Weather Conditions for June – August 2011
By Eric Bickel, Hallbrook Country Club, Superintendent
Two in a row? Similar to last year, for a 30+ day period, the extreme heat has been accompanied with higher than average humidity, lower than average wind speed, and no periods in which conditions have allowed for any recovery to the cool season grasses. The turf has remained in peak stress conditions for this entire time period. During these types of conditions the turf is unable to perform its basic physiological processes. To exasperate the stress, soil temperatures between 98 and 101 degrees persisted for the last ten days of the heat wave. How hot was it?
For the 29 day period of July 10th through August 7th the average high was 97.4 degrees and the average low was 79 degrees. The average dew point for this time period was 70, and the minimum temperature never reached 70. Total rainfall in Leawood was less than 1.5”. Other areas received higher amounts, which in some cases over-saturated the root zone and resulted in an accelerated heating of soils taking water away as a method of cooling.
Rank | Ten hottest seven day periods by rank for last 25 years | ||||
year | date | high | low | avg | |
1 | 1987 | July 28th-3rd | 101 | 80 | 90.5 |
1 | 2011 | July 17th-23rd | 100 | 81 | 90.5 |
3 | 2003 | Aug 15th-21st | 102 | 77.5 | 89.75 |
4 | 1999 | July 25th - 31st | 97 | 82 | 89.5 |
4 | 1999 | July18th-24th | 100 | 79 | 89.5 |
6 | 2007 | Aug 11th -17th | 99 | 79 | 89 |
7 | 2011 | July31st- 6th | 98 | 79 | 88.5 |
7 | 2010 | Aug 8th - 14th | 99 | 78 | 88.5 |
7 | 1991 | July 16th-22nd | 99 | 78 | 88.5 |
10 | 2000 | Aug 28th-3rd | 101 | 75 | 88 |
10 | 2011 | July 24th-30th | 97.5 | 78.5 | 88 |
For 25 year period 1987-2011:
Hottest month---------------------------------------July 2011
Hottest week----------------------------------------July 17th-23rd 2011, July 28th-3rd 1987
Hottest day-------------------------------------------August 2nd 2011
Hottest average temp for June through July-----2011
Most consecutive days with lows above 75-----July 14th-Aug 4th, 2011
Most total days with lows above 75 Jun-Aug---2011
Most total days with lows above 80 Jun-Aug---2011
Honorable mention for 2011:
Most total days above 95—---------------------2011 is 2nd to 1988
Most severe root decline days-------------------2011 is 2nd to 2010
Most consecutive days in the 90’s -------------2011 is 2nd to 2007
Most consecutive days with lows above 70---2011 is 2nd to 2010
With 16 days remaining in August, the summer of 2011 could also have the:
Most total days over 100
Most total days over 90
Most total days with lows above 70
Hottest average temperature June through August
Hopefully current forecasts are accurate and we are finished setting records.
Injury from heat, traffic, ball marking, divots, disease and maintenance accumulate during these periods. In extreme cases like this summer, this accumulation can accelerate past the point of return. Areas where air movement and morning sun are restricted are particularly prone to these types of accumulating injuries, as micro-climate heat indexes can average 20 degrees above actual. Even with excellent growing conditions this spring, turf loss on sites where environmental limitations exist can be an unavoidable truth. Golf courses which are heavily forested or are located in low lying topography are most prone to this type of impact.
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