Historical Weather at the

National Western Stock Show

Every January since 1906 the National Western Stock Show comes to town. Several days before the stock show approaches questions are brought up by citizens and the media of the notion that it's always cold during the stock show. A look at stock show statistics from 1906-2003 reveals a different scenario. Lets take a look at the numbers.

The first four years the stock show was held (1906-1910) revealed that the average temperature during the event was 43.6 degrees, 12.9 degrees above normal for that time of year. In fact, 1909 was the warmest stock show on record with a departure from normal of 16.0 degrees.

Cold spells were few and far between. Extreme departures from normal only lasted a year or two at a time. From 1962-1963 the average temperature was 8.6 degrees, 20.4 degrees below normal. This was the coldest consecutive stretch on record.

To summarize, the mean temperature during the National Western Stock Show from 1906-2003 is 31.8 degrees. The normal during the same period is 29.1 degrees, giving a departure from normal of +2.7 degrees. This indicates that the mean temperature is warmer than normal during the National Western Stock Show, disproving the perception that it's always cold when compared to normal.

Below is a chart of yearly observed and climatological normal temperatures and there departure from normal during the National Western Stock Show since 1906.

 

Year

Average

Average

Mean

Normal

Normal

Normal

Departure

High

Low

Temp

High

Low

Mean

from

   

 

 Normal

2003

50.3

19.1

34.7

43.2

15.1

29.2

+ 5.5 Deg.

2002

41.9

15.8

28.9

43.3

15.2

29.3

- 0.4 Deg.

2001

42.8

16.5

29.7

43

14.9

29

+ 0.7 Deg.

2000

52.9

23.4

38.2

43

15

29

+ 9.2 Deg.

1999

51

22.9

37

43.1

15

29.1

+ 7.9 Deg.

1998

42.8

19.8

31.3

43.1

15.1

29.1

+ 2.2 Deg.

1997

35

11.6

23.3

43.2

15.1

29.2

- 5.9 Deg.

1996

50.3

18.4

34.4

43

14.9

29

+ 5.4 Deg.

1995

49.9

23.5

36.7

43

15

29

+ 7.7 Deg.

1994

54.4

23.1

38.8

43.1

15

29.1

+ 9.7 Deg.

1993

31.5

10

20.8

43

14.9

29

- 8.2 Deg.

1992

39.5

12.3

25.9

43

14.9

29

- 3.1 Deg.

1991

46.5

18.6

32.6

43

14.9

29

+ 3.6 Deg.

1990

49.5

24.3

36.9

43

15

29

+ 7.9 Deg.

1989

48.5

18.5

33.5

43

15

29

+ 4.5 Deg.

1988

38.5

16

27.3

43.1

15

29.1

- 1.8 Deg.

1987

35.5

10.9

23.2

43.2

15.1

29.2

- 6.0 Deg.

1986

58.7

27.8

43.3

43

15

29

+ 14.3 Deg.

1985

41.3

12.8

27.1

43

15

29

- 1.9 Deg.

1984

25.3

3.5

14.4

43

15

29

- 14.6 Deg.

1983

38.2

20.7

29.5

43

15

29

+ 0.5 Deg.

1982

44.7

18.4

31.6

43.1

15

29.1

+ 2.5 Deg.

1981

51.8

24.5

38.2

43.2

15.1

29.2

+ 9.0 Deg.

1980

44.6

25.2

34.9

43

15

29

+ 5.9 Deg.

1979

40.3

14.3

27.3

43

15

29

- 1.7 Deg.

1978

35.1

12

23.6

43

15

29

- 5.4 Deg.

1977

49.2

17.8

33.5

43

15

29

+ 4.5 Deg.

1976

50.9

22.1

36.5

43.2

15.1

29.2

+ 7.3 Deg.

1975

48.3

16.4

32.4

19

15

29

+ 3.4 Deg.

1974

47.7

21

34.4

43

15

29

+ 5.4 Deg.

1973

53.2

29.1

41.2

43

15

29

+ 12.2 Deg.

1972

51

21.6

36.3

43

15

29

+ 7.3 Deg.

1971

54.8

25.6

40.2

43.1

15

29.1

+ 11.1 Deg.

1970

54.2

24.2

39.2

43.2

15.1

29.2

+ 10.0 Deg.

1969

51.7

21

36.4

43

15

29

+ 7.4 Deg.

1968

48.9

18.6

33.8

43

15

29

+ 4.8 Deg.

1967

51.1

16.6

33.9

43

15

29

+ 4.9 Deg.

1966

33.1

6.8

20

43

15

29

- 7.0 Deg.

1965

52.2

24.8

38.5

43

15

29

+ 9.5 Deg.

1964

39.2

8.7

24

43

15

29

- 5.0 Deg.

1963

21.3

-5.3

8

43

15

29

- 21.0 Deg.

1962

21.8

-3.4

9.2

43

15

29

- 19.8 Deg.

1961

47.2

25.2

36.2

43

15

29

+ 7.2 Deg.

1960

36.4

16.1

26.3

43

15

29

- 2.7 Deg.

1959

43.3

16.6

30

43.1

15

29.1

+ 0.9 Deg.

1958

48.4

21.4

34.9

43

15

29

+ 5.9 Deg.

1957

44.9

14.7

29.8

43

15

29

+ 0.8 Deg.

1956

40.8

19.3

30.1

43

15

29

+ 1.1 Deg.

1955

33.3

12.4

22.9

43

15

29

- 6.1 Deg.

1954

53.4

20

36.7

43

15

29

+ 7.7 Deg.

1953

53.1

27.3

40.2

43.1

15

29.1

+ 11.1 Deg.

1952

53.3

29.2

41.3

43

15

29

+ 12.3 Deg.

1951

45.8

23.4

34.6

43

15

29

+ 5.6 Deg.

1950

54.1

19

36.6

43

15

29

+ 7.6 Deg.

1949

31.2

9.9

20.6

43

15

29

- 8.4 Deg.

1948

36.3

16.3

26.3

43.1

15

29.1

- 2.8 Deg.

1947

39.3

20.8

30.1

43

15

29

+ 1.1 Deg.

1946

46.9

20.8

33.9

43

15

29

+ 4.9 Deg.

1945

39.2

24.6

31.9

43

15

29

+ 2.9 Deg.

1944

53.8

29.8

41.8

43

15

29

+ 12.8 Deg.

1943

41.6

16.9

29.3

43

15

29

+ 0.3 Deg.

1942

48.3

27.4

37.9

43

15

29

+ 8.9 Deg.

1941

46.5

25.8

36.2

43

15

29

+ 7.2 Deg.

1940

32.2

9.1

20.7

43

15

29

- 8.3 Deg.

1939

39.3

17.5

28.4

43

15

29

- 0.6 Deg.

1938

50.9

31.9

41.4

43

15

29

+ 12.4 Deg.

1937

24

4.1

14.1

43

15

29

- 12.1 Deg.

1936

42.4

20.6

31.5

43.3

15.1

29.2

+ 2.3 Deg.

1935

43.3

21.1

32.2

43

15

29

+ 3.2 Deg.

1934

52.3

29.9

41.1

43

15

29

+ 12.1 Deg.

1933

45.6

23.8

34.7

43

15

29

+ 5.7 Deg.

1932

36

18.4

27.2

43

15

29

- 1.8 Deg.

1931

47.3

25.5

36.4

43.1

15

29.1

+ 7.3 Deg.

1930

20.5

-2.6

9

43.3

15.1

29.2

- 20.2 Deg.

1929

43.9

24

34

43

15

29

+ 5.0 Deg.

1928

41.3

22.3

31.8

43

15

29

+ 2.8 Deg.

1927

40.6

16.8

28.7

43

15

29

- 0.3 Deg.

1926

33.1

14.1

23.6

43

15

29

- 5.4 Deg.

1925

50.8

26.3

38.6

43.1

15

29.1

+ 9.5 Deg.

1924

43.5

20.5

32

43.4

15.3

29.4

+ 2.6 Deg.

1923

55.5

28.1

41.8

43

15

29

+ 12.8 Deg.

1922

32.5

9.5

21

43

15

29

- 8.0 Deg.

1921

50.9

28.5

39.7

43

15

29

+ 10.7 Deg.

1920

48.9

29.4

39.2

43.1

15

29.1

+ 10.0 Deg.

1919

49.6

28.5

39.1

43.3

15.1

29.2

+ 9.9 Deg.

1918

39.6

15.3

27.5

43.4

15.3

29.4

- 1.9 Deg.

1917

40.7

13.8

27.3

43.7

15.5

29.6

- 2.3 Deg.

1916

30.9

8.5

19.7

43

15

29

- 9.3 Deg.

1915

39.5

14

26.8

43

15

29

- 2.2 Deg.

1914

47.7