GRAVETTE — Rainfall in Eagle Observer country during the past two months, April and May, has pushed total precipitation for the area well past the normal for the first five months of the year.
Up until April, the area, in spite of the record-breaking snow in February, was slightly behind the precipitation average. April changed that and May gave an encore rainfall performance.
This April averages 44.87 inches, according to statistics from the past 70 years kept by the local weather service observers.
Extremes have been highs of 71.91 inches in 1973 and 71.28 in 2008. The least record-setting with 15.15 inches of rain measured at the NOAA weather station in Gravette. The previous record for the month was 10.49 inches in 1941. Last year, 2010, only 3.09 inches fell locally.
The precipitation in May with 10.01 inches recorded was not record-breaking. The record 16.48 inches was set in 1943. In 1961 a total of 14.02 inches fell. Ironically last year’s rainfall, 10.06 inches, actually exceeded this year’s total.
Total precipitation recorded at the station in Gravette for the first five months of the year, January through May, is 31.95 inches. This is 13.27 inches more than the average 18.68 for that period.
Total local annual precipitation was recorded during a 12-month period was 21.67 in 1963. This information is from observations by six observers dating from 1930.
Dodie Evans, who maintains the local NOAA station at this time, said, “It is good to keep in mind that precipitation totals can vary widely over any given area, as attested by the recent rain totals and winter snowfall accumulations."
News, Pages 10 on 06/08/2011