Fall 2011 has passed, which is defined by NOAA as being from September to November. Now, we are heading into winter. September to October is the peak season of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. Tropical Storm Lee made landfall on Louisiana and caused flooding in the Northeast and New England, which was ravaged by Irene in late August.
Here is the temperature and precipitation outcome. It is based on 1895 to 2011.
Upper Texas Coast 2011 Fall Temperature
2011 Fall = 71.6°F
Mean = 70.9°F
Median = 70.9°F
Standard Deviation = 1.6
Coolest = 64.7°F (1976)
Warmest = 74.5°F (1931)
Fall temperature for the Upper Texas Coast in Fall 2011 was within the norms. So, it was not too warm. A reprieve from the oppressive Summer of 2011.
Upper Texas Coast 2011 Fall Precipitation
2011 Fall = 8.34
Mean = 13.25
Median = 12.30
Standard Deviation = 5.38
Driest = 3.23 (1895)
Wettest = 29.03 (1913)
Fall precipitation for the Upper Texas Coast is below average, but within the norms. Anything below the standard deviation would be abnormal, which would be 7.87 inches or less in Fall. The lack of rain is still a huge problem.
Texas 2011 Fall Temperature
2011 Fall = 67.2°F
Mean = 65.9°F
Median = 65.9°F
Standard Deviation = 1.6
Coolest = 60.1°F (1976)
Warmest = 70.4°F (1931)
Fall temperatures for Texas was within the norms. It is a reprieve from the record hot summer of 2011, which had the average of 86.7.
Texas 2011 Fall Precipitation
2011 Fall = 4.50
Mean = 7.52
Median = 7.28
Standard Deviation = 2.55
Driest = 3.10 (1917)
Wettest = 13.76 (13.76)
Texas has had an abnormally dry fall. Texas is still in grips of a severe drought and one of its worst besides 1789, 1917, and 1956. The drought is ongoing and lakes need more rain or they will all dry out and have serious effects from water shortage, power outages (power plants need water to run their generators), agriculture (food prices have gone up), and shrinking economy (we are in a recession and as long as the drought is there, it will contribute to it).
America 2011 Fall Temperature
2011 Fall = 55.5°F
Mean = 54.3°F
Median = 54.3°F
Standard Deviation = 1.1
Coolest = 51.6°F (1976)
Warmest = 57.2°F (1963)
America had a normal Fall in 2011. Interesting to note that the coolest Fall on record is in 1976 in Upper Texas Coast, all of Texas, and America. 1976 was a really cool year. In fact the late 1970s was cooler than normal for many reasons from the Atlantic being a cool phase, shift in the Pacific into a warm phase, slight shift in Earth’s axis called Milankovitch cycles. The late 1970s had some of the coolest winters on record going back to 1895. The winter of 1976-1977, 1977-1978, and 1978-1979 were all cool winters and it was back to back, which is another amazing feat.
America 2011 Fall Precipitation
2011 Fall = 6.80
Mean = 6.75
Median = 6.80
Standard Deviation = 1.09
Driest = 4.14 (1952)
Wettest = 9.48 (1985)
America as a whole had normal rainfall. This is due to the wide gap between wet and dry. Many areas on the East Coast and Ohio River Valley had record rainfall for 2011. Philadelphia, New York, Bingahampton, Cleveland, and Columbus had a really wet year. While down South and Southwest especially in Texas, it has been a really dry year. Talk about a huge gap right there between the lack and surplus of rain.
Overall, Fall 2011 was not abnormal in the temperature and rainfall department. The reason for this is the difference between temperature and rainfall. Some regions were warmer and drier, while others were cooler and wetter.
Texas Hurricane 