEN HIGHEST LOW IN
• SEPTEMBER;
• HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 95 ON THE 15TH, 16TH, AND 22ND,
• LOWEST TEMPERATURE 52 ON THE 26TH;
• AVERAGE MAXIMUM 88.1 F.,
• AVERAGE MINIMUM 65.6 F.,
• AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 76.9 F.,
• 0.5 DEG. COOLER THAN NORMAL.
• HEATING DEGREE DAYS 0,
• 0 PERCENT OF NORMAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS.
• COOLING DEGREE DAYS 355,
• 94.9 PERCENT OF NORMAL COOLING DEGREE-DAYS;
• TOTAL PRECIPITATION 0.94 INCH,
• 2.34 IN. LESS THAN MONTHLY NORMAL.
• 28.7 PERCENT OF NORMAL MONTHLY PRECIPITATION.
• YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION 24.23 IN.,
• 6.66 IN. LESS THAN NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION,
• 78.4 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.
• 6 DAYS ON WHICH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION OCCURRED.
• 13 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;
• YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS.2702,
• PERCENTAGE OF NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS: 114.1;
• PRECIPITATION DURING THE PREVIOUS TWELVE MONTHS 27.39 IN.,
• TWELVE-MONTH PRECIPITATION PERCENTAGE 60.5

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