JANUARY 2003 Newsletter

Transcription

1 LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY NON-PROFIT ORG. Dept. of Geography & Anthropology U.S. Postage PAID Louisiana State University Permit No. 733 Baton Rouge, LA Baton Rouge, LA JANUARY 2003 Newsletter THE LOUISIANA MONTHLY CLIMATE REVIEW is published by the LOSC through funding by Louisiana State University and in full cooperation with the National Weather Service (NWS), the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the Southern Regional Climate Center (SRCC), and the LSU Agricultural Center. The LOSC is solely responsible for the information provided herein. This publication is provided free of charge to all interested individuals and agencies. For further information, please contact the LOSC [(225) ]. LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY: Mr. John M. ( Jay ) Grymes III... State Climatologist Mr. Malcolm B. Moreau... LA Cooperative Program Mgr. (Ret.) Ms. Elizabeth Mons... Research Associate Ms. Michelle Russo... Graduate Assistant Mr. Royce Fontenot... Graduate Assistant Ms. Tiffany Simon... Undergraduate Assistant Ms. Natalie Vines... Undergraduate Assistant Ms. Christine Hines... Undergraduate Assistant The LOUISIANA MONTHLY CLIMATE REVIEW: beginning its 23rd year of publication LSU AGRICULTURAL CENTER: Mr. James Finney... Agriclimate Associate NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: Mr. Gil Barton... NWS/Slidell (LA) Mr. Marion Kuykendall... NWS/Shreveport (LA) Mr. Richard Gravitt... NWS/Lake Charles (LA) Mr. Marty Pope... NWS/Jackson (MS)

2 LOUISIANA MONTHLY CLIMATE REVIEW JANUARY 2003 PRELIMINARY CLIMATE DATA PRECIPITATION AROUND THE STATE Monthly MAX Rain Cumulative STATION TOTAL DEPT 1-Day Days TOTAL DEPT NORTHWEST DIVISION: BOSSIER CITY COTTON VALLEY 5 NNW COUSHATTA 3 NE GREENWOOD F/TWR HANNA 3 S HOSSTON KEITHVILLE KORAN LOGANSPORT MANSFIELD 0.50M M MARTIN F/TWR MINDEN MOORINGSPORT 1 N RED RIVER RES STA ROBSON SHREVEPORT CARGILL PK SHREVEPORT DOWNTOWN SHREVEPORT DTN AP SHREVEPORT SHV AP SPRINGHILL VIVIAN NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION: ARCADIA BIENVILLE 3 NE CALHOUN RES STA COLUMBIA LOCKS FARMERVILLE HAYNESVILLE HOMER 3 SSW JAMESTOWN JONESBORO 4 ENE MONROE MLU AP MONROE-NLU RUSTON-LA TECH SAILES F/TWR SPEARSVILLE F/TWR WEST MONROE WINNFIELD 2 W WINONA F/TWR NORTHEAST DIVISION: BASTROP LAKE PROVIDENCE OAK RIDGE RAYVILLE 0.52M M ST JOSEPH 3 N SONDHEIMER TALLULAH TALLULAH TVR AP WINNSBORO 2 S WINNSBORO 5 SSE WEST CENTRAL DIVISION: ASHLAND GORUM F/TWR GRAND ECORE HODGES GARDENS LEESVILLE LEESVILLE 6 SSW MANY 9 WSW NATCHITOCHES ROSEPINE RES STA ZWOLLE 2 NW CENTRAL DIVISION: ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA 5 SSE ALEXANDRIA ESF AP 0.75M M ALEXANDRIA AEX AP BEAVER F/TWR BOYCE 3 WNW BOYCE 7 SW BRUSLY 2 W BUNKIE COLFAX ELMER 2 SW EUNICE GRAND COTEAU 0.22M M JENA 4 WSW JONESVILLE LOCKS JONESV L-LARTO LAKE LSU-DEAN LEE RES STA MARKSVILLE NEW ROADS 5 ESE OLLA OPELOUSAS PORT ALLEN RED RIVER LK # RED RIVER LK # VIDALIA # VILLE PLATTE EAST CENTRAL DIVISION: ABITA SPRINGS 1 SW ABITA SPRINGS F/TWR AMITE ANGIE BAKER BATON ROUGE BURDEN BATON ROUGE CENTRAL BATON ROUGE CONCORD BATON ROUGE BTR AP BATON ROUGE LSU 0.63M M BATON ROUGE SHERWOOD BAYOU MANCHAC POINT 1.20M M BOGALUSA Monthly MAX Rain Cumulative STATION TOTAL DEPT 1-Day Days TOTAL DEPT EAST CENTRAL DIVISION: (continued) CLINTON 5 SE COVINGTON 4 NNW COVINGTON 4 NE DENHAM SPRINGS FOLSOM 6 S FRANKLINTON # FRANKLINTON 5 SW GREENWELL SPRINGS HAMMOND 5 E HAMMOND JACKSON 3 E KENTWOOD 1.29M M KILLIAN LIVERPOOL 4 ESE LIVINGSTON LSU-BEN HUR FARM MOUNT HERMON 2 W NORWOOD OAKNOLIA PINE GROVE F/TWR PONCHATOULA 4 SE ST FRANCISVILLE SLIDELL SLIDELL LIX WFO SUN TALISHEEK TICKFAW 3 E WATSON 3 ESE ZACHARY SOUTHWEST DIVISION: ABBEVILLE BELL CITY 13 SW CROWLEY 2 NE DE QUINCY DE RIDDER DRY CREEK 7 NW HACKBERRY 8 SSW JENNINGS KAPLAN LAKE ARTHUR 10 SW LAKE CHARLES 7 NW LAKE CHARLES 2 N LAKE CHARLES PORT LAKE CHARLES LCH AP LELAND BOWMAN LOCK MOSS BLUFF OAKDALE OBERLIN F/TWR ROCKEFELLER WL REF SULPHUR VINTON SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION: BAYOU SORREL LOCK BREAUX BRIDGE 4 S 0.30M M BUTTE LA ROSE CARENCRO CARVILLE 2 SW DONALDSONVILLE 4 SW FRANKLIN 3 NW JEANERETTE 5 NW LAFAYETTE LAFAYETTE LFT AP MORGAN CITY NAPOLEONVILLE NEW IBERIA NEW IBERIA ARA AP PLAQUEMINE 2 N ST GABRIEL ST MARTINVILLE 3 SW SALT POINT P SOUTHEAST DIVISION: BOOTHVILLE ASOS BURAS CHALMETTE CONVENT 2 S DONALDSONVILLE 4 E GALLIANO GONZALES GRAND ISLE GRETNA HOUMA LA NATURE CENTER LSU-CITRUS RES STA LUTCHER MARRERO 9 SSW METAIRIE NEW ORLEANS MSY AP NEW ORLEANS AUDUBON NEW ORLEANS ALGIERS NEW ORLEANS NEW AP PARADIS 7 S RESERVE ST BERNARD TERRYTOWN THIBODAUX 3 ESE Selected New Orleans DPS Sites: NO/DPS Algiers NO/DPS No NO/Water Plant NO/Sewerage & WB NO/DPS No NO/DPS No NO/DPS No

3 - 8 - LOUISIANA MONTHLY CLIMATE REVIEW JANUARY 2003 PRELIMINARY CLIMATE DATA TEMPERATURE ( F) PRECIPITATION (in.) AVG AVG MEAN Absolute No.Days Monthly Degree-Days Monthly MAX Rain Cumulative STATION MAX MIN TEMP Dept MAX MIN HDD Dept CDD Dept TOTAL Dept 1-Day Days TOTAL Dept NORTHWEST DIVISION: COUSHATTA 3 NE MINDEN RED RIVER RES STA SHREVEPORT CARGILL PK SHREVEPORT SHV AP Divisional Summary: NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION: BIENVILLE 3 NE CALHOUN RES STA COLUMBIA LOCKS FARMERVILLE HOMER 3 SSW MONROE MLU AP MONROE-ULM RUSTON-LA TECH WINNFIELD 2 W Divisional Summary: NORTHEAST DIVISION: BASTROP LAKE PROVIDENCE RAYVILLE M M ST JOSEPH 3 N TALLULAH WINNSBORO 5 SSE Divisional Summary: WEST CENTRAL DIVISION: ASHLAND HODGES GARDENS 54.6M 34.1M 44.4M LEESVILLE NATCHITOCHES ROSEPINE RES STA Divisional Summary: CENTRAL DIVISION: ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA 5 SSE ALEXANDRIA ESF AP 54.2M 31.8M 43.0M M M BOYCE 3 WNW BOYCE 7 SW BRUSLY 2 W BUNKIE EUNICE GRAND COTEAU M M JENA 4 WSW JONESVILLE LOCKS 54.4M 33.1M 43.8M LSU-DEAN LEE RES STA NEW ROADS 5 ESE OLLA Divisional Summary: EAST CENTRAL DIVISION: AMITE BATON ROUGE BTR AP BOGALUSA CLINTON 5 SE COVINGTON 4 NNW FRANKLINTON # HAMMOND 5 E LSU-BEN HUR FARM SLIDELL SLIDELL LIX WFO Divisional Summary: SOUTHWEST DIVISION: CROWLEY 2 NE DE QUINCY DE RIDDER HACKBERRY 8 SSW JENNINGS LAKE ARTHUR 10 SW 60.5M M M LAKE CHARLES LCH AP LELAND BOWMAN LOCK OBERLIN F/TWR ROCKEFELLER WL REF Divisional Summary: SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION: CARVILLE 2 SW DONALDSONVILLE 4 SW FRANKLIN 3 NW JEANERETTE 5 NW LAFAYETTE LAFAYETTE LFT AP MORGAN CITY NEW IBERIA ST MARTINVILLE 3 SW Divisional Summary: SOUTHEAST DIVISION: BURAS GALLIANO HOUMA LSU-CITRUS RES STA MARRERO 9 SSW NEW ORLEANS MSY AP NEW ORLEANS AUDUBON NEW ORLEANS NEW AP RESERVE ST BERNARD TERRYTOWN THIBODAUX 3 ESE Divisional Summary: Statewide Averages: ( M ) - indicates that daily observations are missing from the monthly or cumulative record

4 LOUISIANA MONTHLY CLIMATE REVIEW JANUARY 2003 DAILY CLIMOGRAPHS

5 - 6 - LOUISIANA MONTHLY CLIMATE REVIEW SYNOPTIC WEATHER TYPE CALENDAR: JANUARY 2003 prepared by R.A. Muller, Ph.D. SHREVEPORT MONROE LAKE CHARLES BATON ROUGE NEW ORLEANS Date PH FGR FOR GR PH GR FOR PH FOR PH PH PH PH PH PH PH FOR PH FGR PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH GH GH GH GH GH GH GH GH GH GH 5 FGR PH FGR PH GH GH GH GH GH GH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH GH GH GH GH GH GH GH GH GH GH CR FGR GR FGR GH GR GH GR GH GR 10 CH CH CH CH CH CH FOR CH FOR CH CH FOR CH CH CH FOR CH FOR CH FOR FOR FOR CH CH FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR CH FOR CH FOR CH FOR CH FOR CH FOR FOR FOR FOR CH FOR CH CH CH CH 15 FOR CR CH CR CH CR CH CR CH CR FGR CH FGR CH FGR CH GR CH GR CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH FOR CH CH GH CH GH CH GH CH GH CH GH GH GH GH GH GH GH GH GH GH GH 20 GR GR GH GR GR GR GH GH GH GH FGR FGR FGR FGR GR FGR GR FGR GR GR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FGR FOR CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH 25 FOR FOR CH FOR FOR FOR CH FOR CH FOR FOR CH FOR CH FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR CH CR CH CH CH CR CH CH CH CH GR GR CR GR CR GR CR GR CR GR FGR FOR FGR FOR GR FGR GR FGR GR FGR 30 FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR PH FOR FOR FOR PH FOR FOR FOR FOR SYNOPTIC WEATHER TYPES by PERCENT: JANUARY 2003 Shreveport Monroe Lake Charles Baton Rouge New Orleans Pacific High (PH) Continental High (CH) Frontal Overrunning (FOR) Coastal Return (CR) Gulf Return (GR) Frontal Gulf Return (FGR) Gulf High (GH) Gulf Tropical Disturbance (GTD) Continental Index (CH+FOR) Tropical Index (GR+FGR+GTD) Storminess Index (FOR+FGR+GTD)

6 LOUISIANA MONTHLY CLIMATE REVIEW DAILY WATER BUDGETS Soil Moisture Storage (6" Capacity) MOISTURE STATUS SUMMARY Following the unusually-wet fall and early winter of 2002, the year began with soils at or near soil-water storage capacity statewide, and many Louisiana waterways running well-above normal for this time of year. In fact, the New Year began with Flood Warnings in effect for a number of south Louisiana rivers. January is usually a water "surplus" month for the Bayou State, as normal January rainfall (typically ranging from 5" to 6" across the state) far exceeds environmental moisture demands. Long-term average pan evaporation rates for January are under 3" statewide, with potential evapotranspiration (PE -- an estimate of maximum moisture requirements) generally under 2" for the month. January rainfall "surpluses" are often used for soil-water recharge, but with soils already saturated, typical January surpluses were unnecessary. In fact, had rainfall been near the norm for the month, flooding likely would have been a significant problem for areas across the state. As a result, the record and near-record low January rainfall around the state was actually beneficial. Even with this recent dry period, note that "wet" soil conditions are indicated by Thornthwaite-Mather estimated soil-moisture profiles throughout January and into February (figures above include estimated daily soilmoisture through mid-april). Weekly Palmer Drought Indices and Crop Moisture Indices were not available; however, the adjacent figure shows the monthly Palmer Drought Severity Index values as derived from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Monthly PDSI values differ from the weekly values in that monthly values average conditions through the month and do not respond to week-to-week variability. Monthly PDSIs through January 2003 suggest some minor "dryness" for parts of northern Louisiana, but the remainder of the state is rated between "moist" (NE and C Divisions) to "very moist" (SW Division). (CMI) (PDSI) *PRECIP CROP MOISTURE PALMER DROUGHT to END DIV INDEX SEVERITY INDEX DROUGHT NW --- Normal-to-Dry n/a NC --- Normal-to-Dry n/a NE --- Moist Spell WC --- Unusually Moist C --- Moist Spell EC --- Unusually Moist SW --- Very Moist SC --- Moist Spell SE --- Moist Spell PAN EVAPORATION: JANUARY 2003 DV Station Total Mean NW LSU-RED RIVER Res Sta 2.4" 2.1" NC LSU-CALHOUN Res Sta n/a 2.1" EC LSU-BEN HUR Farm 2.8" 2.5" SW JENNINGS 2.5"E 2.6" SE USDA-HOUMA Field Sta 2.2"E 2.5" E - Estimated monthly total

7 - 4 - LOUISIANA MONTHLY CLIMATE REVIEW TEMPERATURE SUMMARY January s state-averaged temperature was a "cool" 45.2 F, 3.3 below the monthly normal. Divisional monthly average temperatures in the daily climographs (p. 7) of selected sites. Most of north Louisiana reported freezes on more than half of all days during January, including all but a few dates after Jan The winter season s "coldest" Arctic surge thus far arrived Jan 22-24, with lows falling into the teens and lower 20 s across most of the state. Monroe-ULM (NC Div) recorded the statewide minimum of 14 F on the morning of the 24th. Much of the state experienced its "warmest" afternoon of January just prior to the arrival of that chilly air mass, with warm-and-moist southerly flow pushing daytime temperatures into the mid and upper 70 s statewide -- Coushatta 3 NE (NW Div) recorded the state s highest January temperature of 80 F on the afternoon of Jan 21st. Absolute MEAN Divisional Divisional DIV TEMP Normal Depart MAX MIN NW NC NE WC C EC SW SC SE were all below normal, ranging from the lower 40 s (northern three divisions) to the upper 40 s (coastal divisions). Departures-from- Normals (DFNs) for the NW and WC Divisions were less than -2 F, but DFNs were -3 or more for the remaining seven regions. Station data indicate that monthly maximums averaged in the lower 50 s across the northern parishes, rising to near 60 across the SE Division. Monthly maximums tended to be from 1 to 3 below normal for the northern half of Louisiana, with DFNs on the order of -2 to -4 across the southern half of the state. Monthly minimums typically ranged from the upper 20 s (north) to the upper 30 s (coast) and were routinely 2 to 5 below January norms. Cold fronts during the middle and latter part of the month delivered a series of cold-and-dry air masses to the state, as evident JANUARY DEWPOINTS January average dewpoints ranged from just above 30 across the northern tier of parishes to near 40 along the coast, with monthly dewpoint departures ranging from -4 to -6 statewide. Belowaverage dewpoints reflect the persistence of cool-and-dry Arctic air masses during the latter two-thirds of January. Daily dewpoint series from Shreveport and New Orleans (adjacent figure) show sharp drops in dewpoints following a number of frontal passages, with the period of Jan being most pronounced -- dewpoints across the state dropped 40 to 50 within a hour period. Dewpoint temperatures briefly dipped into the single-digits all the way to the coastal zone on Jan 23rd and 24th. PRELIM DEGREE-DAY SUMMARIES for SELECTED STATIONS: JANUARY 2003 Monthly HDDs Seasonal HDDs Monthly CDDs Seasonal CDDs TOTAL DEPT %Nrml TOTAL DEPT %Nrml TOTAL DEPT %Nrml TOTAL DEPT %Nrml SHREVEPORT SHV AP % % 0-5 0% 0-5 0% RUSTON-LA TECH UNIV % % 0 0 *** 0 0 *** MONROE MLU AP % % 0-7 0% 0-7 0% NATCHITOCHES % % 0-7 0% 0-7 0% LEESVILLE % % 0-9 0% 0-9 0% ALEXANDRIA % % 0-9 0% 0-9 0% BATON ROUGE BTR AP % % % % HAMMOND 5 E % % % % SLIDELL % % % % LAKE CHARLES LCH AP % % % % LAFAYETTE LFT AP % % % % MORGAN CITY % % % % THIBODAUX 3 ESE % % % % HOUMA % % % % NEW ORLEANS MSY AP % % % % HDD Season: Jul Jun 2003 CDD Season: Jan Dec 2003

8 LOUISIANA MONTHLY CLIMATE REVIEW MONTHLY DIVISIONAL RAINFALL

9 - 2 - LOUISIANA MONTHLY CLIMATE REVIEW PRECIPITATION SUMMARY January s area-weighted rainfall across the Bayou State averaged 1.06" " below the norm (18% of normal). January s statewide total ranks as the third all-time lowest January total of the 115-year rainfall history and the lowest January statewide total since the alltime record low of 0.97" for 1928 (January 1914 ranks as the second "driest" January with 1.00"). What makes this near-record low an even more unexpected occurrence is that conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean suggest that a weak-to-moderate El Niño persisted through January. Historical data indicate that winter rainfall for Louisiana tends to be above-normal during El Niños -- obviously this rule failed to hold true! January divisional totals were not only below-normal statewide, but no division averaged more than 1.6" for the month. In fact five divisions -- the NW, NC, EC, SC & SE -- reported monthly totals under one inch, with the SE Division averaging just one-third of an inch of rain for the period. Monthly divisional totals ranked among the ten lowest January totals for all nine divisions, with January 2003 totals setting or tying all-time January lows for the NW, NC and SE Divisions. Of nearly 200 sites across the state, none were "rain-free" during January, but totals were minimal statewide, with only 15 sites reporting more than 2" of rain for the month. In fact, no sites in five divisions -- the NW, NC, EC, SC & SE -- recorded as much as an 1" of rain for the month. Fifteen Louisiana sites received less than onequarter of an inch of rain for January, with Springhill (NW Div) reporting a mere 0.10" for the month. Not surprisingly, climographs (p. 7) show little rain activity throughout the month. Daily data suggest that much of what did fall during January came during the final week of the month. A number of sites did report single-day totals of 1" or more, most of which occurred as a result of storms on the afternoon of the 29th. Stormy weather between Dec 3-6 produced 1" to 3" totals across most of Louisiana, with event totals of 4" to 8" or more over several southwestern parishes. Event totals of 1" to 4" were typical for areas north of the I-10/12 corridor for the period of Dec Monthly PCT% Divisional DIV Total Normal DFN Norm MAX MIN NW % NC % NE % WC % C % EC % SW % SC % SE %

10 LOUISIANA MONTHLY CLIMATE REVIEW LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY Department of Geography & Anthropology Louisiana State University Vol. 23 No. 1 LSU JANUARY 2003 Visit the LOSC s website JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS "Cool and dry" were the weather words for January January s statewide average temperature of 45 F was 3 below the monthly norm. January area-weighted rainfall averaged just over 1" for the state, less than 20% of normal and ranking as the 3rd "driest" January of record. The dry January weather -- while unexpected, given that this was an El Niño winter -- was of benefit for a number of parishes that have been suffering through months of unusually wet weather and extended runs of high water along rivers and bayous. JANUARY WEATHER NOTES... a "quiet" month, with no severe weather outbreaks... January opened with Flood Warnings still in effect for a number of Louisiana rivers and bayous due to the wetter-than-normal weather through the last quarter of In that sense, the record and near-record low January rain totals were a blessing, allowing high waters to subside following the flood problems that had persisted since the fall season s run of tropical and frontal weather. Few thunderstorms developed over the state during the month, and there were no reports of significant turbulent weather. Although a few light, brief morning freezes and/or frosts did extend into the southern parishes during the first two weeks of January, temperatures through the first third of the month were relatively mild. In fact, the NWS office at Lake Charles did not record its first freeze of the winter season until Jan proving to be the all-time record latest "first freeze" for that location (with records dating back to 1893). The seccond half of January proved to be quite cool, however. A chilly Arctic airmass settled over the state between Jan on the heels of a winter cold front. Lows during this period dipped into the teens and lower 20 s over the northern third of the state, and brief hard freezes extended southward to the I-10/12 corridor. A second, brief but colder Arctic air mass moved across the central Gulf Coast a few days later, with morning minimums on Jan 24th being the lowest of the season. Teens were reported as far south as Covington (St. Tammany P., EC Div), with lows in the low to mid 20 s across most of the coastal zone. Even the full extent of Plaquemines Parish (SE Div) -- normally "protected" by the moderating effects of the relatively warm Gulf waters -- reported a light freeze that morning. The final week of January saw temperatures rebound slightly, with much of the month s rains falling during that period.