Easterwood Field

College Station, Texas


Monthly Summary for May 1997


	TEMPERATURE      PRECIP.                       TEMPERATURE

  Day   Max  Min  *DEPART   TOTAL         MEANS            ACTUAL       DEPART.

   1    83   61      0                    Maximum           82.2         -1.8
   2    86   68      5	    0.08          Minimum           63.4         -1.6
   3    77   58     -4	                  Monthly	    72.8         -1.7
   4    81   54     -4                                  
   5    80   56     -4                    EXTREMES           TEMP         DATE
                                          Highest            90F          19,26,27th
   6    81   60     -1                    Lowest             53F          13th
   7    83   59     -2                       
   8    83   67      2                    DEGREE DAYS       TOTAL        DEPART.
   9    71   62     -6      0.19          Heating              0            0
  10    77   58     -5                    Cooling            249          -49
                                          
  11    79   55     -6                     
  12    81   55     -6      0.11          PRECIPITATION       AMOUNT     DEPART.  
  13    80   53     -7           
  14    84   63      0                    Total Monthly        3.68      -1.12
  15    85   67      2                    Total for 1997      17.89       1.86
                                          Precipitation Days     12          4
  16    85   64      0      0.01      
  17    85   61     -2                    EXTREMES            AMOUNT     DATE 
  18    87   69      3      0.06          24-hour Maximum      1.95      20th
  19    90   70      5      Trace
  20    78   66     -3      1.95          MAXIMUM WIND GUST    30mph     2nd,23rd

  21    78   66     -4      0.03          NUMBER OF DAYS      AMOUNT     DEPART.
  22    74   65     -6      Trace         TEMPERATURE
  23    81   68     -1      0.36          Maximum 90 or higher    3       -3
  24    77   65     -5      0.64          Maximum 32 or lower     0        0
  25    87   64     -1                    Minimum 32 or lower     0        0

  26    90   73      5                           RECORD BOOK FOR MAY
  27    90   73      5      0.03          Highest Temperature    100F    1911,96
  28    81   69     -2                    Lowest Temperature      42F    1954
  29    86   67      0                    Wettest Month        14.70"    1929
  30    87   67     -1      0.19          Driest Month          0.12"    1925
  31    82   61     -6      0.03          Wettest 24 hours      6.23"    1983
  


Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit
Precipitation in inches
"T" denotes less than or equal to 0.005"
BOLDFACE indicates extreme values for the month
ITALICS indicate a record was set or tied
* Departure of the daily mean temperature, as calculated from the average
of the maximum and minimum temperatures, from the 1961-1990 normals.













New Records Set

  DAY             PARAMETER                   VALUE    OLD RECORD       YEAR
 22nd     Lowest Maximum Temperature           74F        75F           1943  



Near Records

  DAY             PARAMETER                   VALUE      RECORD         YEAR
  9th     4th Lowest Maximum Temperature       71F        63F           1924

Monthly Review

Although temperature departures were not nearly as large as last month, May temperatures were still cooler than normal across the Brazos Valley. The range of daily mean temperature departures from normal was 12 degrees (from +5 on the 2nd to -7 on the 13th). Comparing this value to those for February, March and April (32, 27 and 25 degrees respectively), we can see that this range decreases significantly as summer approaches. This shows us that the air mass frontal systems (the cold air from the north) are being modified (warmed) before they reach us. The effects of these cold fronts on College Station temperatures will continue to decrease until they give way to the intense summer heat.

For the first time this year, the monthly precipitation total (3.68 inches) was below the monthly normal (4.80 inches). The total precipitation for 1997 is still two inches above normal, however. Most of the rain occurred during the third and fourth weeks of the month, College Station received nearly two inches of rain (over half of the monthly total) in just two hours on the 20th. A cold front passing through our region sparked a strong thunderstorm which provided us with some intense rain during that afternoon. 

June Normals for College Station

                           Temperature
Beginning of the month       88 / 69         Monthly Precipitation:      3.68"
Middle of the month          91 / 71         Precipitation days:            7
End of the month             92 / 73         90F Days                      21


Prepared by:    John F. Griffiths (State Climatologist)
                Brian N. Belcher (Graduate Assistant to the State Climatologist)
                belcher@tamu.edu