October 26, 2007
Bowling
Green, Ky. - For state climatologist Stuart Foster, 2007 has been one for the ages.
“The year’s not over yet, but it’s been remarkable,” said Dr. Foster, director of the Kentucky Climate Center at Western Kentucky University.
Some of the 2007 highlights:
- A warmer than average March was followed by six straight days of below freezing temperatures on April 5-10 with 23 degrees on April 8. The late freeze damaged or destroyed crops and plants across the region.
- One of the warmest and driest summers on record followed as temperatures rose and precipitation dropped. August’s record-breaking heat was extreme and persistent with nine days of 100 degrees and above and 30 consecutive days of 92 degrees or above. Bowling Green’s warmest month on record had an average daily mean temperature of 85.4 degrees and an average daily maximum temperature of 98.1 degrees.
- Then in late October, just as 2007 was on track to become the driest year on record, the month became the wettest October on record with rainfall totals exceeding 8 inches. The two-day rainfall total of Oct. 22-23 represents an event that would be expected to occur an average of once every 20 years in southcentral Kentucky.
“We hear a great deal of concern over the uncertainty of global climate change and what it could mean, but this year has highlighted the inherent variability in our weather and climate,” Dr. Foster said. “And that gives us plenty to deal with already.”
This year’s extreme drought showed how weather and climate affects everyone, he said. Farmers have borne the brunt of this year’s drought through lower crop yields and through reduced feed supplies which prompted many to sell their livestock, but the impact has been felt on the tourism industry and on municipal water supplies.
“The Kentucky Division of Water, in collaboration with other state and federal agencies, has a done a good job in terms of monitoring and responding to the drought this summer,” Dr. Foster said. “Given the concerns about global climate change and what that might mean for Kentucky, it certainly is important that we be well-prepared to deal with extreme weather and climate events.
“With the drought, as with any weather event, once it’s over we’ll be able to learn more that will help us deal with the future events.”
The record-breaking October rainfall has provided relief from the drought. “The recent precipitation certainly alleviates concern from an agricultural perspective going into next year,” he said. “From a hydrological perspective, in terms of groundwater supplies, streams and ponds, this certainly goes a long way toward recovery.”
Foster noted, however, that precipitation totals in many areas across the state remain 10 inches or more below normal. “We certainly hope the winter months bring us back to a more normal rainfall pattern and replenish water supplies,” he said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s winter outlook for the United States shows that Kentucky can expect an enhanced likelihood for above normal temperatures and precipitation. The persistence of a weak-to-moderate La Niña is a key factor in the outlook.
“Historically in Kentucky La Niña winters have been wetter than normal, but research we’ve done at the Kentucky Climate Center suggests this is not always true,” Dr. Foster said, adding that Kentucky’s most recent drought of 1999-2000 occurred in a La Niña period.
And, as 2007 has shown, weather and climate records are made to be broken.
More information about Kentucky’s weather and climate is available on the Kentucky Climate Center’s website at http://kyclim.wku.edu/.
2007 precipitation and temperature data for Bowling Green
Month |
2007 precipitation |
Average precipitation |
Difference |
2007 mean temperature |
Avg. mean temperature |
Difference |
January |
4.04 |
4.15 |
- 0.11 |
38.8 |
34.2 |
+ 4.2 |
February |
2.00 |
4.15 |
- 2.15 |
33.3 |
38.6 |
- 5.3 |
March |
1.35 |
4.97 |
- 3.61 |
56.2 |
47.8 |
+ 8.4 |
April |
3.64 |
3.99 |
- 0.35 |
55.7 |
56.8 |
- 1.1 |
May |
3.57 |
5.36 |
- 1.79 |
69.9 |
65.8 |
+ 4.1 |
June |
3.13 |
4.29 |
- 1.16 |
76.3 |
74.4 |
+ 1.9 |
July |
2.02 |
4.54 |
- 2.52 |
77.9 |
78.5 |
- 0.6 |
August |
0.94 |
3.36 |
- 2.42 |
85.4 |
76.8 |
+ 8.6 |
September |
1.86 |
4.13 |
- 2.27 |
74.7 |
69.6 |
+5.1 |
October |
8.29 |
3.17 |
+5.12 |
66.6 |
59.1 |
+7.5 |
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Note: October precipitation totals through Oct. 25; mean temperature is average of daily high and low.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Stuart Foster at (270) 745-5983.
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