The Pepper Ridge North Valley's
August 2011 Weather Highlights

Summary of August 2011 was a Alltime Hottest on Record with slightly below Normal Rainfall

August 2011 started off with near normal temperatures under partly cloudy skies, in the wake of the thunderstorms that hit the valley on the last couple of days of July. The monsoon pattern continued through the first 3 days of the month with the largest storm of Monsoon Season hitting on the 3rd, with 0.75 inches about 0.50 inches of that fell in 15 minutes between 8:30pm and 8:45pm and the peak wind gust of month was record at 32 mph at 8:30pm. This fairly brief thunderstorm actually moved in from the west which was thes start of a trend that continued through the rest of the month as the Monsoon High Pressure Ridge was squashed further south into New Mexico as an abnormally active Jet Stream in the Pacific Northwest. This meant that the Westieries continued to influnce the Western 2/3 of the State while Southeastern Arizona and the White Mountains continued to receive Monsoonal flow of moisture and Thunderstorms.

A small laspe in this pattern allowed isolated thunderstorms to return to valley on 12th and 0.24 inches fell at Pepper Ridge the coolest days of the month occured on August 11th and 12th which were the only days on the month to failed to reach 100°F. On the 18th, the Valley was treated to another major Dust Storm or Haboob that was produced by Strong thunderstorms down in Tucson and Pinal county, straight line winds caused damage to houses and power poles in Queen Creek and Eloy, Az. The outflow generated isolated storms in North Phoenix and the East Valley with 0.13 inches falling at Pepperidge. After this storm outbreak the story for the rest of the month was the excessive heat as the high pressure moved directly over head and essential cut off the Monsoonal flow. Durning the last 10 days of the month Pepperridge record 5 days above 110°F with the 25th producing the warmest night of year with a low of 87.8°F followed by tht highest high of the month with 112.2°F on 26th. Sky Harbor record a record Alltime August high of 117°F on this date. High pressure dominated the Valley weather the rest of month confining most thunder storms to the far S.E. part of the state and some storms in the eastern white mountains of the state.

Another dust storm hit in the early morning hours of August 27th this was followed by another weaker dust storm on the 28th produced by a Mesoscale Convective Complex that formed in Southwestern Maricopa and far western Pima counties producing heavy rain in areas that normally do not see much rain in the summer. The rainfall total for August was 1.13 inches which in the 8th driest and about 0.24 inches below normal. Overall the Monsoon Season total of 3.49 inches is slightly about normal thanks to a wet July. Despite the lack of thuunderstorms the dewpoint avgerage for the month was 60.7°F with a high of 73.0°F on the 13th to a low of 43.6°F on 10th meaning the heat indexes remained dangerous high thoughout the month there was no relieve or DRY HEAT!! that usually acompanies temperatures like this in June and early July before the monsoon pattern sets up.

The month was extremely hot with several record highs and record high minimums being set. The record setting days occurred on 22nd, 23rd, 24th 25th, 26th , 27th and tied on the 29th , The record high minimun of 87.8°F on the 26th was the warmest night of the month anfd year. Heat Records also fell officially at Phoenix Sky Harbor on with a it was the Hottest August on record Sky Harbor's Averages for the month were average high of 109.0°F average low of 87.4°F and a mean 98.3°F The minimum was the hotest ever in any month and the 98.3°F tied July 2009 for hottest month Ever. Pepperridge had 5 days above 110°F for the month and hottest August ever with a mean temp of 94.1°F only July 2009 was hotter at 94.9°F. The prior hottest August on record at Pepper Ridge occured in 2007 with a mean of 92.6°F The monthly average low was a record high minimum record with a average of 82.1°F beating Aug 2007s alltime average 81.8°F. The monthly average high of 105.1°F was the 2nd Hottest average high temperature for August ever behind August 1998s 105.4°F and this was only - 0.9°F below July 2009s hottest monthly average high ever 0f 106.0°F.

You can view the complete summarized August 2011 Monthly Weather summary for Pepper Ridge North Valley listed below and you can find the (full record details for August at Peppperridge North Valley in the hightlights box listed below!)

Aug 2011 Highlights average mean temp 94.1°F*
The Normal Average Mean in 88.9°F
So Aug 2011 was + 5.2°F Above average

Hottest Aug Mean Temperature 94.1°F in 2011*
Lowest Aug Mean Temperature 88.1°F in 2005

*Old Record Hottest Mean Aug Temperature 92.6°F in 2007

Average Max Temperature was 105.1°F
The Normal Aug Average High is 102.4°F
So Aug 2011 was + 4.1°F above average

Average Min Temperature was 82.1°F**
The Normal Aug Average Low is 78.0°F
So Aug 2011 was + 3.8°F Above average

Hottest Aug Average Max Temperature 105.4°F in 1998
Lowest Aug Average Min Temperature 75.6°F in 2004

New Aug Maximum Average Min Tempearature 82.1°F in 2011**
**Old Aug Maximum Average Min Tempearature 81.8°F in 2007

Hottest Aug Max Temerature 114.0°F on Aug 1st, 1997
Coolest Aug Min Temerature 66.6°F on Aug 31st, 2000

Aug Precipitation was 1.13 inches which is the 8th driest on record.
The greatest 24hr total 0.75 inches on Aug 3rd

The Aug Precipation average is 1.30 inches
so the month was - 0.27 inches below normal.

Wetest Aug on record 2.65 inches in 2000
Driest Aug on record 0.07 inches in 2007

Number of Visitors Since March 15, 2005

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