KOLD Climate Community Blog

Some Storm Totals for Saturday July 5th

Wow, Just when it looked like the sun was going to set with no major storms in the Tucson Metro area, we got hammered. The Northwest side of town took the brunt of the storm, with winds easily near 50 MPH at times, continuous lightning and some areas getting over 1.5 inches of rain! If you got damage, or impressive rain totals, we would like to see them! Comment on this blog entry, or send in your photos to us! Here are some of the things we heard of and some of the rain totals we have gathered:

This Photo is by Sara Pike and was taken in Oro Valley Saturday Night:

• Several trees were blown over near Magee & Oracle - two in an apartment Complex
• Trees down on Ina & Oldfather, effecting traffic slightly
• Weather related accident on I-10 near Orange Grove involves 4 cars
• Orange Grove underpass (under train tracks) closed because drainage clogged - has since reopened.
• Reports of some Tri-co Electric customers without power
• Overton and La Cholla, where they cross the CDO were closed (call the Pima County Road hotline for an update: 547-7510)

Rain Totals:

• CDO wash at Ina Rd - 1.69 inches!!
• Pima Wash at Ina Rd - 1.02 inches
• Sabino Canyon Dam - 0.83 inches
• Manning Camp (Rincon Mtns) - 0.94 inches
• Ruthraff DEQ (Near I-10) - 0.67 inches
• Rillito at La Cholla - 0.55 inches
• Ventana at Sunrise - 0.51 inches
• CDO wash at the Big Wash - 0.57 inches
• DEQ on Country Club - 0.43 inches
• Pima Air and Space Museum - 0.47 inches
• Rillito at Dodge - 0.20 inches
• Franco at Swan - 0.20 inches
• Tucson International Airport (Official Tucson Reading) - 0.14 inches
• University of Arizona - 0.26 inches
• Douglas - Trace
• Nogales - 0.09 inches
• Sierra Vista - 0.03 inches

If you have any rain reports, share them with us and other bloggers! happy Sunday!

-First Alert Meteorologist Aaron Pickering

Flooded Washes

I know we talk about it all the time, don't walk, play, or hike in washes. Thursday, July 3rd is a great example as to why we stress this. Heavy rain fell on the northern slope of the Catalina Mountains from about 4:30 PM until about 6 PM or so. This rain added up to nearly 1.5 inches in some spots. All of this water went into the Canada Del Oro wash (CDO). The CDO started to run, but only with a trickle. Than all at once, a rush of water came down the CDO...here is the graph of what happened to the water levels:

What you see here is the water level going from nearly zero to 6 feet within a matter of minutes! Two girls were swept up in this, and fortunately for them, they were rescued quickly. This spike in water levels is common with the type of thunderstorms we get here in Southern Arizona and this example should remind all of us how conditions can change in an instant. And just because it is not raining where you are, does not mean you won't see the effect of rain somewhere else!

-First Alert Meteorologist Aaron Pickering

Tohono Chul Park Bloom Night

Come out tonight to Tohono Chul Park to view the Sonoran Desert's only native Night-blooming Cereus. The Tohono Chul Park has the world's largest collection of Cereus. The park will be open from 6PM until midnight. Admission is free and completely worth it. This only happens once a year! Flashlights and closed-toed shoes are highly recommended. The park is located at 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, Tucson, AZ  85704. If you go make sure you send pictures to KOLD's See It, Snap It, Send it!

Tucson makes the Ranks as the 4th Sweatiest City in America

Old Spice is announcing the Seventh Annual Top-100 Sweatiest Cities List to mark the beginning of summer.  Based on amount of sweat produced per person, Phoenix claimed its spot as the nation’s No. 1 perspiration producer for the fifth time, with the average resident losing 26.4 ounces of sweat per hour during a typical summer day – meaning its residents collectively produced enough sweat to fill the gas tanks of 14,165 SUVs in just one hour!  To earn the top spot, Phoenix’s average temperature was 95.1 degrees in June, July and August 2007.

For the first time, Old Spice is announcing the Biggest Sweat Producers in the US, based on how much sweat could be produced if the entire population were walking around for one hour on a typical summer day.  New York City is the nation’s No. 1 Biggest Sweat Producer, with residents collectively producing 1.3 million gallons of sweat per hour.  America’s other Biggest Sweat Producers include Los Angeles (No. 2) with 608,664 gallons of sweat per hour; Chicago (No. 3) with 449,285 gallons; Houston (No. 4) with 387,790 gallons; Norfolk, VA (No. 5) with 376,087 gallons; Phoenix (No. 6) with 311,629 gallons; Philadelphia (No. 7) with 238,869 gallons; San Antonio (No. 8) with 229,606 gallons; Dallas (No. 9) with 222,420 gallons and San Diego (No. 10) with 184,929 gallons.

There are several ways to beat the heat.  Drink plenty of fluids, at least eight to 10 glasses of water per day. Wear lightweight, light-colored items that breathe easily. Sweating removes the body’s salt and minerals.  If participating in a strenuous activity where you anticipate heavy perspiration, drink fruit juices and sports beverages to replace lost minerals. Use an anti-perspirant/ deodorant daily, such as Old Spice Pro Strength. Designed with heavy sweaters in mind, Pro Strength is an advanced solid that provides all-day clinical strength odor and wetness protection.

This information is provided by Old Spice, the No. 1 selling anti-perspirant/deodorant stick and body wash brand with guys.  The Sweatiest Cities rankings are based on computer simulations of the amount of sweat a person of average height and weight would produce walking around for an hour in the average temperatures during June, July and August of 2007 for each city.

Here is a list of the top 100 sweatiest cities in America.

1. Phoenix, AZ
2. Las Vegas, NV
3. Tallahassee, FL
4. Tucson, AZ
5. Memphis, TN
6. Miami, FL
7. Houston, TX
8. Tampa, FL
9. Baton Rouge, LA
10. Fort Myers, FL
11. Huntsville, AL
12. New Orleans, LA
13. Birmingham, AL
14. Jacksonville, FL
15. West Palm Beach, FL
16. Montgomery, AL
17. Orlando, FL
18. Dallas, TX
19. Little Rock, AR
20. Corpus Christi, TX
21. El Paso, TX
22. Waco, TX
23. Austin, TX
24. Columbia, SC
25. Mobile, AL
26. Jackson, MS
27. Nashville, TN
28. San Antonio, TX
29. Honolulu, HI
30. Fresno, CA
31. Savannah, GA
32. Shreveport, LA
33. Charleston, SC
34. Chattanooga, TN
35. Louisville, KY
36. Tulsa, OK
37. Raleigh, NC
38. St. Louis, MO
39. Salt Lake City, UT
40. Kansas City, MO
41. Knoxville, TN
42. Oklahoma City, OK
43. Atlanta, GA
44. Wichita, KS (TIE)
45. Charlotte, NC (TIE)
46. Greensboro, NC
47. Evansville, IN
48. Washington, DC
49. Richmond, VA
50. Norfolk, VA
51. Albuquerque, NM
52. Springfield, MO
53. Roanoke, VA
54. Lexington, KY
55. Omaha, NE
56. Reno, NV
57. Indianapolis, IN
58. Baltimore, MD
59. Cincinnati, OH
60. Des Moines, IA
61. Charleston, WV
62. Philadelphia, PA
63. Springfield, IL
64. Harrisburg, PA
65. Sacramento, CA
66. Cleveland, OH
67. Chicago, IL
68. New York, NY
69. Dayton, OH
70. Asheville, NC
71. Los Angeles, CA
72. Columbus, OH
73. Toledo, OH
74. Detroit, MI
75. Grand Rapids, MI
76. South Bend, IN
77. Providence, RI
78. Hartford, CT
79. Minneapolis, MN
80. Boston, MA
81. Pittsburgh, PA
82. Denver, CO
83. Madison, WI
84. Milwaukee, WI
85. Buffalo, NY
86. Rochester, NY
87. Albany, NY
88. Wilkes-Barre, PA
89. Colorado Springs, CO
90. Flint, MI
91. Syracuse, NY
92. San Diego, CA
93. Youngstown, OH
94. Green Bay, WI
95. Burlington, VT
96. Spokane, WA
97. Portland, ME
98. Portland, OR
99. Seattle, WA
100. San Francisco, CA

100 Degree Statistics

So far we have had quite an interesting summer.  By the end of May (19^th and 20^th), we reached temperatures of 103° when the average for that time of year is 92°.  At the end of that same week, Tucson saw a high temperature of only 69° (24° below normal).  As June began, the temperatures were where they should be for that time of year.  Unfortunately, these normal temperatures did not last.  June 14^th began our streak of above average temperatures.  We have not seen high temperatures below 103° since that day.  During this most recent hot streak, the highest temperature reached was 111° (9 degrees above average). 

Thinking of the warm weather we have had lately, I got to wondering what the average statistics for temperatures are in Tucson.  After a little research I found the following information.  On average Tucson has 47 days of 100° or above and less than 1 of those days being over 110°.  The record number of 100° or above temperatures in a year is 99 set in 1994.  That same year set a record for the most days reaching 110° or above.  There were a total of 10 days in 1994.  The most consecutive number of days with temperatures 100° or above is 39 beginning on June 4^th, 2005.  The most consecutive number of days seeing temperatures 110° or above is 6 beginning on June 24, 2004.

As of today, we have tied a record for the most consecutive days in June with a high of 106° or greater.  Today was the 11^th day of temperatures of 106° or greater.  This record for June also places us in the ranking of top five consecutive days in a calendar year with a high of 106° or greater.  The 11 days is tied for fourth in that ranking behind 17 days set in 1995 and 12 days set in 2005.  However, it does not look like we will break either of the records because of monsoon moisture making its way into the area. 

Dustin Pittman - First Alert Intern

Heat, Heat, and More Heat

I have to applaud Tucsonans in this blog. Having lived in Indiana my whole life, I can remember it being a huge deal to reach 100°. It rarely happens in South Bend, Indiana (northern Indiana) and they make sure you know about it when it does. I have lived in Tucson for a month now and have experienced 11 days over 100°. I look back at those times and chuckle. However, I am used to some pretty miserable weather. Indiana has a lot of humidity during the summer, so temperatures in the 80s and high humidity with a dew point of 65° can make it feel very sticky outside. From my one month experience in Tucson, I have decided to compare Indiana and Tucson's weather. For me, stepping outside in Tucson feels like walking into a large tanning bed, whereas stepping outside in Indiana feels like walking into a giant sauna. Now these are just my observations so far.

Yesterday (June 17^th) was the hottest temperature that I have ever experienced and the hottest day so far this year. It officially hit 109° yesterday and today our high was 107°. Today marks the 11^th day of temperatures 100° or more. Additionally, Wednesday is the sixth day in a row of above 100°. I wish I could say there is relief on the way, but unfortunately I cannot say it is going to get significantly cooler.

Near the Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico border there is a stubborn high that just does not want to move. This high will eventually move up to the four corners region and start the monsoon, but until then we can expect heat and more heat. The 7-day forecast does not show us dipping below 100°. It does show us dropping down to 106° by Monday and even 104° by Wednesday! My advice is to stay inside if you can, but if not then make sure you are well hydrated. If you are lucky, find a pool and just relax. Don't forget your sunscreen though!

Dustin Pittman – First Alert Intern

Have We Seen the Last of our Record Lows?

Over the past 50 years, the city of Tucson has grown at a remarkable rate. The city population has increased from 45,000 in 1950 to a little over 500,000 currently. The increase of buildings and concrete, as the city has grown, has caused a significant effect on our area's weather. It will be rare if not near impossible for the official temperature of Tucson to reach a record low ever again. This is caused by the "urban heat island" effect.

The urban heat island effect causes the urban area of a city (which consists of concrete and buildings) to be warmer than the surrounding areas at night. Think about it this way. Before people were here the dessert soil would heat up during the day and then cool off during the night. Concrete heats up during the day, but unlike soil does not cool off completely during the night. This will cause the areas above the concrete and buildings to be warmer than the areas above the soil.

What does this mean for Tucsonans? As the city continues to grow and concrete continues to replace soil it will become increasingly difficult for the nightly temperatures to cool down enough to break a record low set in the past. In the summer months it will be next to impossible to break a record low. According to John Glueck, from the National Weather Service of Tucson, the chance of breaking the all-time record low for the month of July is 1 in 6,215,204,907. Yes, 1 in 6 TRILLION!

If you would like to read more about the urban heat island effect click on the link below to John Glueck's article.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/wrh/08TAs/ta0810.pdf

First Alert Intern

Dustin Pittman

100's Are Here!

The following information is from the Tucson National Weather Service. First date of 100 degree or greater across southeast Arizona
Location	Average date	Earliest	Latest
Pima County
Organ Pipe N.M	May 10	May 6, 1989	June 16, 1982
Ajo	May 18	April 7, 1930	May 18, 1954
Anvil Ranch	May 25	April 19, 1989	June 16, 1982
Tucson	May 26	April 19, 1989	June 22, 1905
Click on Tucson Line for yearly listing
Pinal County
Eloy	May 10	April 7, 1989	June 11, 1972
San Manuel	June 8	May 18, 1970	June 29, 1965
Oracle	June 25	May 26, 1951	August 2, 1918
San Carlos Res.	June 2	May 13, 1959	June 23, 1965
Santa Cruz County
Tumacacori N.M.	May 27	April 20, 1989	June 20, 1999
Nogales	June 6	May 12, 1996	June 26, 1982
Canelo	June 19	May 12, 1996	July 26, 1995
Santa Rita Exp.	June 19	May 12, 1996	July 31, 1986
Cochise County
Cascabel	May 24	April 19, 1989	June 18, 1976
Bowie	May 31	May 3, 1923	June 19, 1972
San Simon	June 2	May 3, 1947	June 21, 1999
Benson	June 6	May 3, 1947	June 22, 1999
Willcox	June 13	May 8, 1989	June 26, 1935
Douglas	June 13	May 12, 1996	June 29, 1986
Tombstone	June 14	May 6, 1989	July 5, 1905
Pearce-Sunsites	June 14	May 11, 1996	July 1, 1967
Sierra Vista	June 17	May 22, 1989	June 29, 1986
Coronado N.M.	June 23	May 28, 1984	July 31, 1986
Chiricahua N.M.	June 24	May 28, 1910	July 27, 1995
Portal	June 30	June 25, 1994	July 11, 1958
Graham County
Fort Thomas	May 31	April 21, 1989	June 20, 1998
Safford	June 1	April 28, 2000	June 23, 1967
Black River Pumps	July 8	June 24, 1990	July 25, 1995
Greenlee County
Clifton	June 1	May 2, 1947	July 6, 1943
Duncan	June 10	April 27, 2000	July 10, 1958

Free Skin Cancer Screenings

We know the sun's rays can easily damage out skin but sometimes we just can't avoid getting burned while out and about in our desert environment.  This weekend the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is hosting "Living in Harmony with the Sun".  There will be free full body skin cancer screenings from 8 AM to 2 PM both Saturday and Sunday.  It's first come, first serve so you may want to head out to the Desert Museum early.  There is a lot of activities for kids and adults to help them deal with out strong sun that lasts year round here in southwest.  For more information click here.

Cooking With The Sun

Want to reduce your carbon footprint?  An easy way to do so is to invest in a solar oven.  And since our sun is so strong year round, these work very well in southern Arizona.  They are also great for camping.  Imagine putting in a pot roast before going out hiking and having it done when you get back to camp?  Yummy! 

You can check out solar ovens in action this weekend at the 2008 Solar Potluck and Festival in the Sun at Catalina State Park.  Admission to the park is free on Saturday so pack in the family and put on your hiking shoes.  Enjoy the day! - First Alert Meteorologist Erin Jordan