Meteorologists from WDAY and WDAZ report on the highs and lows of the weather.

Fewer 90s

From the 1920s through the 1980s Fargo Moorhead averaged between 140 and 170 days per decade with temperatures of 90 degrees or higher  The 1930s had by far the highest number of such days with 219 being recorded.  The 1980s had the second highest total with 168 90 degree days.  

During the 1990s, 90 degree weather quickly became much less frequent with only 97 days at or above 90 degrees being recorded which was the fewest since the 1900s decade.  Although 90 degree weather has been more frequent this decade with 97 such days being recorded so far, the last two years of this decade (2009 and 2010) would need to be well above average years to get this decade to the level most of last century achieved. 

Weather patterns are always changing; therefore the odds are high that this area will be returning to more frequent 90 degree summer weather in the coming decades.

Posted by: Daryl Ritchison on 8/15/2008 at 9:47 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Lots of Water

Since official records began on January 1, 1881, the 3.33 inches of rain that fell officially in Fargo Moorhead on Monday ranked as the 13th highest daily total ever measured (although, I only had 2.00" in both of my gauges).

The highest midnight to midnight total was 4.72 inches on August 8, 1943. 


Most of you probably remember the Fargo flood on June 19 and 20 back in 2000.  Because that event occurred over two days, June 19 ranks 2nd all time for daily rainfall at 4.64 inches, but an additional 2.18 inches fell after midnight on the 20th.  The total rain from that event of 6.82 inches does rank as the heaviest 24 hour total on record, but because it occurred over two days it misses out on the all-time daily record. 


Although this area has been in a wetter pattern the past fifteen years, only two of the top ten daily precipitation records have been set since 1993 with four out of the top ten occurring in the 1880s and 1890s.

Posted by: Daryl Ritchison on 8/12/2008 at 10:53 AM | Comments (4) | Permalink

Perseid Meteor Shower

Tonight is expected to be the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower.  The name originates from the fact that many of the meteors will radiate, or appear to come from the constellation Perseus.

It is usually one of the better meteor showers of the year. The best time to look would be after midnight, away from city lights. 

It is estimated that between 50 to 100 meteors per hour could be seen in a dark sky.  Of course any cloud cover tonight (which looks very likely) would spoil the show, but even if you can not make it out tonight, the peak night, the earth will still be moving through the dust field created by Comet Swift-Tuttle for the next several days giving you an opportunity to enjoy seeing more meteors than you would during other times of the year. 

Posted by: Daryl Ritchison on 8/11/2008 at 9:24 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Where have all the 100s gone?

A viewer/listener wrote in and asked about the longest period of time without 100 degree temperatures.   The first 100 degree temperature recorded in Fargo Moorhead was on June 30, 1883 (records started in 1881) and since then we have official hit 100 degrees or higher 86 times.  

Three times in the historical record Fargo Moorhead went approximately eleven years without a 100 degree day.  These stretches occurred from 1900-1911, 1949-1958, and the latest from 1995-2006.  Plus, there was a ten year period without 100 degree heat from 1965-1975. 

The longest stretch of these was our most recent from June 17, 1995 to July 15, 2006 a period of 11 years and 28 days between hitting 100, plus if you take away the one day in 1995, you would have had to go back to 1989 for the previous 100. 

There is no other such period with fewer 100 degree days than that period from 1989 to 2006. 

Posted by: Daryl Ritchison on 8/05/2008 at 11:15 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Eight in a Row

July 2008 was the eighth straight month with below average temperatures in Fargo Moorhead.   Last month finished 0.5 degrees below the thirty year average, which really made it a very average month for temperatures, whereas most of these several months in a row with below average temperatures finished well below average.   


The warmest temperature last month was recorded on July 11 when the temperature reached 91 degrees and the coolest temperature was recorded on July 3 when we dipped down to 46 degrees. 


Precipitation wise, it was a dry month locally.  We missed a couple of heavier rain events to our north and south during the course of the month, so officially at the airport just 1.78 inches of rain fell which is 1.10 inches below average.   


Even with a relatively dry July, we are still running a bit above average for both yearly and summer precipitation.

Posted by: Daryl Ritchison on 8/04/2008 at 6:43 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Solar Eclipse

A total eclipse of the Sun is occurring this morning from about 4:00 AM to 6:30 AM local time from northern Canada to China. 

The totality started in Nunavut, near Cambridge Bay in northern Canada, then through northern Greenland, across the Arctic Ocean, through central Russia (Siberia), then to Mongolia, and ended near Xian, in China as the Sun was setting in the ancient capital of China. 

Parts of southern China will get an opportunity to see yet another solar eclipse that will move from India through China and then out into the Pacific Ocean next year on July 22. 

The next total solar eclipse in the United States is not until August 21, 2017 when the moon will completely block out the Sun in a path from Oregon through Nebraska to South Carolina.  Right here in Fargo Moorhead, our next total solar eclipse won't be until September 14, 2099. 

Posted by: Daryl Ritchison on 8/01/2008 at 6:54 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Less Windy

July and August are the two least windy months of the year in the Red River Valley.  July gets the nod for the least windy, but just barely.  Both months long term average wind speed is approximately eleven miles per hour.  

This time of year, July 15 through August 15, although not an official month of course, is historically the least windy thirty days of the year.  Average wind speeds in this time frame are even lower, around nine miles per hour.    Sure, we live on the prairie, there will be windy days occasionally in the coming weeks, but if you live in open country and get tired of the never endless breezes, this is your time of year to cherish. 

Before long as the temperature contrasts between Canada and the southern United States increases, so will our wind speed and our reputation as the Saudi Arabia of wind energy will return. 

Posted by: Daryl Ritchison on 7/28/2008 at 11:01 AM | Comments (4) | Permalink

Heat Index

Not only has this summer produced only a handful of hot days, it has also been a summer with few humid days as well.  But we still have enough summer left that eventually we may need to mention the heat index in the forecast.  The heat index combines the air temperature with relative humidity to determine an apparent temperature.

When the human body temperature rises, the hypothalamus gland activates the bodys heat regulating mechanism and millions of sweat glands wet the body with sweat.  This perspiration evaporates which cools the body, but high temperatures and high moisture content in the atmosphere limits our ability to evaporate this moisture and our body temperature can rise dramatically. 

If body temperatures rise high enough, death can result, especially if body temperature rises to around 106 degrees.  Because of this threat, in this area heat advisories are usually issued when air temperatures and dew points are high enough to produce heat indexes of around 105 degrees or higher.  

Posted by: Daryl Ritchison on 7/25/2008 at 9:45 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Dry to our North

So for this year 13.50 inches of rain and melted snow has fallen officially in Fargo Moorhead.  This is about one inch above average to this date.  So in other words, most of the immediate area has received adequate rainfall so far this year, with some spots south of the metro even seeing too much rain.  


But in the northern Red River Valley, it has been much drier.  Grand Forks, for example, has only had 7.05 inches of rain so far this year, almost one-half as much rain as we have seen locally.   Some parts of northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota are once again listed as abnormally dry by the Climate Prediction Center. 


What rain that has fallen has been timely, plus the cooler than average summer temperatures have helped as well, but areas to our north will need some moisture soon or the word drought will be needed to describe their situation.

Posted by: Daryl Ritchison on 7/23/2008 at 9:41 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Dolly

Although the Atlantic tropical season begins on June 1, it usually takes until the end of July before most storms form.  This season did start early with Tropical Storm Arthur, the remnants of a tropical system that started in the Pacific Ocean, forming around June 1 and quickly moved into Belize with significant rain and flooding. 

Since then, in typical fashion, tropical activity was non existent until recently.  Hurricane Bertha weakened to a tropical storm as it brought strong wind and heavy surf to Bermuda a little more than a week ago, then this past weekend, Tropical Storm Cristobal formed near Florida and grazed the outer banks of North Carolina. 

Now all eyes are on the latest storm, Dolly, which formed Sunday near the Yucatan Peninsula.   Dolly is expected to move toward south Texas and strengthen into a Hurricane before making landfall on Wednesday Night or Thursday. 

Posted by: Daryl Ritchison on 7/22/2008 at 6:53 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink