I was on vacation during the last 9 days of 2004, so I figure I would take this space today and look back at some final statistics for last year. Birmingham’s hottest temperature was 95 degrees, measured on July 14 and July 24. The coldest was 15 degrees back on the seventh of January. For the entire year, the average temperature was 64.5 degrees, 1.6 degrees above normal.
No doubt 2004 was a wet year. The wettest day was when Hurricane Ivan blew through on September 16. The Birmingham Airport measured a whopping 9.75” thanks to the tropical system with widespread flash flooding. But, the wettest month was November, when a total of 11.13” was measured. The total for the year was 61.25”, which is over seven inches above normal.
Concerning severe weather, tornadoes were seen on only five days in 2004. However, there were 34 days with thunderstorms that featured damaging winds and 14 days with flash floods. Most of the severe weather came during the fall season in November and early December; the spring was relatively quiet. The most active tornado day was on the day before Thanksgiving, November 24, when 16 tornadoes touched down across central Alabama during the early morning hours. One person was killed in Bynum when a tree fell onto a home.
The summer was seasonably warm with no extended of severe heat waves. Montgomery did reach 100 degrees on July 24 and August 4, but those observations have been questionable due to a warm bias on that Montgomery thermometer during the year. In Birmingham, the mercury reached or exceeded 90 degrees on 32 days during the summer.
On the other hand, the mercury dropped to 32 degrees or colder on 44 days in 2004.
No doubt 2004 was a wet year. The wettest day was when Hurricane Ivan blew through on September 16. The Birmingham Airport measured a whopping 9.75” thanks to the tropical system with widespread flash flooding. But, the wettest month was November, when a total of 11.13” was measured. The total for the year was 61.25”, which is over seven inches above normal.
Concerning severe weather, tornadoes were seen on only five days in 2004. However, there were 34 days with thunderstorms that featured damaging winds and 14 days with flash floods. Most of the severe weather came during the fall season in November and early December; the spring was relatively quiet. The most active tornado day was on the day before Thanksgiving, November 24, when 16 tornadoes touched down across central Alabama during the early morning hours. One person was killed in Bynum when a tree fell onto a home.
The summer was seasonably warm with no extended of severe heat waves. Montgomery did reach 100 degrees on July 24 and August 4, but those observations have been questionable due to a warm bias on that Montgomery thermometer during the year. In Birmingham, the mercury reached or exceeded 90 degrees on 32 days during the summer.
On the other hand, the mercury dropped to 32 degrees or colder on 44 days in 2004.
on January 5, 2005, 10:38 pm
By the way in Gardendale, I had 73.22" at my house. I didn't get a chance to post it New Years Eve because I was down in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.
That a LOT of rain in one year!!!!! Happy New Year and glad you're back in the weather office.
Terry
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