U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE SINCLAIR WEEKS, Secretary WEATHER BUREAU F. W. RXICHWLDERFJI Chiof CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA NATIONAL SUMMARY JUNE 1956 Volume 7 No. 6 ABOZLVE: low C O N T E N T S SURFACE DATA Page General Summary of Weather Conditions---------------------- 183 Condensed Climatological Data - States----------------------- 184 Climatological Data - Stations----------------------------- 185 Monthly and Seasonal Heating Degree Days-------------------- 189 Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena------------------- 193 Tropical Storm of June 12-14, 1956-------------------------- 216 General Summary of River and Flood Conditions-------------- 217 Flood Stage Data------------------------------------------ 219 UPPER AIR DATA Rawinsonde Data--------------------------------------------- 220 SOLAR RADIATION DATA Solar Radiation Intensities---------------------------------- 226 Blue Hill Data-------------------------------------------- 227 Net Radiation------------------------------------------------- 227 Daily Totals and Average Daily Totals by Weeks------------- 228 DELAYED DATA--------------------------------------------------- 230 CHARTS I-XV NOTE.--Beginning with this issue, 200- and 100-mb. charts will be included with the upper air mean charts at the end of each issue. These charts, XVI and XVII, are similar in all respects to Charts XII-XV except that there are no pibal winds at 200 and 100 mb. These are being prepared in answer to the ever increasing interest for information regarding meteor- ological conditions at higher and higher levels of the atmosphere. Although this need has been apparent for quite some time, the preparation of charts for these surfaces has not heretofore been possible due to the lack of sufficient data on a regular basis. it is believed that data are now being regularly received in sufficient quantity to prepare realistic presentations of climatological conditions at these surfaces. It should be noted that with this issue there is a change in the manner of plotting the resultant winds on Charts XII-XVII. The winds shown in red are from rawin reports and are for the same level as the contours and isotherms. The winds in black are from pibal re- ports at 2100 GMT and are for the nearest height level. In addition, wind speeds are indi- cated in knots: a flag equals 50 knots, a full barb 10 knots, and a half barb 5 knots. NOTE.--This publication contains all of the climatic data for- merly printed in the MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: Monthly 30 cents and annual 50 cents per copy; yearly subscription, including monthly and annual issues, $4.00 domestic, $5.50 foreign. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the Superintendent of Documents. Remittance and correspondence regarding subscriptions should be sent to "Superin- tendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C." CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA NATIONAL SUMMARY Volume 7 No. 6 JUNE 1956 GENERAL SUMMARY OF WEATHER CONDITIONS Abnormally hot, dry weather in the Great Plains floods in the Pacific Northwest, averaged as much with intensifying drought which had become quite as 40 below normal. Burns, Oreg., had a record severe in Texas at the end of the month, sufficient June low of 280 on the 5th and reported light frost rainfall to maintain good soil moisture east of on the 21st. Kalispell, Mont., recorded its lowest the Mississippi, and rather persistent abnormally temperature, 330, for so late in the season on the cool weather in the Pacific Northwest which retard- 30th. ed the rate of melting of a record snowpack, there- PRECIPITATION.--Rainfall exceeded 2 inches from by preventing disastrous floods, were the most the eastern Great Plains to the Atlantic Coast important characteristics of the weather of June. except in a few relatively small scattered areas. The month was also hot and dry in the Far Southwest Greatest totals, up to 10 inches, were measured where drought persisted in many sections. Many in the Central Gulf area, most of which fell forest fires occurred in Arizona before the hazard during a tropical storm on the 13th. Falling at was alleviated by showers the last few days, and a fairly well spaced intervals, rainfall east of the number of dust storms were reported in the southwest Great Plains generally furnished ample soil mois- and western Great Plains. ture for good crop growth. Main exceptions were TEMPERATURE--Temperatures for the month aver- parts of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina where aged well above normal in the upper Mississippi little rain fell during May and beneficial rains Valley, the Great Plains, and Rocky Mountain region in June did not occur until late in the month. and southern California, and well below in the In the remainder of the country the pattern of Southeast and Pacific Northwest. rainfall was very uneven. Monthly totals exceeded The greatest average above normal departures for 2 inches in parts of the Pacific Northwest and June, 80 or more, were centered over western South portions of the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, but Dakota and adjacent areas. Rapid City, South Da- were less than d inch in most remaining sections kota, reported 900 or above on 12 days and a monthly of the western Great Plains and parts of the far average of 72.80, both new June records for a period Southwest. Drought had spread over most of Texas dating back to 1888. Also, daily temperatures by the end of the month, and during the last week were above normal on all but 2 days, averaging 170 cotton wilted, feed crops curled, and pastures above for the exceptionally hot period extending burned as daily maxima exceeded 1000. Crops also from the 8th through the 13th. Cheyenne, Wyoming, declined sharply in drier parts of Oklahoma the also had its highest June average, 67.20, exceeding last week, and grains suffered in South Dakota the previous record of 66.80 established in 1881. and Wyoming. Although monthly departures were not quite as DESTRUCTIVE STORMS--Severe thunderstorms (hail, large in the lower Great Plains, the heat there wind, lightning, and heavy rain) were numerous east was equally persistent and the month was among the of the Rockies, yet no individual storms were hottest Junes of record. A good example was San particularly outstanding relative to the amount of Antonio, Texas, whose 84.70 average was its third damage. highest of record with daily averages above normal Some of the most destructive of these storms, on all but one day when it was exactly normal. based on the amount of damage reported were as In contrast to the persistent hot weather in the follows: in Oklahoma on the 3d; in New Jersey Great Plains most days were unseasonably cool in and eastern Pennsylvania on the 10th; to crops the Southeast. In this area as well as most other in South Carolina on the 13th; in eastern Colorado areas east of the Mississippi, lowest temperatures on the 17th; in the Judith Basin of Montana by accurred on the second and third when light frost hail on the 15th; in North Carolina on the 18th; was observed in some extreme northern areas and in eastern Ohio and in southwestern Minnesota on many stations, scattered from the Canadian Border the 21st; and in lower Michigan on the 24th.. to the Gulf of Mexico, recorded their lowest June Severe dust storms occasionally occurred in the temperatures on record. Among these were Baton western Great Plains. Particularly severe was Rouge, La., 550; Meridian, Miss., 450; Birmingham the one in southwestern and south-central Kansas and Montgomery, Ala., 460 and 490 respectively; and on June 25 - 26 when visibility at times was re- Apalachicola Florida, 580, all on the 3d; and duced to zero. In Syracuse and Hamilton Counties, Evansville Ind., 410; and Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Kansas, the storm moved in as a black roller duster, 330,both on the 2d. a familiar sight in the dust bowl during the 1930's. Subnormal temperatures, favorable for preventing - 183 - CONDENSED CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY Tabl. I JUNE 1955 T..perature Pnecipitttion Moatloty waftroan MOatbolywotneu .0I - |Gowotjest Statbot Statiot9 staooD Sttion - Iowa' 10 | F j 37 | IobileM S8 Airport 11.92 Ioitnyto.ile A laba no 2 Station- 1100 20.1 Stations 2.79|21 Stotiono Ari tona D-oisD- 27 |Foot Volley 41 12 Ststioss 0.63 Ite Qurnn Rrk~noto no-tirclbo 35 103 20 4 Stat ions | 17 IS |Crescnt Cic SENE 2.00 324 Scalions Cotifornin Coo Creek 125 20 Whoit Mountoi. 2 4.45 |sngRIy 30 Frasec JoIoSorOg .02 Ca I-rodo 001Ily Ifb 11 7 4.006 Bridgrprt Wh AP ConnectiCut H-rtford Broloerd FId. 98 14 .MInfieIdHoIlow Don 35 |19 000b01 3'W .57 43 20 ONnark Callegr F-rn 4.90 oiddl1t_10 25 Delaware Bridgroolle INW 98 14 grogrgtownSW |12.023|Copt i0v .33 Florida aInver1eW 100 21 S-oboro To-r 118 3 00 Fontak Springs I11.53 ICo1ol Oridn l01 24 BlSaic-ti lle Fop. Station 34| 3 |octortown 105W i3Y G-orgin 2 stiti-oo 4.26 Idaho FDIIS 40W WS Idaho do 103 27. Otbidito 4NNE 21 5| Canbridge 0 .70 SBcdford CAA Ap Illinois 10t 21 Moil 3NE 34 3 iDantille 57 90 12. 2 Stationo 32 2 Indianapolit Mon. Cio. 18.66 Log-top-ot WSAL 331 Indisan 2 Shattoo- 34 1 Sona City 104 10 1inwood 2W 06.24 Toledo lout do 39 114 30 torn Oak 37 1 ClaY Cntr 0.560 Gneo K an aa Li ncon 2ESE 1. 73Fordl Fory Dhn 50 SenMaIon1:1 tarhy Fords Ferry don S0 99 21 5 Stoohono 39 2 Grot Look 3 14.00 Loolalana |cArad to 102 28 3 Stat int 47 2 Ban 20NW Sugorton 15 htatiant 4.222 Ohotiont a00 Fort land 98 4 31 19 gRioo Dtm 7.10 |Kedy vo Iie .02 lod 1SF 36 5 Merrill 70I Many land 2 Stationo 100 13 Onk 0.617 F~ros i nrtaor 3'K Mannacttuno tt 3 Shatiooo 99 13 Weeot Coonsiogtcn 30 119 1N-0 oIrem 41 100 12 25 1 2 Sttion- 6030 GGrnd Hoo-o Fire Opt.