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2019

2010-2019 Decade in Review 2019 climate highlights for Tucson 17th warmest year on record 25th wettest year on record, tied with 1998 Average yearly temperature NOT ranked as Top 5 warmest for first time since 2011 Average yearly temperature was above normal for 21st straight year Widespread valley snow on February 22nd Wettest day of the year at the airport was in MAY! 3 months ranked as Top 10 wettest For the first time since 2011, the average yearly temperature didn't rank as the top 5 warmest on record. The average yearly temperature for 2019 of 70.3° ranks as the 17th warmest year on record . The last year not to be ranked in the top 5 (at that time) was 2011 when it was the 19th warmest year on record. The table on the right shows the top 10 warmest years on record for Tucson with the previous five years holding the top 5 spots. The streak of above normal yearly temperatures now stands at 21 straight years! Top 10 warmest years on record Rank Average yearly temperature Year 1) 73.3° 2017 2 T) 72.1° 2014 72.1° 2016 4) 71.8° 2018 5) 71.5° 2015 6) 71.4° 1989 7) 71.3° 2012 8) 71.1° 2009 9) 70.9° 1994 10 ) 70.8° 2013 Normal yearly temperature (1981-2010) - 69.4° Here are some of the monthly temperature highlights during 2019: January: 39th warmest on record. Five days with lows that were 32° or colder which is one more day than what occurred in ALL of 2018.

February: Average temperature 3.6° below normal. 37th coolest on record .

. March: 24th warmest on record.

April: 16th warmest on record. 10th earliest first 97° high on record.

May: Average temperature 5.7° below normal. 21st coolest on record .

. June: 34th warmest on record. Coolest since 2009. 1st 100° occurs on 9th @ 2:37 pm. 17 triple digit highs were least amount in June since 2009 (10).

July: 3rd hottest on record. 1st 110° occurs on 16th @ 3:28 pm. 26 triple digit highs were 3rd most in July on record.

August: 2nd hottest on record. 110° on 21st is 2nd hottest August high temperature.

September: 32nd warmest on record. Month started of with seven straight days with triple digit high, 3rd longest stretch to start September.

October: 38th warmest on record. 1st freeze of the season occurs on Halloween. 7th earliest occurrence of 1st freeze of the season. 1st freeze to occur October since 1971 .

. November: 9th warmest on record. 3rd November in which the monthly low temperature was in the 40's. 2013 and 2017 were the other Novembers

December: 29th warmest on record. Season highlights Winter: 59th warmest on record. Zero days with high temperatures in the 80's. Last time this occurred was Winter 2009-10. 14 days with low temperatures 32° or colder. The previous two winter season combined for only 10 days.

Spring: 38th warmest on record. 4th time that the warmest high temperature of the season occurred in April. Other years were 1943, 1981 & 1992.

Summer: 2nd hottest on record. 11th straight summer to be ranked in top 10 hottest.

Fall: 15th warmest on record. 5th time that the coolest low temperature of the season occurred in October (32° on October 31st). Other years were 1900, 1970, 1971 & 2000. Month-by-month statistical recap for Tucson International airport Click on individual month for full climate report Monthly historical rankings are listed in (W=Warmest; C=Coldest) Month Avg. High Avg. Low Avg. Temp Rainfall January 65.8° (46W) 39.5° (32W) 52.6° (39W) 1.09" February 63.2° (13C) 40.2° (60W) 51.7° (31C) 2.03" March 75.7° (45W) 47.8° (16W) 61.7° (24W) 0.62" April 84.5° (26W) 54.1° (14W) 69.3° (16W) 0.07" May 84.8° (7C) 56.9° (57C) 70.9° (23C) 1.22" June 100.8° (41W) 69.6° (32W) 85.2° (34W) Trace July 103.6° ( 5W) 77.0° ( 5W) 90.3° ( 3W) 1.07" August 101.9° (2W) 76.6° ( 2W) 89.3° ( 2W) 1.57" September 94.3° (61C) 70.2° (17W) 82.2° (32W) 2.42" October 86.4° (44W) 56.6° (47W) 71.5° (38W) 0.01" November 76.3° (31W) 51.3° (3W) 63.8° ( 9W) 2.32" December 65.1° (57C) 42.0° (12W) 53.6° (29W) 1.20" 2019 83.6° (40W) 56.9° (10W) 70.3° (17W) 13.62" 1981-2010 normals 83.1° 55.8° 69.4° 11.59" A total of 17 daily record temperatures were set or tied during 2019. This is the least amount of records in a year since 2008 when 10 were set or tied. The table below shows the breakdown for highs, low maximums and high minimums. The yearly high temperature was 110° on July 16th & August 21st while the yearly low temperature was 27° on January 3rd. Record highs set or tied Date Record Previous Year(s) July 10 109° 109° (tied) 1934/1958/1979 July 16 110° 110° (tied) 2003 August 5 109° 108° 1994/1995/2009 August 14 107° 107° 2015 August 21 110° 108° 1930 November 18 86° 86° (tied) 1990 Record low maximums set Date Record Previous Year(s) February 22 45° 48° 1975 February 23 53° 53° (tied) 1960 Record high minimums set or tied Date Record Previous Year(s) February 3 54° 53° 1988 March 7 58° 57° 2006 June 10 79° 76° 1955/1973 July 12 86° 84° 1925 July 27 82° 82° (tied) 1934/1980/1994 July 28 83° 83° (tied) 2000 September 6 80° 79° 1989 September 7 81° 79° 2005 November 9 63° 63° (tied) 2001 No record lows for the 6th consecutive year The images above show daily temperature departures from the 1981-2010 normals Click on images for larger view RAINFALL for 2019 Located in a desert environment it can be a little difficult recording above normal rainfall for half or more of the calendar months during the year, especially when 52% of the yearly rainfall occurs during the summer thunderstorm season. In 2019, like 2016 & 2018, half of the calendar months recorded above normal rainfall. This is the first time the airport has done this feat three years in a four year period since the early 1990's. The graph below shows the number of months with above normal rainfall for each year since 1952. click image below for larger view Here are some of the monthly precipitation highlights during 2019: January: 41st wettest with 1.09". Snow on New Year's Day.

February: 9th wettest with 2.03". Widespread snow on the 22nd. 8th snowiest February..

March : 47th wettest with 0.62". 15th straight March with below normal rainfall.

April : 47th driest with 0.07".

May: 2nd wettest with 1.22". 2nd wettest May day (1.11") occurs on the 11th.

June: Only month in 2019 with no measurable rain being recorded at the International airport. Trace is tied for 16th driest .

July: 25th driest with 1.07".

August: 44th driest with 1.44".

September: 21st wettest with 2.42". Six straight days of measurable rain at airport, 2nd longest streak in September.

October: 23rd driest with 0.01".

November: 7 th wettest with 2.32". Seven days with measurable rain, most in November since 1944.

December: 37th wettest with 1.20" . Season highlights Winter: 15th wettest with 4.62". 14th snowiest with 2.3". 1st meteorological winter since 1994-1995 in which all three months recorded above normal precipitation.

Spring: 23rd wettest with 1.91". 1st Spring with above normal rainfall since 2004.

Summer: 19th driest with 2.64". Driest Summer since 2009

Monsoon: 46th driest with 5.06". Ends five straight seasons with normal or above normal rainfall at the airport.

Fall: 15th wettest with 4.75". 6th Fall this decade record above normal rainfall. For the first time since 1992, three months recorded rainfall totals that ranked in the top 10 wettest for their respective months. Those months are February, May and November. Rainfall totals across the metro area, using several sources like rainlog.org , the Pima County Regional Flood Control District gages and CoCoRaHS , ranged widely from 9"-19". Officially, 13.62" of rain was recorded at the International airport which ranks, in the 125 year climatic record period (1895-2019) for Tucson, as the 25th wettest year on record , tied with 1998 Of the four rainfall records that were set at the Tucson International airport, one was noteworthy. May 11th stands out in that the new record total of 1.10" shattered the old record of 0.06" and it ranks as the 2nd wettest day in May. Additionally for the first time on record, Record rainfall totals set or tied Date Record Previous Year February 22 1.03" 0.74" 1941 May 11 1.10" 0.06" 1987 November 20 0.49" 0.30" 1913 November 29 0.81" 0.58" 1981 the official recording station in Tucson recorded the wettest day of the year in May! Looking ahead into 2020 The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) forecasts enhanced probabilities for above normal temperatures for the entire year. Thus expect the consecutive year streak of above normal temperatures to be extended to 22 years. CPC forecasts enhanced probabilities for below normal rainfall through the Spring season then equal chances for either below normal, normal or above normal rainfall for the remainder of the year. Temperature Precipitation Click on CPC forecast temperature & precipitation images for larger view Yearly normals & records Normal yearly high temperature 83.1° Normal yearly low temperature 55.8° Normal yearly temperature 69.4° Record high temperature 117° on June 26, 1990 Record low temperature 6° on January 7, 1913 Warmest Year (avg.) 73.3° in 2017 Coldest Year (avg.) 65.0° in 1912 Normal rainfall 11.59" Wettest day 3.93" on July 29, 1958 Wettest Year 24.17" in 1905 Driest Year 5.07" in 1924 click image below for larger view