Meteorological Summer 2017 (June 1 – August 31) in our region observed temperatures that were near to slightly below normal. Precipitation varied but was near normal or slightly drier than normal for a large swath of the region. Many locations picked up amounts between 7” and 10” while typical summertime rainfall averages in the 10” to 12” range. The remnants of Hurricane Harvey impacted the region on the last day of Meteorological Summer, resulting in summer rainfall deficits becoming surpluses for a few locations in western Kentucky.
This summer didn’t really have the prolonged extended heat waves that are common in our region. The hottest stretch was from July 19-26, when Paducah, KY observed an 8 day stretch with high temperatures into the mid 90s. This combined with high humidity lead to frequent heat index readings above 100, occasionally reaching 110 or locally higher. However, a good portion of the summer was dominated by milder temperatures and we had many stretches with comfortable humidity levels (dewpoints in the 50s). An unusually low number of 90 degree days were observed with Paducah, Evansville, and Cape Girardeau only experiencing 34, 23, and 25 days respectively. The average number of days in the 90s from June through August is around 43 days in Paducah, 36 days in Evansville, and 41 days in Cape Girardeau. In Evansville, you have to go back to the summer of 2004 to experience fewer 90 degree days. That year only observed 9 days above 90 through the summer months!
The graphic below is an interpolated rainfall map using actual observations. Please note that there are likely discrepancies in between observations, since the values are estimated based on nearest reports. Due to the convective nature of rainfall in the summer, amounts are more likely to vary over shorter distances, compared to the cooler months.
 |
| Summer 2017 Review: Precipitation and Temperature Maps (CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE) |
 |
| Climate Maps are from the Northeast Regional Climate Center |
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on YouTube
PAH RSS Feed