The Pepper Ridge North Valley's
September 2011 Weather Highlights

Summary of September 2011 was continued below Normal Precipitation and Above Normal Temperatures

September 2011 started off where August 2011 end with extremely hot temperatures which peaked on Sept 1st at 108.2°F as the Monsoonal Ridge remain parked over southern eastern Arizona instead of the 4 corners region. The hot temperatures lead to warmest overnight low for September of 87.1°F on September 5th! This low ties Sept 1st 2007 for the warmest overnight low for September.

The oppressive continued to dorminate the early part of September untill the 9th when the pattern began to change as the Monsoon ridge moved to the east and a cutoff low sat up off the San Diego Coast putting Arizona into a more favorable pattern for Thunderstorms. Parts of the state including the Northwestern Arizona, the High country North and East of Phoenix and Southeastern Arizona benefited from this pattern that lasted about 5 days. Isolated parts of extremely Northeast valley in Carefree and far east Mesa received over an inch of rain on the 9th, but that would be the only significant rain to fall in the valley during this event. Here at Pepperridge the 5 day total amounted only 0.08 inches a disappointment considering the Tucson Airport received over 5 inches during this same period to bring the Monsoon total there to over 8.62 inches including 5.60 inches in September and 2.84 inches on September 15th one of the wetest days ever in Tucson!!. This storm finally moved out on the 16th and essentially took all the Monsoonal moisture with it. The one benefit of the storm was it ended the oppressive heat wave that began in last 2 weeks of August the high temperature on August 14th reached only 91.0°F and the low temperature drop below 70.0°F for the first time since Jun 18th!!

The relatively cooler temperture continued thru the 19th before the 100+ temperatures returned. The nights remained pleasant in the upper 60s to low 70s with the drier air as the Monsoon never really return. The coolest night occured on Sept 26th with a low of 68.2°F. Another minor dust storm hit the east valley on 27th as the Monsoon made a brief return to Southeastern Arizona and collapsing Thunderstorms well south of ther valley sent up a gust frontinto the East Valley. Mositure was limited and no rain fell in Phoenix or at Pepperridge. This pattern was not of a true a true Monsoonal nature as it was influence by low pressure system and very limited moisture from formal Hurricane Hillary off Baja Mexico.

The month ended up hot and dry at Pepper Ridge with only 0.08 inches of Rain. Sky Harbor Stats for September include average high of 103.3°F, Average Low of 79.5°F and a Mean of 91.4°F which was 3.0°F above the normal mean for September of 88.4°F and only 0.02 inches of rain for the month!! At Pepperridge the average was 87.2°F which was +1.1°F above normal. The record Alltime record high mininum was set on the 5th of 87.1°F breaking the record for the date and tieing Sept 1st 2007 for the warmest September Night.

MONSOON 2011 Update the season total for Pepperridge was 3.57 inches which was +0.44 inches above the average of 3.13 inches. However most of that rain fell in July and only 0.46 inches fell after Aug 3rd!! The early season Monsoon rainfall at Pepperridge helped the season be slightly above normal and the 6th Wetest on record after the disappointing 2009 and 2010 seasons the driest and 3rd driest respectively. The rainfall valleywide was spotty with Sky Harbor offically recording only 1.60 inches, 36th driest on record. The Sky Harbor 2011 Monsoon season, defined as encompassing the period 15 June-30 September, was the hottest on record at Phoenix. The average temperature, 95.0°F, broke the previous record of 94.5°F established in 2007. The average maximum temperature, 106.7°F, also set a new record, eclipsing the previous record of 106.4°F established in 1989, while the average minimum temperature, 83.3 F, was the second-warmest on record (83.4°F in 2007). The fact that the average maximum temperature was hottest on record is particularly significant, since daytime high temperatures over the nearby open desert south and west of Phoenix are typically as hot as what occurs at Phoenix's official observation site at Sky Harbor International Airport (urbanization does not have a great impact on high temperatures, although it has a significant impact on nighttime low temperatures and, therefore, average temperatures). The complete Monsoon 2011 report will be issued shortly for Pepper Ridge North Valley

You can view the complete summarized September 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!)

Sept 2011 Highlights average mean temp 87.2°F
The Normal Average Mean in 86.1°F
So Sept 2011 was + 1.1°F Above average

Hottest Sep Mean Temperature 89.4°F in 2007
Lowest Aug Mean Temperature 80.2°F in 2006

Average Max Temperature was 99.2°F
The Normal Sep Average High is 99.0°F
So Sep 2011 was + 0.2°F above average

Average Min Temperature was 74.5°F
The Normal Sep Average Low is 72.9°F
So Sep 2011 was + 1.6°F Above average

Hottest Sep Average Max Temperature 101.7°F in 1997
Lowest Sep Average Min Temperature 68.2°F in 2006

Hottest Sep Max Temerature 109.6°F on Sep 16th, 2000
Coolest Aug Min Temerature 55.4°F on Sept 21st, 2004

Sep Precipitation was 0.08 inches which is the 4th driest on record.
The greatest 24hr total 0.06 inches on Sep 14th

The Sept Precipation average is 0.79 inches
so the month was - 0.71 inches below normal.

Wetest Sep on record 5.24 inches in 2006
Driest Aug on record 0.00 inches in 2001

Number of Visitors Since March 15, 2005

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