National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce
 
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NOUS44 KLZK 020319 RRA
PNSLZK

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...PART 2
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
915 PM CST MON JAN 1 2018

...A Review of 2017 Weather And Climate Data for Little Rock Adams
Field...

Summary
====================================================================
At Little Rock, 2017 was the coolest year in three years.

In terms of departure from normal, the warmest months (relative to
average) were February and January, and the coolest month was August. By
the actual temperatures, though, December was the coolest and July was
the warmest.

There were no 100-degree days for the first time in three years. Not only
that, the first 90-degree day came in mid-June, and was the latest such
occurrence in 78 years (and 6th latest on record). There were only 39 days
with lows at or below freezing, which was the least in five years.

For the first time in three years, annual rainfall was below average. The
wettest months were April and December, and the driest months were all
during the fall...November, September and October. Rainfall for these
months ranged from over two to nearly five inches below average.

Snowfall was significantly below average, with the least amount in eight
years. However, this is the 16th straight year with measurable snowfall
(even if it was not much). The only measurable snow fell on January 6th.
This was also the year which saw the earliest snowfall on record at
Little Rock, when a trace of sleet fell on October 27th.  Otherwise, no
other snowfall or hail was recorded during the year.

Below are averages and extremes observed during the year. Remember...most
of the data below is preliminary until certified correct by the National
Center for Environmental Information in Asheville, North Carolina.

Temperatures
===========================================================================
----------|  Average Temperatures     |--------Extremes and Dates---------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Month     | High  Low   Average  DFN  | Highest/Date(s)  | Lowest/Date(s) |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
January   | 55.1  37.3    46.2  +5.4  | 75/31st, 12th    | 12/7th         |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
February  | 64.3  42.1    53.2  +8.4  | 81/28th          | 24/4th         |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
March     | 68.1  44.6    56.4  +3.0  | 86/21st          | 18/15th        |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
April     | 75.7  53.8    64.8  +2.7  | 85/29th          | 42/7th         |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
May       | 79.7  58.5    69.1  -2.0  | 89/27th          | 46/2nd         |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
June      | 86.0  67.0    76.5  -2.6  | 92/16th          | 57/9th         |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
July      | 91.4  72.1    81.8  -1.0  | 96/23rd,22nd,21st| 66/31st, 30th  |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
August    | 86.0  70.5    78.3  -4.2  | 95/20th          | 63/25th        |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
September | 85.6  64.1    74.9  -0.1  | 93/22nd          | 53/7th         |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
October   | 76.5  51.5    64.0  +0.3  | 91/9th           | 28/29th        |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
November  | 67.0  43.3    55.2  +2.6  | 85/3rd           | 29/23rd, 20th  |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
December  | 52.7  33.4    43.0   0.0  | 73/3rd           | 15/28th        |
===========================================================================
=  Year   | 74.0  53.2    63.6  +0.9  | 96 Jul. 23rd,    | 12 Jan. 7th    =
=         |                           |    Jul. 22nd,    |                =
=         |                           |    Jul. 21st,    |                =
=         |                           |    Jul. 20th     |                =
===========================================================================
DFN - Departure from normal, or difference between the average temperature
and the 30-year average temperature (1981-2010)


Precipitation

===================================================================
Monthly Rainfall Data     |            Highest Totals             |
--------------------------|----------------------------------------
Month     | Total |  DFN  |  Calendar Day   |  24-hour Period     |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
January   |  1.47 | -2.08 |   0.51/16th     |  0.51/16th          |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
February  |  3.53 | -0.13 |   1.11/20th     |  1.66/20th-21st     |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
March     |  3.87 | -0.81 |   1.27/7th      |  1.51/6th-7th       |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
April     | 10.13 | +4.99 |   2.78/29th     |  5.11/29th-30th     |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
May       |  6.82 | +1.95 |   2.07/28th     |  2.07/28th          |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
June      |  3.24 | -0.41 |   0.71/22nd     |  0.92/22nd-23rd     |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
July      |  4.76 | +1.49 |   1.13/23rd     |  1.13/23rd          |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
August    |  3.47 | +0.88 |   0.75/18th     |  0.86/30th-31st     |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
September |  0.45 | -2.73 |   0.33/5th      |  0.33/5th           |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
October   |  1.37 | -3.54 |   0.49/22nd     |  0.53/21st-22nd     |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
November  |  0.42 | -4.86 |   0.32/15th     |  0.32/15th          |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
December  |  7.74 | +2.77 |   4.33/22nd     |  4.35/22nd-23rd     |
===================================================================
=Yearly   | 47.27 | -2.48 |   4.33 Dec. 22nd|  5.11 Apr. 29th-30th=
===================================================================

============================================================================
Monthly Snowfall Data                 |                                    |
(Snow, Sleet, and Hail)               |           Highest Totals           |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Month     | Total | DFN  | Avg. Depth  | Calendar Day  |  24-hour Period   |
-------------------------|-------------|------------------------------------
January   |  0.2  | -1.4 |     0.0     | 0.2/6th       |  0.2/6th          |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
February  |  0.0  | -1.3 |     0.0     |               |                   |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
March     |  0.0  | -0.4 |     0.0     |               |                   |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
April     |  0.0  |  0.0 |     0.0     |               |                   |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
October   |   T   |  0.0 |     0.0     |  T/27th       |  T/27th          |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
November  |  0.0  |  0.0 |     0.0     |               |                   |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
December  |  0.0  | -0.2 |     0.0     |               |                   |
============================================================================
=Yearly   |  0.2  | -3.3 |     0.0     | 0.2 Jan. 6th  | 0.2 Jan. 6th      =
============================================================================

Summary By Month
==========================================================================
Monthly Averages |          |         |        |         |
Temperatures &   |  Warmest | Coolest |  Most  |  Least  |  Monthly/Yearly
Precipitation    |   Since  |  Since  | Since  | Since   |  Rank on Record
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
January          |          |         |        |         |
Average High     |   2012   |         |        |         |
Average Low      |   2006   |         |        |         |
Average Monthly  |   2012   |         |        |         |
Rainfall         |          |         |        |  2011   |
Snowfall         |          |         |        |  2015   |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
February         |          |         |        |         |
Average High     |   1976   |         |        |         |   2nd Warmest
Average Low      |   1957   |         |        |         |   9th Warmest
Average Monthly  |   1932   |         |        |         |   4th Warmest
Rainfall         |          |         |  2015  |         |
Snowfall         |          |         |        |  2016   |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
March            |          |         |        |         |
Average High     |          |   2015  |        |         |
Average Low      |          |   2015  |        |         |
Average Monthly  |          |   2015  |        |         |
Rainfall         |          |         |        |  2010   |
Snowfall         |          |         |        |  2016   |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
April            |          |         |        |         |
Average High     |   2012   |         |        |         |
Average Low      |          |   2014  |        |         |
Average Monthly  |   2012   |         |        |         |
Rainfall         |          |         |  1991  |         | 13th Wettest
Snowfall         |          |         |        |         |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
May              |          |         |        |         |
Average High     |          |   2013  |        |         |
Average Low      |          |   2005  |        |         |
Average Monthly  |          |   2002  |        |         |
Rainfall         |          |         |  2015  |         |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
June             |          |         |        |         |
Average High     |          |   2004  |        |         |
Average Low      |          |   2003  |        |         |
Average Monthly  |          |   2003  |        |         |
Rainfall         |          |         |  2014  |         |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
July             |          |         |        |         |
Average High     |          |   2014  |        |         |
Average Low      |          |   2014  |        |         |
Average Monthly  |          |   2014  |        |         |
Rainfall         |          |         |        |  2015   |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
August           |          |         |        |         |
Average High     |          |   1950  |        |         |  10th Coolest
Average Low      |          |   2009  |        |         |
Average Monthly  |          |   2004  |        |         |
Rainfall         |          |         |        |  2015   |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
September        |          |         |        |         |
Average High     |          |   2012  |        |         |
Average Low      |          |   2011  |        |         |
Average Monthly  |          |   2011  |        |         |
Rainfall         |          |         |        |  2015   |   9th Driest
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
October          |          |         |        |         |
Average High     |          |   2013  |        |         |
Average Low      |          |   2012  |        |         |
Average Monthly  |          |   2013  |        |         |
Rainfall         |          |         |        |  2011   |
Snowfall         |          |         |  1993  |         |***Snowiest
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
November         |          |         |        |         |
Average High     |   2001   |         |        |         |   6th Warmest
Average Low      |          |   2014  |        |         |
Average Monthly  |   2015   |         |        |         |
Rainfall         |          |         |        |  1999   |   5th Driest
Snowfall         |          |         |        |         |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
December         |          |         |        |         |
Average High     |   2015   |         |        |         |
Average Low      |          |   2013  |        |         |
Average Monthly  |          |   2013  |        |         |
Rainfall         |          |         |  2015  |         |
Snowfall         |          |         |        |  2015   |
============================================================================
Yearly           |          |         |        |         |
Average High     |          |   2014  |        |         |
Average Low      |          |   2014  |        |         |
Average Monthly  |          |   2014  |        |         |
Rainfall         |          |         |        |  2012   |
Snowfall         |          |         |        |  2009   |
============================================================================


First and Last Dates     Dates            Notes
=========================================================
Last Freeze         | March 15th    | Latest since 2015
First 80-degree Day | February 7th  | Earliest since 2002
First 90-degree Day | June 14th     | Latest since 1939
Last 90-degree Day  | October 14th  | Latest since 2015
Last 80-degree Day  | November 5th  | Earliest since 2014
First Freeze        | October 28th  | Earliest since 1989
=========================================================

Number of Days With Temperatures      Notes
=======================================================
At or below freezing           | 39 | Least since 2012
At or above 90 degrees         | 46 | Least since 2004
At or above 100 degrees        |  0 | Least since 2014
=======================================================

Daily Record Temperatures Tied or Broken During the Year
============================================================================
Date       Record Type                   New Record   Previous Record
============================================================================
Feb.  7th  High Temperature              80 in 2017      78 in 1937
Feb. 11th  High Temperature              79 in 2017      78 in 1922
           Warmest Low Temperature       63 in 2017      59 in 1880
Mar. 21st  High Temperature              86 in 2017      86 in 1916, 1907
May  27th  Warmest Low Temperature       74 in 2017      74 in 1953
Aug. 13th  Coolest High Temperature      78 in 2017      78 in 1964, 1917
Sep. 12th  Coolest High Temperature      66 in 2017      67 in 2014
Oct. 28th  Low Temperature               31 in 2017      31 in 1957
Oct. 29th  Low Temperature               28 in 2017      31 in 1910
Nov.  2nd  High Temperature              83 in 2017      83 in 1961
Nov.  3rd  High Temperature              85 in 2017      83 in 2012, 1909
Nov.  5th  Warmest Low Temperature       69 in 2017      65 in 1977

Additional Information and Honorable Mention...
May   4th - The high temperature of 56 degrees was the 8th coolest high
temperature on record in the month of May.
Oct. 28th - The low temperature of 31 degrees most recently tied the 8th
coldest on record for the month. This was also the earliest freeze
at Little Rock since 1989, and was the 8th earliest freeze on
record. Also, The daily average temperature of 41.0 was the coldest
during the month since 1993, and most recently tied October 29, 1913 for
the 7th coldest on record.
Oct. 29th - The low temperature of 28 degrees marked the coldest temperature
in the month of October at Little Rock since 1917, and the 2nd coldest on
record during the month. Only October 30, 1917 was colder (low of 27).
Oct. 31st - The high temperature of 49 degrees marked the coldest daily
high temperature at Little Rock during the month of October since 1993,
and most recently tied October 22, 1937 for the 10th coldest on record.
Nov.  2nd = The high temperature of 85 degrees most recently tied November
11, 1989 for the 2nd warmest temperature on record for the month of November.
Nov.  5th - The low temperature of 69 degrees most recently tied November 14,
2011 for the 2nd warmest low temperature on record for the month of November.
Also, the daily average temperature of 74.5 degrees most recently tied
November 1, 1982 for the 4th warmest daily average temperature on record
for the month of November.

Daily Record Rainfall Tied or Broken During the Year
====================================================
Date        New Record     Previous Record
====================================================
Dec. 22n   4.33 in 2017      2.54 in 1941

Honorable mention...
Apr. 29th-30th - The 24-hour rainfall total of 5.11 inches marked the 6th
highest 24-hour rainfall total on record for the month of April at Little
Rock.
Dec. 22nd - The 4.33 inches of rain that fell marked the wettest
December day at Little Rock since 2009, and the 6th wettest calendar
day on record for the month.

Daily Record Snowfall Tied or Broken During the Year
====================================================
DATE        NEW RECORD        OLD RECORD
====================================================
Oct. 27th   Trace in 2017   NONE - Record Established

Monthly Records Tied or Broken During the Year
============================================================================
Month     Record Type                 New Record/Date   Previous Record/Date
============================================================================
Oct.  Snowiest Calendar Day     Trace Oct. 27, 2017   Trace Oct. 30, 1993,
                                                            Oct. 29, 1993,
                                                            Oct. 30, 1925,
                                                            Oct. 28, 1925
Oct.  Snowiest 24-hour Period   Trace Oct. 27, 2017   Trace Oct. 30, 1993,
                                                            Oct. 29, 1993,
                                                            Oct. 30, 1925,
                                                            Oct. 28, 1925

Other Records Broken During the Year/Miscellaneous Phenomena
=============================================================================
Feb. 7th - A strong thunderstorm produced a 52 MPH wind gust at Little Rock
Adams Field.

$$

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