(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska – Monthly precipitation in Ketchikan was heavy during the month of September totaling 28.33 inches, slightly more than twice the expected amount of 13.79 inches.

According to data released today by the Alaska Climate Research Center, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, precipitation occurred in Ketchikan on 28 days of the month. Of note was September 20, with a daily total of 5 inches of precipitation. Despite the heavy rainfall, no new precipitation records were set for Ketchikan during the month of September.

Ketchikan's average temperature of 53.8 degrees Fahrenheit in September was 1.3 degrees above the long-term mean. The highest temperature of the month, 70 degrees, was measured on September 12. The month’s low temperature, 40 degrees, occurred on September 25.

Although the average monthly temperature for September 2011 was somewhat above the expected value, the daily temperature ranges followed fairly closely to the long-term averages. No new temperature extremes were recorded for Ketchikan.

In 2010, Ketchikan's average temperature for September was 53.9°F, 0.4°F above average for September. A high of 71°F was recorded on the 19th, and on the 15th and 22nd, a low of 42°F was reported. Precipitation during the month was measured at 13.96”, 3% above normal for the month. The greatest one-day precipitation total was 2.93” recorded on the 27th.

In 2009, the average temperature for Ketchikan in September was 52.1°, 1.1° below normal. The high temperature was 66° on the 15th, and the low for the month was 35° on the 29th. The total precipitation recorded was 28.29”, 19.50” greater than normal.

In September 2008, a striking warm-up came the last two days of the month in Ketchikan as the temperature rose to 69°F on the 30th, which was the high for the month. Overall, however, temperatures averaged 53.1°F (1.2 degrees cooler than normal) with highs and lows averaging 59 degrees and 49 degrees, respectively. The low for the month occurred on the 22nd with a reading of 40 degrees. Precipitation was less than half the normal September total with only 5.41 inches reported at the Ketchikan airport - well below the normal 12.18 inches.

Ketchikan was one of the few places in which the average temperature was cooler than normal for September 2009. Though not a strong departure, the temperature was 0.8°F below normal at 52.3°F. The average high was 58°F and the average low was 47°F while the highest and lowest temperatures for the month were 68°F on the 11th and 36°F on the 28th. There were a total of 373 heating degree days for the month, about 15 more than normal. Ketchikan only had 5 dry days with a total precipitation for the month of 9.97 inches, slightly more than 2 inches below normal. However, there were 4 days in which the precipitation was more than 1 inch in September 2007.

Edited by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Editor's note:

This information consists of preliminary climatological data compiled by the Alaska Climate Research Center, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks and released 10/10/11.
www.akclimate.org

Source of News: 

Alaska Climate Research Center, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
www.gi.alaska.edu

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