After a very warm start to the summer, August brought a cooler note. Statewide average temperature for August was 76.5 degrees F. This is 1.5 degrees cooler-than-normal, and ranks as the 37th coolest since 1895. The Northeast Division had the largest warm signal, an average of 76.8 degrees F, which was 0.5 degrees warmer-than-normal. The Northwest Division was the coldest with an average of 76.2 degrees, 2.5 degrees below the average.
There were no new record daily warm maximum temperatures. Minimum temperatures were warmer-than-normal with 34 new daily record warm minimum temperatures. None of the daily records set new monthly temperature records for August. There were 41 new record coldest maximums and 6 record coldest minimum temperatures. The warmest temperature reported during the month was 103 degrees F at Marysville, Marshall County, on August 6. The coldest temperature reported during August was 41 degrees F, reported at Brewster 4W, Sherman County, on the August 1.
August precipitation showed a more even distribution than earlier in the summer and brought some drought relief. The statewide average precipitation was 4.17 inches, which was 125 percent of normal. The division with the largest surplus was the Southeast Division, with an average of 7.02 inches, or 188 percent of normal. The Northwest Division had the greatest shortfall, with an average of 2.00 inches, creating a deficit of 0.73 inches (73 percent of normal). Due to the cooler temperatures and favorable rainfall distribution, the impacts of that deficit were minimal. The greatest monthly total for a National Weather Service Cooperative station was at Bartlett 1 WSW, Labette County, with 13.75 inches. The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network station with the greatest monthly precipitation was Iola 2.7 SSE, Allen County, with 12.98 inches. Among the Kansas Mesonet stations, the Cherokee station near Columbus had the greatest monthly total at 8.85 inches.
With the resurgence of rainfall, severe weather reports during the month also increased. Tornado numbers continued on the low side with only four tornado reported. Unfortunately, wind and hail caused significant damage in Sherman, Cheyenne, and Rooks counties. Complete damage estimates are not yet available. Total storm reports: 4 tornadoes, 32 hail events, and 45 reports of damaging wind.
The below-normal temperatures in the west lessened the impacts of below-normal precipitation. Only a small sliver of abnormally dry conditions persists in that area. Exceptional drought continues, and extreme drought has shifted into central and east central Kansas. Currently, 46 percent of the state is drought-free, while just under 1 percent is in exceptional drought conditions.
The September outlook has increased chances for above-normal precipitation across a wide swath of the state. However, a more even distribution of rainfall is needed to continue improvement of drought conditions across Kansas. The temperature outlook is for warmer-than-normal temperatures statewide.
Mary Knapp, Weather Data Library
mknapp@ksu.edu