Monthly Climatological Summary
Norman 3SE, Cleveland Co., OK (Lat 35^10'57"N, Lon 97^25'27"W, elev 1130)
August 2003
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Temperature Precipitation Snow AM PM
Max Min Water Snow Depth Wx Wx
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01 103.5 73.6 .00 0.0 0 SCT BKN
02 93.0 72.3 .04 0.0 0 -TSRA FEW
03 85.6 74.1 .00 0.0 0 BKN OVC
04 97.9 71.6 .00 0.0 0 BKN BKN
05 101.5 76.8 .00 0.0 0 BKN BKN
06 99.1 73.6 .00 0.0 0 SKC FEW
07 99.3 74.8 T 0.0 0 -SHRA SCT
08 95.4 74.1 .00 0.0 0 BKN BKN
09 91.9 70.5 .10 0.0 0 -TSRA BKN
10 98.1 69.1 1.42 0.0 0 BKN +TSRA
11 91.2 69.4 .14 0.0 0 TSRA BKN
12 88.5 65.7 .00 0.0 0 SKC BKN
13 85.6 66.7 T 0.0 0 BKN -TSRA
14 89.2 65.7 .00 0.0 0 SCT BKN
15 91.4 68.5 .00 0.0 0 SKC SCT
16 95.7 69.4 .00 0.0 0 BKN BKN
17 97.9 70.5 .00 0.0 0 SCT BKN
18 99.9 72.7 .00 0.0 0 BKN BKN
19 99.3 75.0 .00 0.0 0 SCT BKN
20 98.8 75.4 .00 0.0 0 SCT SCT
21 98.8 74.7 .00 0.0 0 SCT SCT
22 100.2 73.4 .00 0.0 0 BKN SCT
23 102.0 72.7 .09 0.0 0 SKC TSRA
24 97.7 72.5 .00 0.0 0 BKN SCT
25 98.2 71.8 .00 0.0 0 SKC SCT
26 97.3 71.8 .00 0.0 0 SKC SCT
27 95.2 70.3 .18 0.0 0 SCT +TSRA
28 97.3 73.6 .00 0.0 0 SCT SCT
29 92.1 73.9 T 0.0 0 -TSRA BKN
30 85.3 70.9 1.76 0.0 0 +TSRA +SHRA
31 79.2 69.6 1.02 0.0 0 +SHRA +SHRA
KEY TO AM/PM WX: SKC - sky clear, FEW - few clouds, SCT -
partly cloudy, BKN - mostly cloudy, OVC - overcast, RA -
rain, SHRA - rain shower, TSRA - thunderstorm with rain.
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Means and Totals for August 2003
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Average Maximum Temperature: 95.0
Average Minimum Temperature: 71.8
Mean Temperature: 83.4
Maximum Temperature: 103.5 (8-01-03)
Minimum Temperature: 65.7 (8-14-03)
Days with max temperature 90.0F+: 25 Year: 67
Days with max temperature <32.0F: 0 Year: 4
Days with min temperature <32.0F: 0 Year: 51
Days with min temperature <0.0F: 0 Year: 0
Precipitation: 4.75 Year: 18.11
Greatest one-day precipitation: 1.76 (8-30-03)
Snowfall: 0.0 Year: 5.0
Greatest one-day snowfall: 0.0
Maximum snow depth at midnight: 0
Days with measureable pcpn: 8 Year: 58
Days with pcpn 1.00"+: 3 Year: 5
Days with measureable snowfall: 0 Year: 4
Days with snowfall 1"+: 0 Year: 2
Days with glaze ice: 0 Year: 5
Days with damaging wind: 0 Year: 4
Days with hail: 0 Year: 4
Days with thunderstorms: 9 Year: 44
Days with fog: 0 Year: 10
NOTICE: All temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit and all precipitation values in inches. Snowfall totals denoted by an asterisk indicate hail.
Summary....August 2003 was another month in which central Oklahoma received the majority of its rain in one big burst at the end of the month. Much of the state recorded significant rainfall the final three days of the month. Rainfall totals exceeding 8 inches were confirmed in Grant County in northern Oklahoma, and radar estimated totals over 10 inches in parts of Grant County and also Okmulgee County (south of Tulsa).
Turlock CA had its wettest August in decades. A total of .33 inch fell in Turlock in Aug 2003, a whopping 3105 percent of the 16-yr average! Turlock had rain on three days - .19 inch on the 2nd, .09 inch on the 21st, and .05 inch on the 26th. The .19 inch total on the 2nd was greater than the total rainfall which had occurred in the previous 16 August combined! To give an idea of how uncommon rainfall is in August, here is a complete list of all of the measurable rainfall which occurred in Turlock in August between 1987 and 2002....
8/21/1988 .01 inch 8/13/1991 .03 inch 8/20/1997 .04 inch 8/29/2000 .02 inch 8/31/2000 .07 inch
Although rare, this type of rainfall is not completely without precedent. Turlock received .52 inch in Aug 1965, .55 inch in Aug 1975, and .35 inch in Aug 1976. If radar estimates are to be believed, the thunderstorm which struck parts of Stanislaus and Merced Counties on the 2nd was historic. Turlock received the fringe of this storm and got .19 inch, but radar estimated in excess of .50 inch west of Turlock and over 1.00 inch east of Newman. Unfortunately these areas are sparsely populated so we'll never know if these amounts verified.