Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Area Short On Rain

To say it's been hot and dry would be an understatement, as well as stating the obvious.

After all, it is summer in Arkansas.

According to John Teeter, local weatherman, the normal rainfall for June is 4.41 inches. This year the area received 3.90 inches, for a deficit in June of slightly more than a half-inch.

Normally, Teeter said, the rainfall amount for this area for the first six months of the year is 28.27 inches. However, the actual rainfall received has only been 17.76 inches, which means the area is short 10.46 inches of rain for this time of year

However, it is still better than the drought of 1995.

Rain fell seven days in June, with the largest amount in one day being 1.35 inches on June 1.

In addition, Teeter said, there were only four watches and warnings during the month, about half the normal amount for June.

According to Davis Benton, former meteorologist, who lives in the Cale area, the rainfall amount for Cale was 8.45 inches.

This, he said, is the most rain to fall in one month in more than a year.

During the first five months of the year, Benton said, 14.20 inches of rain fell. This is about 15 inches less than normal for the region.

The average temperature for the month, he said, was 87.2 degrees, a full 9.1 degrees above normal.

Looking at this month, Teeter said the normal rainfall amount is 4.25 inches, with the average daily temperature being 81.7.

Teeter said he has received rainfall and temperature averages through 1995 from the National Weather Service.

The average rainfall for the past 20 years has shown a variance of nearly four inches from 1976 to 1996.

In 1976, the average annual rainfall was 51.83 inches. This rose to 53.33 inches in 1990. The number in 1992 climbed slightly to 53.36 inches, and dropped to 52.99 inches in 1994. Last year, the total was 53.36 inches, and is expected to be 55.51 inches this year.

This, he said, shows the annual amount of rainfall has increased since the dry '70s and '80s.

In addition, the figures show temperatures have dropped an average of 0.1 degree.

The interesting reason for the drop, Teeter said, is because of cooler summers, not colder winters. "We haven't had a hot summer since 1980," he said.

In 1980, temperatures climbed to 100 degrees or more 65 days.

The last really cold winter, he said, was in 1982-83, when there were 65 days when the temperatures were below freezing.

He said this past winter, there were no daytime highs below freezing recorded.