But there’s more – the three-month period of August through October was the coolest on record for Kansas….and only a dozen Octobers in the last 115 years have been wetter than 2009 in Kansas.

The average temperature at Wichita’s Mid-Continent Airport was 51.2 degrees, a substantial 7.4 degrees below normal. Only 1925, which had an average temperature of 49.0 degrees, was colder.

But 2009 still put up some remarkable statistics: 25 of 31 days recorded below normal readings, with 13 of those days at least 10 degrees below normal.

Record low temperatures were set on Oct. 3 (37 degrees) and Oct. 11 (34). Record cool high temperatures were set on Oct. 10 (42) and Oct. 11 (45).

This October was on pace to be the coldest on record until a warm-up late in the month boosted the average temperature. That warm-up looks to continue for several more days.

Through Oct. 16, the average temperature in Wichita was 58.6 degrees. That’s a whopping 11.4 degrees below normal, and it is by far the coldest start to October since records began in Wichita in 1888.

The previous coldest start through the first 16 days was 64.4 degrees set in 1925.

Temperatures are moderating a bit early this week, but this has still been like having two Novembers. Folks who enjoy cold, chilly weather may like that – but I suspect they’ll be in the minority.

The findings could help explain fluctuations in the magnetosphere, which have direct implications for communications satellites….but I find myself wondering how sporadic surges in convection rates could impact the global climate.

Do marked increases in heat absorption translate into temperature increases at lower levels of the atmosphere? From what I have read, it’s too early in the research to know…but it’s a compelling question.

Well, except for one, perhaps.

The National Weather Service Cooperative Observation network has been in place since the 1860s, and in some of those locations the residents still gather the information the way folks did when the Civil War was still vivid in the nation’s memory: go out to a rain collection device, write down how much precipitation fell, and then send it to a central office.

In times past, the reports may have been sent by telegraph with a paper copy mailed at the end of the month, state climatologist Mary Knapp said.

Nowadays, observers use a standard 8-inch manual gauge to report and record their observations. Many observers report online, with some reporting using a cell phone. Forms are stored in electronic format, although paper backups often are still maintained.

There were 3 days where temperatures reached triple digits, topped by the 107 of July 14. But as a rule, July was remarkably cool – the average temperature of 78.2 was nearly 3 degrees below normal.

In fact, the average high in July was 89.3. That’s nearly 4 degrees cooler than normal. The highs in the low 80s late in the month were more than a dozen degrees below normal.

Measurable rain fell on 15 of July’s 31 days, but it didn’t add up to as much as you might expect. The total for the month, 3.55 inches, was only .24 of an inch above normal.

The finding may one day help save lives by improving detection and forecasting of the direction and intensity of tsunamis at the ocean’s surface, NOAA officials say.

“We’ve found that roughness of the surface water provides a good measure of the true strength of the tsunami along its entire leading edge,” said Oleg Godin of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, who was lead author on the study.

Large tsunamis crossing the open ocean stir up and darken the surface waters along the leading edge of the wave, according to the study. The rougher water forms a long, shadow-like strip parallel to the wave. The more obvious the shadow-like strip is, the stronger the tsunami is.

The new research challenges the traditional belief that tsunamis are too subtle in the open ocean to be seen at the surface. The findings confirm a theory, developed by Godin and published in 2002-05, that tsunamis in the deep ocean can be detected remotely through changes in surface roughness.

In 1994, a tsunami shadow was captured by video from shore moments before the wave struck Hawaii. That observation and earlier written documentation of a shadow that accompanied a deadly tsunami on April 1, 1946, inspired Godin to develop his theory.

He tested the theory during the deadly December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami, the result of the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake.
Satellite data revealed clear evidence of an increased surface roughness along the leading edge of the tsunami as it passed across the Indian Ocean between two and six degrees south latitude.

But there was one undisputed star on the team: the Tornado Intercept Vehicle, or TIV. Its mission – seriously – was to drive into a tornado and collect scientific data while inside.

“It strikes a chord with people,” said Don Burgess, a research scientist for the University of Oklahoma who was part of the Vortex2 team.

“There is this interest that people in general have with tornadoes,” Burgess said. “It’s a realization of that strong power of the universe.
“Something that can challenge that or get close to that or get inside it kind of reveals nature to them, so they find it interesting.”

The TIV looks like a modified tank, with a turret for a camera and windows so the three-person crew has expanded visibility. The crew sits in race car seats with head restraints and 6-point seatbelts. They can even put on Kevlar vests and helmets for added protection.

Reed had to have the transmission on his Ford Explorer replaced after he got stuck in the mud in Pawnee County, Neb., and is scrambling south toward Wichita early this afternoon.

An El Nino is forecast by AccuWeather.com to develop this summer. El Nino produces warmer-than-normal Pacific Ocean water temperatures off of Central and South America. This warm ocean current alters the weather pattern in the United States and abroad. The pattern could last through the coming winter.

During a typical El Nino winter, the southern part of the United States experiences cooler- and wetter-than-average conditions, while the northern part of the nation experiences somewhat milder conditions with less snow, compared to average.

Common influenza outbreaks have flourished during the winter months when the air is generally cold and dry. There has been some evidence suggesting that influenza can survive outside the body longer under cold, dry conditions. A recent study done by Oregon State University indicated that low humidity of air alone could be a determining factor.

The study suggested that year-round low humidity, such as that of the western U.S. could harbor common influenza throughout the year.
Indoor humidity levels can drop very low, especially in the winter months, even if you keep your house cool. This occurs when, for example, air at 20 degrees with a humidity of 50 percent is then warmed to 70 degrees. The humidity level can drop to 10 to 20 percent. Your house can still be very dry even during a rain or snowstorm in January.

It is not known whether the H1N1 virus or other forms of influenza survive in the air by itself, or via transport of moisture droplets. Strong, very dangerous strains such as H1N1 have been known to ignore the trends of common influenza.

Regardless of whether the upcoming winter in the southern hemisphere, or the distant winter in the northern hemisphere is mild or harsh, winter months typically have more people indoors in colder climates. That can increase exposure to others who are ill.

According to a report released Friday by the World Health Organization, more than 3,100 cases of H1N1 have been confirmed in a total of 28 countries. That includes more than 1,100 in Mexico, at least 1,639 in the United States and 214 in Canada.