ZCZC TOPPNSTOP ALL TTAA00 KTOP PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 155 PM CST JAN 2 2004 TOPEKA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR 2003 A HOT SUMMER AND BELOW NORMAL RAIN AND SNOWFALL HIGHLIGHTED THE 2003 TOPEKA AREA WEATHER SUMMARY. TEMPERATURES HIT 100 DEGREES OR HIGHER ON 15 DAYS THIS SUMMER...THE MOST IN 3 YEARS. RAINFALL FOR THE YEAR WAS A LITTLE OVER 6 INCHES BELOW NORMAL WITH 8 OF 12 MONTHS SHOWING LESS THAN AVERAGE RAIN. THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR AVERAGED THE WARMEST IN 2003 WHILE THE FIRST 6 MONTHS IN GENERAL WERE BELOW AVERAGE. DECEMBER WAS NEARLY 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL EVEN THOUGH NEARLY 4 INCHES OF SNOW FELL DURING THE MONTH. ALL OF THE 100 DEGREE HEAT HIT IN JULY AND AUGUST. THE HOTTEST AT 107 DEGREES ON AUGUST 21 CAME DURING A STRETCH WHEN 10 OF 11 CONSECUTIVE DAYS HIT 100 OR BETTER. EXCESSIVE HUMIDITY ACCOMPANIED THE HEAT MOST DAYS MAKING IT FEEL EVEN MORE UNCOMFORTABLE. IN CONTRAST, THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE OF 2003 OCCURRED ON JANUARY 23 WHEN THE MERCURY DROPPED TO 5 BELOW ZERO. HOWEVER, THIS WAS THE ONLY BELOW ZERO READING FOR THE YEAR EVEN THOUGH THE MERCURY REACHED ZERO DEGREES ON FOUR SEPARATE DAYS. THE AVERAGE YEARLY TEMPERATURE WAS 55.4 DEGREES, OR 0.9 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THREE NEW RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE ESTABLISHED IN 2003: MARCH 16 WITH 79 DEGREES...AUGUST 21 AT 107 DEGREES AND OCTOBER 20 WITH 90 DEGREES. ON THE FLIP SIDE, ONLY ONE NEW RECORD LOW OCCURRED DURING THE YEAR WITH 23 DEGREES ON APRIL 23. RAINFALL FOR 2003 TOTALED 29.40 INCHES OR 6.24 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THE GROWING SEASON GOT OFF TO A GOOD START IN APRIL WITH 5.91 INCHES OF RAIN THAT MADE THE MONTH THE 7TH WETTEST ON RECORD. HOWEVER, RAINFALL DURING MAY, JUNE AND JULY AVERAGED BELOW NORMAL WITH JULY 2003 BEING THE 9TH DRIEST ON RECORD. MOST OF AUGUST ALSO EXPERIENCED MINIMAL RAINFALL, EXCEPT FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS OF THE MONTH WHEN OVER 4 INCHES OF RAIN CAUSED THE MONTHLY TOTAL TO BE ABOUT 2 AND A HALF INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THE 3.27 INCHES OF RAIN ON AUGUST 30 SET A RECORD FOR THE DATE. SNOWFALL FOR 2003 MEASURED 16.1 INCHES. THIS WAS NEARLY 5 INCHES BELOW NORMAL, BUT NEARLY DOUBLE WHAT WAS RECEIVED LAST YEAR. WIDESPREAD FREEZING RAIN COATED ROADS, STREETS AND HIGHWAYS ON MARCH 4 AND CAUSED CANCELLATION OF MANY EVENTS IN AND AROUND THE CITY. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED ACROSS THE AREA ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS DURING 2003. SOME OF THE MOST NOTABLE EVENTS INCLUDED: WINDS BETWEEN 60 AND 65 MPH ON APRIL 18, HAIL UP TO 1.75 INCHES IN DIAMETER ON JULY 30 AND WIDESPREAD WINDS AROUND 60 MPH AND DAMAGING HAIL ON AUGUST 20. ALTHOUGH MAY 8 BROUGHT NUMEROUS TORNADOES TO NORTHEAST KANSAS, NONE WERE REPORTED IN SHAWNEE COUNTY. SPECIFIC YEAR 2003 WEATHER DATA FOR TOPEKA......... AVERAGE TEMPERATURE..... 55.4 OR 0.9 ABOVE NORMAL HIGHEST TEMPERATURE..... 107 ON 8/21 LOWEST TEMPERATURE...... 5 BELOW ZERO ON 01/23 NUMBER OF DAYS AT OR ABOVE 100 DEG... 15 NUMBER OF DAYS AT OR BELOW ZERO...... 5 TOTAL PRECIPITATION...... 29.40 IN. OR 6.24 IN. BELOW NORMAL HIGHEST MONTHLY AMOUNT... 6.25 AUGUST LOWEST MONTHLY AMOUNT.... 0.45 NOVEMBER HIGHEST DAILY AMOUNT..... 3.27 AUGUST 30 SNOWFALL FOR THE YEAR..... 16.1 INCHES OR 4.6 BELOW NORMAL MOST SNOWFALL IN A MONTH.. 6.4 INCHES IN FEBRUARY MOST SNOWFALL IN A DAY.... 3.3 INCHES ON FEBRUARY 23 HIGHEST WIND GUST... 60 MPH ON APRIL 18 $$ DS/MA NNNN