2001 Little Rock, Arkansas (LIT)

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2001 LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS (LIT)

Little Rock is located on the Arkansas River near the geographical center of the state. It is situated on the dividing line between the Ouachita Mountains to the west and the flat lowlands comprising the Mississippi River Valley to the east. Elevations range from 222 feet at the river level to 257 feet over much of the flat land, including the airport in the southeast, to near 600 feet in the hilly residential area of the western portions of the city. Two minor temperature variations are observed due to the terrain; somewhat lower minimum temperatures are observed in the airport vicinity and a slight downslope adiabatic heating effect accompanies airflow from the ridges and hills in the west and northwest.

The modified continental climate of Little Rock includes exposure to all of the North American air mass types. However, with its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, the summer season is marked by prolonged periods of warm and humid weather. The growing season averages 233 days in which 62 percent of the normal precipitation occurs. Winters are mild, but polar and Arctic outbreaks are not uncommon.

Precipitation is fairly well distributed throughout the year. Summer rainfall is almost completely of the convective type. The driest period usually occurs in the late summer and early fall. Snow is almost negligible. Glaze and ice storms, although infrequent, are at times severe. Warm front weather in the winter and early spring, characterized by shallow surface cold air flow from the north under warm moist Gulf air, results in excellent conditions for the production of freezing precipitation.

NORMALS, MEANS, AND EXTREMES

LITTLE ROCK, AR (LIT)

LATITUDE:      LONGITUDE:      ELEVATION (FT):      TIME ZONE:      WBAN: 13963

34 44′ 48″ N   92 13′ 59″ W    GRND: 289    BARO: 292    CENTRAL (UTC + 6)

ELEMENTPORJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECYEAR
TEMPERATURE FNORMAL DAILY MAXIMUM3049.053.964.073.481.389.392.491.484.675.162.752.572.5
MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM5449.855.063.173.381.589.292.491.985.075.262.252.872.6
HIGHEST DAILY MAXIMUM608385919598105112109106978680112
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE195019861974198719981988198620001947196319551956JUL 1986
MEAN OF EXTREME MAXS.5471.975.981.586.291.596.9100.5100.195.888.679.572.786.8
NORMAL DAILY MINIMUM3029.133.242.250.759.067.471.569.863.550.941.533.151.0
MEAN DAILY MINIMUM5431.034.942.351.359.968.171.870.463.451.441.233.751.6
LOWEST DAILY MINIMUM60–4–5112840465452372917–1–5
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE196219511951197119711969197219861942198919761989FEB 1951
MEAN OF EXTREME MINS.5413.718.826.135.746.456.563.761.548.836.425.017.737.5
NORMAL DRY BULB3039.143.653.162.170.278.481.980.674.163.052.142.861.7
MEAN DRY BULB5440.445.052.662.470.778.882.181.174.163.251.743.362.1
MEAN WET BULB1636.841.547.356.064.571.269.768.662.253.145.037.654.5
MEAN DEW POINT1631.035.040.650.360.467.666.565.258.548.440.232.849.7
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
MAXIMUM 90300.00.0*0.33.816.322.119.89.01.20.00.072.5
MAXIMUM 32303.61.10.10.00.00.00.00.00.00.0*1.66.4
MINIMUM 323020.513.74.50.50.00.00.00.00.00.25.315.660.3
MINIMUM 0300.10.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.10.2
H/CNORMAL HEATING DEG. DAYS308035993841332500081283876883155
NORMAL COOLING DEG. DAYS3000154618740252448428166002005
RHNORMAL (PERCENT)3070686567717072727470717170
HOUR 00 LST3076747274828283848582787679
HOUR 06 LST3080807982878688888986838084
HOUR 12 LST3061595656585556565853586257
HOUR 18 LST3064595555595760606463656560
SPERCENT POSSIBLE SUNSHINE3246545762687371736869564862
W/OMEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
HEAVY FOG (VISBY 1/4 MI)592.71.91.20.70.70.30.50.71.01.72.02.716.1
THUNDERSTORMS591.92.34.96.57.47.88.66.33.62.62.91.856.6
CLOUDINESSMEAN:
SUNRISE–SUNSET (OKTAS)355.24.85.04.94.84.34.33.94.03.54.34.84.5
MIDNIGHT–MIDNIGHT (OKTAS)124.54.04.44.23.93.43.63.43.73.24.04.43.9
MEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
CLEAR358.69.18.68.78.09.58.811.611.214.411.09.2118.7
PARTLY CLOUDY356.15.77.07.510.811.612.910.98.67.15.95.9100.0
CLOUDY3516.313.515.413.812.38.99.38.510.19.513.116.0146.7
PRMEAN STATION PRESSURE(IN)2729.8929.8429.7429.7129.6829.7029.7329.7429.7729.8129.8329.8729.78
MEAN SEA–LEVEL PRES. (IN)1830.1630.1230.0529.9829.9629.9630.0130.0230.0430.1030.1330.1730.06
WINDSMEAN SPEED (MPH)418.48.79.48.87.57.16.76.36.76.87.98.07.7
PREVAIL. DIR (TENS OF DEGS)2724051818181823240624242424
MAXIMUM 2–MINUTE:
SPEED (MPH)331413232334635293529333646
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)30253319313034283230262930
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199920012000200119992001200020012000200120012000JUN 2001
MAXIMUM 5–SECOND:
SPEED (MPH)339513943418746364738444387
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)21253218313234273031262732
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199920011999200120011999200020012000200120012000JUN 1999
PRECIPITATIONNORMAL (IN)303.423.614.915.495.173.573.603.264.053.755.204.8350.86
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)6012.5311.0210.4014.2012.747.827.9514.4610.1715.3513.1416.4816.48
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE195019561990197319681974198819661978198419881987DEC 1987
MINIMUM MONTHLY (IN)600.500.510.730.500.69T0.14T0.280.010.261.26T
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198619471966198719701952198619951956194419991958AUG 1995
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)545.185.154.567.967.714.613.587.324.055.677.817.017.96
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE196919501990197419551960198819661967199019881987APR 1974
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
PRECIPITATION 0.01309.38.810.19.910.08.58.57.17.77.18.49.4104.8
PRECIPITATION 1.00300.91.21.71.81.70.81.01.01.11.21.71.515.6
SNOWFALLNORMAL (IN)302.51.70.7T0.00.00.00.00.00.00.30.55.7
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)5713.69.87.0TTT0.00.00.0T4.89.813.6
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198819791971199419971998199319711963JAN 1988
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)5112.19.66.7TTT0.00.00.0T4.89.812.1
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198819661971199419881998199319711963JAN 1988
MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH (IN)50135400000003813
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19881985198419711963JAN 1988
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
SNOWFALL 1.0301.10.60.20.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.10.12.1
PRECIPITATION (inches) 2001 LITTLE ROCK, AR (LIT)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
19721.711.553.321.812.072.621.773.586.437.637.385.1445.01
19735.642.957.8914.203.962.666.591.269.095.939.035.1974.39
19745.772.602.079.766.267.824.093.204.313.365.732.9957.96
19754.644.387.674.145.871.563.982.731.861.623.682.9245.05
19763.005.125.431.064.885.691.970.701.826.041.792.3039.80
19772.701.966.754.472.894.705.071.376.380.639.341.4047.66
19785.441.523.564.226.275.392.706.3810.171.016.6411.5664.86
19794.055.673.109.6411.544.454.276.514.353.364.023.5364.49
19802.730.896.605.854.570.530.990.195.092.646.281.8638.22
19811.113.894.002.759.737.803.152.911.376.111.641.3445.80
19828.743.372.879.325.634.101.014.521.472.269.728.2861.29
19832.251.494.196.727.583.341.070.790.413.734.479.0745.11
19841.313.525.583.778.221.064.155.693.2815.358.493.5463.96
19853.112.785.278.632.992.403.303.524.363.915.782.9749.02
19860.503.453.687.334.076.420.144.561.946.055.673.8647.67
19872.077.073.520.504.564.631.602.127.561.3710.9616.4862.44
19883.713.413.503.822.051.047.952.192.541.9513.142.9148.21
19893.019.557.642.574.043.957.871.213.571.701.952.1949.25
19906.504.8210.407.737.710.804.631.574.088.753.296.7967.07
19916.883.033.5612.442.872.282.036.783.017.005.184.5959.65
19921.752.056.481.863.675.076.762.142.900.674.713.8541.91
19935.062.443.055.405.492.041.242.771.444.106.334.4143.77
19944.873.215.605.203.975.574.284.002.113.886.134.5853.40
19953.942.403.744.954.561.852.99T1.885.542.332.8337.01
19962.602.143.574.243.982.823.561.236.396.357.412.8147.10
19971.884.656.487.733.925.411.882.183.754.353.873.6649.76
19984.704.114.803.312.862.162.963.233.453.392.304.4141.68
19996.111.104.855.333.406.102.410.911.564.970.265.2542.25
20001.033.933.862.945.805.660.940.042.390.7910.993.4241.79
20012.988.463.941.404.042.051.561.762.545.245.308.3147.58
POR=122 YRS4.453.904.715.134.963.673.353.123.323.174.454.2448.47
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (F) 2001 LITTLE ROCK, AR (LIT)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
197243.646.753.362.569.879.480.481.175.862.647.341.062.0
197339.742.158.259.968.278.681.180.475.767.656.642.862.6
197442.445.758.160.771.374.383.279.069.062.351.944.461.9
197544.644.648.760.772.578.680.279.569.263.051.442.961.3
197639.752.556.561.164.674.480.278.772.157.845.941.960.5
197731.346.956.464.773.780.082.180.477.362.652.942.062.5
197831.734.051.065.971.478.984.183.076.762.054.643.361.4
197929.938.755.562.770.277.981.079.072.765.350.345.860.8
198044.040.950.361.570.679.488.187.078.660.450.443.162.9
198139.744.652.567.567.480.183.579.975.361.455.543.262.6
198237.541.357.158.072.776.683.182.174.264.753.248.362.4
198339.243.851.154.467.777.482.586.176.064.050.830.960.3
198436.746.650.159.768.079.879.778.171.065.049.052.161.3
198533.739.357.663.070.078.281.280.872.566.256.138.161.4
198642.548.255.463.671.479.786.378.177.663.149.742.463.2
198740.247.153.462.476.379.982.284.474.959.153.045.263.2
198835.642.952.261.570.478.881.782.475.860.453.344.461.6
198946.338.452.562.669.676.279.380.271.263.355.335.760.9
199048.151.355.462.068.180.683.282.277.561.556.343.164.1
199139.049.256.264.474.179.582.880.073.764.349.246.863.3
199242.750.654.462.669.076.581.076.572.764.450.143.962.0
199340.443.251.358.368.878.786.083.773.561.448.344.961.5
199438.345.253.964.468.381.880.078.972.764.356.146.362.5
199543.046.555.562.470.777.683.186.772.564.150.142.162.9
199640.046.248.260.474.379.481.980.873.563.648.446.461.9
199741.047.256.758.268.377.184.080.476.463.949.942.662.1
199846.748.951.762.075.983.187.283.980.665.854.844.965.5
199943.851.050.065.170.178.383.683.374.064.056.846.163.8
200043.050.755.961.172.376.582.786.575.465.748.032.062.5
200138.646.449.567.371.376.983.282.072.760.655.745.962.5
POR=122 YRS41.344.953.062.470.378.281.680.774.363.651.943.662.1

REFERENCE NOTES:

PAGE 1:

THE TEMPERATURE GRAPH SHOWS NORMAL MAXIMUM AND NORMAL MINIMUM DAILY TEMPERATURES (SOLID CURVES) AND THE ACTUAL DAILY HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES (VERTICAL BARS).

PAGE 2 AND 3:

H/C INDICATES HEATING AND COOLING DEGREE DAYS.

RH INDICATES RELATIVE HUMIDITY

W/O INDICATES WEATHER AND OBSTRUCTIONS

S INDICATES SUNSHINE.

PR INDICATES PRESSURE.

CLOUDINESS ON PAGE 3 IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA NOT TO EXCEED EIGHT EIGHTHS (OKTAS).

GENERAL:

T INDICATES TRACE PRECIPITATION, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN ZERO BUT LESS THAN THE LOWEST REPORTABLE VALUE.

+ INDICATES THE VALUE ALSO OCCURS ON EARLIER DATES.

BLANK ENTRIES DENOTE MISSING OR UNREPORTED DATA.

NORMALS ARE 30–YEAR AVERAGES (1961–1990).

ASOS INDICATES AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM.

PM INDICATES THE LAST DAY OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

POR (PERIOD OF RECORD) BEGINS WITH THE JANUARY DATA MONTH AND IS THE NUMBER OF YEARS USED TO COMPUTE THE MEAN. INDIVIDUAL MONTHS WITHIN THE POR MAY BE MISSING.

WHEN THE POR FOR A NORMAL IS LESS THAN 30 YEARS, THE NORMAL IS PROVISIONAL AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF YEARS INDICATED.

0.* OR * INDICATES THE VALUE OR MEAN–DAYS–WITH IS BETWEEN 0.00 AND 0.05.

CLOUDINESS FOR ASOS STATIONS DIFFERS FROM THE NON–ASOS OBSERVATION TAKEN BY A HUMAN OBSERVER. ASOS STATION CLOUDINESS IS BASED ON TIME–AVERAGED CEILOMETER DATA FOR CLOUDS AT OR BELOW 12,000 FEET AND ON SATELLITE DATA FOR CLOUDS ABOVE 12,000 FEET.

THE NUMBER OF DAYS WITH CLEAR, PARTLY CLOUDY, AND CLOUDY CONDITIONS FOR ASOS STATIONS IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA FOR THE SUNRISE TO SUNSET PERIOD.

GENERAL CONTINUED:

CLEAR INDICATES 0–2 OKTAS, PARTLY CLOUDY INDICATES 3–6 OKTAS, AND CLOUDY INDICATES 7 OR 8 OKTAS. WHEN AT LEAST ONE OF THE ELEMENTS (CEILOMETER OR SATELLITE) IS MISSING, THE DAILY CLOUDINESS IS NOT COMPUTED.

WIND DIRECTION IS RECORDED IN TENS OF DEGREES (2 DIGITS) CLOCKWISE FROM TRUE NORTH. "00" INDICATES CALM. "36" INDICATES TRUE NORTH.

RESULTANT WIND IS THE VECTOR AVERAGE OF THE SPEED AND DIRECTION.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS THE SUM OF THE MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE DIVIDED BY 2.

SNOWFALL DATA COMPRISE ALL FORMS OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION, INCLUDING HAIL.

A HEATING (COOLING) DEGREE DAY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE AND 65 F.

DRY BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AMBIENT AIR.

DEW POINT IS THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH THE AIR MUST BE COOLED TO ACHIEVE 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

WET BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE THE AIR WOULD HAVE IF THE MOISTURE CONTENT WAS INCREASED TO 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

ON JULY 1, 1996, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BEGAN USING THE "METAR" OBSERVATION CODE THAT WAS ALREADY EMPLOYED BY MOST OTHER NATIONS OF THE WORLD. THE MOST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN THIS ANNUAL PUBLICATION WILL BE THE CHANGE IN UNITS FROM TENTHS TO EIGHTS (OKTAS) FOR REPORTING THE AMOUNT OF SKY COVER.

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 LITTLE ROCK, AR (LIT)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972–730081425307367776372161862803260
1973–7400261261680690533255163402649
1974–750023111401634630566499196503065
1975–7600481304146817773592841467002909
1976–770012575677101041502265701003423
1977–780001053707091025862436684803623
1978–7900011832166710837323141101303358
1979–80000804365886456934501421503049
1980–810016184437673774565388374503119
1981–82004186278668847656298223603166
1982–8300121193695367955874253323303208
1983–8400198942210508725304601902403656
1984–85004481476408962713251101803044
1985–8600318228382569146729891702775
1986–87010112454694762496353145003017
1987–88000182358609904637388123403205
1988–890011633586335737383951563903056
1989–9000231123138985163803161523102741
1990–91008173260675798438294691002725
1991–920023974835606824133241344002756
1992–930014694416477556064232151513186
1993–9400131745066138245483391054903171
1994–9500221112765736785123181192702636
1995–96002493445703767540520180703279
1996–9700111034925767414882612172802917
1997–98001149451685562445446123002862
1998–990006730162765038745873102564
1999–00004100250581672418288131802452
2000–01001697513101481151547764703514
2001–0017165274585
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 LITTLE ROCK, AR (LIT)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
19722038117444048450734176302111
19730014411354155064853301471702090
1974004537206288572441148361401787
197560473245416475455178731421941
19760527376529248043422042001602
197700767287455537482377401402266
1978009104253424599565357311602358
197900244817839650244224095101926
19800114219643972568843250502579
198100911713145858047031878202163
198200572125335557054029411420242248
19830002112138155066035563602157
198401438126451462416234883171840
19850031481674045085012651252102070
19860575621144666841538563002256
1987003743594565406103048302357
198800224177423523546332251502067
1989001391189345450479213702901879
199004266713547557154039273802291
1991013056299445558472290821422249
19920047017035250536424960001774
199300422138419656591276691402189
1994033961615104724352561001502051
199550314720738356868325473402255
19960564930343752949927362162170
1997501321138369597485351122402105
1998004040344548697592473983112846
199902085168406582571280741112180
2000071021237353556676334128902331
200100013820936657453325435602115
SNOWFALL (inches) 2001 LITTLE ROCK, AR (LIT)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972–730.00.00.00.0T0.72.6T0.0T0.00.03.3
1973–740.00.00.00.00.0T0.3T0.00.00.00.00.3
1974–750.00.00.00.0TT1.40.42.40.00.00.04.2
1975–760.00.00.00.00.21.0T0.00.00.00.00.01.2
1976–770.00.00.00.01.00.03.80.00.00.00.00.04.8
1977–780.00.00.00.00.00.010.03.4T0.00.00.013.4
1978–790.00.00.00.00.0T1.49.80.00.00.00.011.2
1979–800.00.00.00.00.00.00.90.5TT0.00.01.4
1980–810.00.00.00.01.8TT0.00.00.00.00.01.8
1981–820.00.00.00.00.00.05.06.3T0.00.00.011.3
1982–830.00.00.00.00.0TTTTT0.00.0T
1983–840.00.00.00.00.00.81.50.24.50.00.00.07.0
1984–850.00.00.00.00.0T6.35.00.00.00.00.011.3
1985–860.00.00.00.00.0T0.01.50.00.00.00.01.5
1986–870.00.00.00.0T0.01.0T0.80.00.00.01.8
1987–880.00.00.00.00.0T13.62.5T0.00.00.016.1
1988–890.00.00.00.00.0T2.0T1.00.00.00.03.0
1989–900.00.00.00.00.0TT0.00.00.00.00.0T
1990–910.00.00.00.00.0TTTTT0.00.0T
1991–920.00.00.00.0TTT0.00.00.00.00.0T
1992–930.00.00.00.0TT0.0TT0.00.00.0T
1993–940.00.00.0T0.00.00.10.7TT0.00.00.8
1994–950.00.00.00.00.0T7.0T1.00.00.00.08.0
1995–960.00.00.00.00.1T0.70.6T0.00.00.01.4
1996–970.00.00.00.00.0TT4.70.0TT0.04.7
1997–980.00.00.00.0TT0.00.0TT0.0TT
1998–990.00.00.0
1999–00
2000–01
2001–
POR=55 YRS0.00.00.0T0.20.62.31.40.5T0.00.05.0

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