Contributed by Brenda Scott Hines
Nov 2014
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The Observer/Enterprise July 15, 2011

2011 is Year of Extremes

by Melinda McCutchen, Publisher

The first month of 2011 brought Coke County snow and ice, but the remainder 
of the year has brought extreme heat, extreme drought conditions and extreme 
fire danger. It seems like pictures of fire, smoke or helicopters dumping 
water have been the mainstay of the front page of the Observer/Enterprise 
since April. The June 24th issue included a map (no map is published here on 
this website) showing where over 30% of Coke County had burned. Since that 
issue, the Malone Fire contributed another 2,000 acres to the totals.
 
Fire is the result, but high temperatures and little rain are the underlying 
factors. We are nearing the record number of 100+ degree days in one year. 
That record was set in 1969 at 60 days. In second place with 52 days was 1960, 
third place with 49 days was 1962. 

There were 42 days of 100+ degree heat in 2010. 2010 took the top spot for 
most consecutive days of 100 + degree heat with 26 (July 30 to August 24). 
There were 18 days of these temperatures from June 18 to July 5, 1969. 
As of press time, we have had 48 days of 100 + degree heat and the 10-day 
forecast shows highs ranging from 104 degrees to 106 degrees. That puts us at 
58 days of 100 + degree heat on July 23. 

According to a spokesman with the San Angelo office of the National Weather 
Service, "We will kill that record by the end of July".

The heat wouldn't be so hard to handle if it were broken up by days with rainfall. 
However, that hasn't been the case this year. The table on this page (no table 
is on this website) traces monthly rainfall from January of  2008 to June of 2011 
for different areas of our county. 

So far this year, the average rainfall total for the period of January 
through June is 1.73". That is 14% of the rainfall totals of the previous three 
year average of 12.02". The average of the Observer/Enterprise's rainfall 
contributors for July of 2010 through June of 2011 is only 13.86" inches. 
Over the last three years, the yearly average stood at 24.31".
 
If you remove July, August and September of 2010, the average total for the last 
nine months is only 3.71". We would need 20.60" in July, August, and September to 
meet our normal 12 month average of 24.31". We, as a county, need to continue 
to pray for rain.

Also, with these dry conditions, everyone needs to be extremely careful to guard 
against starting a fire. The current burn ban prohibits all outside burning 
or open flames within Coke County.

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