2011 Central Indiana Climate Summary

2011: A Year in Review
2011 was a year of extremes across central Indiana. Indianapolis received a little less than 50 inches of precipitation for the year, making it the wettest year since 2006 and the 17th wettest year on record. A very wet start to the year was highlighted by above normal snowfall in January, a significant ice and sleet storm in February and a very wet and stormy spring that saw extensive river flooding and repeated bouts of severe weather across the region. It remained wet through late June across central Indiana, before a switch to hot and dry weather in July which continued for most of the rest of the summer. This included the driest July on record in Indianapolis when less than a half inch of rain fell. Many locations across the region received less than three inches of rainfall from the beginning of July through the middle of September, enabling drought conditions to develop across portions of central Indiana. Stormy and wetter than normal conditions returned in late September and would persist for much of the rest of the year. 
 
The heat that arrived across the region in July and continued into September helped to make the summer the 5th warmest on record in Indianapolis. Additionally, the average temperature of 82.0 degrees at Indianapolis in July marked the hottest month experienced in the Circle City since July 1936. Many locations reached 100 degrees on July 21, including at Indianapolis where the temperature made it to the century mark for the first time since 1988. The temperature made it to 100 degrees in Indianapolis again on September 3, the first time that had happened in September since 1954.  The annual average temperature of 55.2 degrees made 2011 the 8th warmest on record, and the warmest since 2007. Records began forIndianapolis in 1871.
 
72 tornadoes touched down in the state of Indiana in 2011, breaking the old record of 49 tornadoes from 1990. Most of these tornadoes occurred during the spring and early summer as several significant severe weather events impacted the state.The following information will represent a very comprehensive look back on the year that was. The information is arranged in this order:
 
Annual and Seasonal Conditions
Miscellaneous Weather Stats
Records Broken
Links to Top Weather Stories of 2011
 
 
Annual and Seasonal Climate Stats for Indianapolis
 
For the whole year
 
 
Average Temperature
Total Precipitation
Total Snowfall
Highs of 80/90 or hotter
Lows of 0 or colder
2011
55.2
49.63
23.3
109/42
2
NORMAL
53.2
42.44
25.9
99/18
5
2011 Difference from Normal
+2.0
+7.19
-2.6
+10/+24
-3
All-Time Rank
8th   Warmest
17th Wettest
70th Least Snowiest
 
 
 
***Note, for purposes of the above table, snowfall is referring to the calendar year period, from Jan 1 to Dec 31.
 
 
 
Actual Numbers and Difference from Normal
 
2010-11 WINTER SEASON SUMMARY
 
 
Average Temperature
Total Precipitation
Total Snowfall
Highs below Freezing
Lows Below Zero
Winter 2010-2011
27.4
9.31
35.9
38
2
Normal Winter
30.5
8.15
22.0
27
5
2010-2011
Difference from Normal
 
-3.1
 
+1.16
 
+13.9
 
+11
 
-3
 
Winter Ranks:
32nd Coldest
47th Wettest
7th Snowiest
 
 
2011 SPRING SEASON SUMMARY
 
Average Temperature
Total Precipitation
Total Snowfall
Highs of 80 or more
Lows Below Freezing
Spring 2011
54.4
16.68
1.5
13
16
Normal Spring
52.6
12.42
2.8
11
20
2011 Difference from Normal
 
 +1.8
 
+4.26
 
-1.3
 
+2
 
-4
 
Spring Ranks:
20th Warmest
14th Wettest
83rd Snowiest
 
 
2011 SUMMER SEASON SUMMARY
 
Average Temperature
Total Precipitation
Highs of 90 or more
Summer 2011
77.6
7.34
36
Normal Summer
73.9
11.93
16
2011 Difference from Normal
+3.7
-4.59
+20
 
Summer Ranks:
5th Warmest
22nd Driest
 
 
 
2011 FALL SEASON SUMMARY
 
 
Average Temperature
Total Precipitation
Total Snowfall
Highs of 80 or more
Fall 2011
56.8
13.06
0.2
13
Normal Fall
55.2
9.94
1.1
17
2011 Difference from Normal
+1.6
+3.12
-0.9
-4
 
Fall Ranks:
29th Warmest
22nd Wettest
 
 
 
WINTER 2011-2012 SUMMARY SO FAR
 
 
Average Temperature
Total Precipitation
Total Snowfall
Highs of 32 or colder
December 2011
37.8
5.10
2.3
1
Normal December
31.6
3.17
6.9
8
2011 Difference From Normal
+6.2
+2.03
-4.6
-7
 
December 2011 Ranks:
18th Warmest
16th Wettest
60th Snowiest
 
 
 
 
Miscellaneous Information for Indianapolis
in 2011
 
Date of Final Spring Frost:    April 1 
Date of Final Measurable Spring Snow:   March 30 (1.5”)
 
Date of First Fall Frost:         October 30
Date of First Measurable Fall Snow:   November 29 (0.2”)
 
Hottest High Temperature:   100 (July 21 and September 3)
Coldest Low Temperature:   -3 (January 21)   
 
Coldest High Temperature:      13 (January 21)
Warmest Low Temperature:    79 (July 19, July 22 and July 23)
 
Heaviest Daily Rainfall:        3.06 (April 19)    
Heaviest Daily Snowfall:        4.4 (January 11)
 
Wettest 7 day period:            4.78 (February 27-March 5)
 
Most Consecutive days with temperatures below freezing:   8 (January 7-14)
Most Consecutive days with highs of 90 or hotter:   23 (July 17-August 8)          
 
Most Consecutive days with precipitation: 9 (September 22-30)
Most Consecutive days with no precipitation: 15 (July 9-23)
 
 
 
Records Broken at Indianapolis
 
Date
Record Type
New Record Amount
Old Record Amount
Old Record Year
February 27
Precipitation
1.11
0.87
1954
February 28
Precipitation
1.17
0.80
1918
April 19
Precipitation
3.06
1.70
1964
June 4
Max Temperature
95
94
1925
June 20
Precipitation
2.03
1.61
1990
July 19
Warmest Min
79
78
1874
July 22
Warmest Min
79
78
1934
July 23
Warmest Min
79
78
2010 and 1933
July 17-August 8
Consecutive Days with Max Temp at or above 90 Degrees
23 days
19 days
August 1936
July
Least Precipitation
0.47
0.49
July 1914
September 3
Max Temperature
100
96
1913
September 25
Precipitation
2.17
2.13
1961
October 20
Precipitation
1.33
1.14
1877
November 4
Precipitation
0.65
0.64
1936
 
 
 
 
Top Weather Stories of 2011
                                          
 
 
January 11 Snowstorm
 
January 31-February 2 Ice/Sleet Storm
 
February 5 Snowstorm
 
February 28 Severe Weather
 
March 23 Severe Weather
 
April 19 Severe Weather
 
Spring Flooding
 
May 10 and May 22 Large Hail Events
                                                                 
May 25 Severe Weather and Tornado Outbreak
 
June 4 Severe Weather
 
June 20 Severe Weather and Flooding
 
Driest/Second Warmest July on Record
 
August 13 Severe Weather
 
Early September Heat
                                        
November 29 Snowstorm
 
 
 
 Yearly Plot
 
 
 
 
  
Data prepared by the Indianapolis NWS Climate Team


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