NAIONAL STORM SUMMARY

AUGUST 2018

1-4: For the third consecutive week, drenching rains fell in parts of the East.  In late July and early August, some of the heaviest rain (locally 4 inches or more) soaked the Southeast. Redding’s spell without measurable rainfall stretched to 10 weeks (May 27 – August 4).  Cumulatively, U.S. wildfires through August 6 were responsible for nearly 5.3 million acres of burned vegetation, well above the 10-year average of 4.1 million acres.  Farther east, daily-record rainfall totals topped 2 inches in several locations, including Lufkin, TX (3.58 inches on July 31); Springfield, IL (2.80 inches on July 29); and Vichy-Rolla, MO (2.31 inches on July 31).  Springfield received 4.81 inches during the last 3 days of July.  Later, Williamsport, PA, collected daily-record amounts on August 1 and 3, totaling 2.11 and 2.92 inches, respectively.  Elsewhere in the Northeast, daily-record totals on August 4 reached 2.73 inches in Millinocket, ME, and 2.08 inches in Reading, PA.  From July 29 – August 4, weekly rainfall topped 6 inches in Southeastern locations such as Wilmington, NC (7.01 inches); Tallahassee, FL (6.21 inches); and Atlanta, GA (6.01 inches).  In various regions, severe weather accompanied some of the rainfall; in Arizona, for example, Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix clocked an evening wind gust to 74 mph on July 30.

 

5-11: A few hit-or-miss thundershowers affected the Desert Southwest, occasionally accompanied by gusty winds.  A gust to 63 mph, along with rainfall totaling 0.70 inch, was recorded in Blythe, CA, on August 9.  Two days later in Nevada, gusts were clocked to 75 mph in Laughlin and 66 mph in Las Vegas.  Phoenix, AZ, reported thunder on 6 consecutive days from August 7-12, along with a daily-record rainfall (0.56 inch) on the 10th and daily peak wind gusts ranging from 38 to 64 mph.  A few strong thunderstorms also peppered the central and eastern U.S.; South Bend, IN, measured 1.94 inches of rain and a wind gust to 60 mph on August 6.  Elsewhere on the 6th, daily-record rainfall totals reached 1.81 inches in Waterloo, IA, and 1.19 inches in Colorado Springs, CO.  Chicago, IL, netted a daily record sum (2.36 inches) on August 7.  Rainfall also topped the 2-inch mark, totaling 2.11 inches, on August 7 in Hartford, CT.  By mid-week, heavy showers developed across the southern Plains, where Oklahoma City, OK, received a daily-record sum of 2.78 inches on August 8.  Three days later, record-setting totals in Texas for August 11 included 1.83 inches in Midland and 0.91 inch in El Paso.  Late-week downpours also dotted the East, where New York’s Central Park noted a daily-record total of 2.90 inches on August 11.  Meanwhile, the Mendocino Complex—an amalgam of the River and Ranch fires near Potter Valley, CA, and the largest wildfire in modern California history—destroyed nearly 150 homes and scorched 350,000 acres of timber, brush, and grass by August 13.  Farther north, the deadly and destructive Carr Fire, near Redding, CA, destroyed nearly 1,100 homes and about 500 other buildings, and charred more than 207,000 acres of vegetation.  Redding’s spell without measurable rainfall reached 11 weeks (May 27 – August 11).  Cumulatively, U.S. wildfires through August 13 were responsible for nearly 5.8 million acres of burned vegetation, well above the 10-year average of 4.6 million acres.

 

12-18: Showers soaked a large area of the country, especially along and southeast of a line from the central Plains into the Northeast. Some of the heaviest rain, locally 4 inches or more, fell across the southeastern Plains. Monsoon-related thundershowers continued to pepper the Southwest, where wind gusts to 58 mph were clocked on August 12 in Arizona locations such as Phoenix and Scottsdale. Meanwhile, periodic showers were heaviest from the southern Plains into the Northeast. On August 13, daily totals topped 4 inches in locations such as Wichita Falls, TX (4.79 inches), and Scranton, PA (4.34 inches). For Wichita Falls, it was the wettest August day on record, surpassing 4.52 inches on August 15, 1971. Similarly, Oklahoma City, OK, weathered its wettest August day on record on the 14th, when rainfall totaled 5.06 inches. Oklahoma City’s previous record had been set on August 11, 2008, when 4.62 inches fell. Daily record totals for August 14 were established in locations such as Binghamton, NY (1.95 inches), and Marquette, MI (1.68 inches). Daily-record totals topped 2 inches on August 15 in Fort Smith, AR (3.63 inches), and Naples, FL (2.48 inches). In the Ohio Valley, record-setting amounts for August 16 totaled 5.02 inches in Cincinnati, OH, and 3.18 inches in Louisville, KY. Cincinnati also reported its wettest August day (previously, 3.52 inches on August 5, 1995), and second-wettest day at any time of year. Cincinnati’s wettest day remains March 9, 1964, when rainfall totaled 5.21 inches. Local downpours persisted for the remainder of the week in several areas; daily-record totals on August 17 included 2.26 inches in Little Rock, AR; 2.12 inches in Greenwood, MS; and 1.92 inches in Poughkeepsie, NY.

 

19-25:  Showers became less numerous across the central and eastern U.S., but still fell heavily at times across the east-central Plains and the Midwest.  In fact, weekly rainfall totaled 4 inches or more in several areas, including parts of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.  Hurricane Lane made its closest approach to Hawaii (about 120 miles south of Honolulu, Oahu) on August 24 before rapidly weakening and veering westward.  Nevertheless, Lane produced tropical storm-force wind gusts (39 mph or greater) across several of the Hawaiian Islands and contributed to locally torrential rainfall that topped 40 inches at a few Big Island locations from August 22-25.  Lingering heat across the West led to several daily-record highs.  In southern California, record-setting highs for August 19 soared to 117°F in Needles and 113°F in Thermal.  Elsewhere on the 19th, Reno, NV, posted a daily-record high of 101°F.  That reading marked Reno’s 20th day this year with triple-digit heat, easily surpassing the annual record of 16 days set last year.  Reno also set an all-time record with 56 consecutive days (July 1 – August 25) of high temperatures reaching 90°F or greater (previously, 51 days from June 16 – August 5, 2017).  Heat briefly surged into the Pacific Northwest, where daily-record highs for August 21 reached 91°F in Seattle, WA, and 88°F in Newport, OR.  Portland, OR, established an annual record with its 30th day of 90-degree heat on August 22; previously, the record of 29 days had been set in 2015.  Meanwhile, building heat in the south-central U.S. resulted in four consecutive daily-record highs (103, 105, 106, and 105°F) in McAllen, TX.  A high below 100°F last occurred in McAllen on August 5.  Other daily-record highs in Texas included 103°F (on August 22) in Austin and 102°F (on August 25) in Borger.  In contrast, cool air settled across the nation's mid-section.  On August 21, Havre, MT, posted a daily-record low of 37°F, while readings dipped to 44°F in Imperial, NE, and Colby, KS.  Lincoln, IL, noted a maximum temperature of just 68°F on August 24.  Early-week downpours pounded the western Corn Belt, with Omaha, NE, receiving 8.33 inches on August 19-20.  Omaha also experienced its fourth-wettest calendar day, with a 6.17-inch total on the 20th.  It was Omaha’s wettest day since August 7, 1999, when 6.46 inches fell.  Elsewhere, daily-record totals reached 4.29 inches (on August 20) in Greenville, MS; 3.78 inches in Madison, WI; and 3.30 inches (on August 19) in Dodge City, KS.  Locally heavy showers also soaked the Mid-Atlantic region, where daily-record totals on August 20 in North Carolina included 3.14 inches in New Bern and 2.00 inches in Asheville.  The following day, record-setting amounts for August 21 climbed to 2.46 inches in Washington, DC, and 2.43 inches in Allentown, PA.  Heavy showers persisted for much of the week in Florida, where Gainesville netted a record setting total (3.73 inches) for August 23; Tallahassee notched a daily record amount (2.68 inches) for August 24; and Tampa collected a record-breaking sum (2.45 inches) for August 25.  In the Midwest, late-week showers led to daily-record totals in locations such as Quincy, IL (1.66 inches on August 24), and Fort Wayne, IN (1.36 inches on August 25).

 

26-31: Drenching rains (2 to 8 inches or more) in the upper Midwest sparked widespread flooding. Some of the most severe flooding unfolded early in the week across southern Wisconsin. Southern showers were heaviest along the Gulf Coast, well in advance of the September 3 formation of Tropical Storm Gordon.  Early-week downpours in the upper Midwest triggered record flooding in southern Wisconsin.  Twenty-four hour rainfall records for any time of year were broken on August 27-28 in Wisconsin communities such as Cashton (10.52 inches), in Monroe County, and Westby (9.98 inches), in Vernon County.  Cashton’s previous record had been 6.15 inches on July 19-20, 2017; Westby’s standard had been 7.17 inches on August 18-19, 2007.  Elsewhere in Wisconsin, La Crosse reported 3.04 inches on the 27th—its third wettest August day behind 4.05 inches on August 18, 2007, and 3.18 inches on August 11, 1909.  A day later, record-setting Midwestern totals for August 28 included 4.07 inches in Ottumwa, IA; 3.31 inches in Moline, IL; and 3.25 inches in Grand Rapids, MI.  Meanwhile in Minnesota, Caledonia—in Houston County—netted a record-high 8.10 inches in a 24-hour period on August 27-28 (previously, 6.60 inches on July 20-21, 1951).  By August 29-30, crest records were established in Wisconsin along portions of the Baraboo and Kickapoo Rivers.  For example, the Kickapoo River at Steuben, WI, crested 7.84 feet above flood stage on the 30th, exceeding the June 2008 high-water mark by 0.68 foot.  The Baraboo River at Reedsburg, WI, also eclipsed a June 2008 record by surging more than 7.5 feet above flood stage on the 30th.  During the mid- to

late-week period, locally heavy showers shifted into parts of the East and South.  In the latter region, daily-record amounts reached 2.41 inches (on August 29) in Columbus, GA, and 1.94 inches (on August 30) in Blacksburg, VA.  The last day of August featured daily-record totals in Mid-Atlantic locations such as Georgetown, DE (3.03 inches), and Reading, PA (2.11 inches).  September began with a record-setting total (3.05 inches) in Charleston, WV, on the 1st.  At the same time, downpours returned to the upper Midwest.  In Iowa, daily-record amounts on September 1 totaled 3.23 inches in Waterloo and 2.15 inches in Dubuque.  Meanwhile, U.S. wildfires consumed more than 6.8 million acres of vegetation (nearly 130 percent of average) during the first 8 months of 2018.  About eight dozen Western wildfires—in various stages of containment—were active at the end of August.

 

Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com