NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY
AUGUST 2001
5th-11th…The remnants of Tropical Storm Barry brought heavy rains to parts of Alabama, western Florida and southwestern Georgia today. Hot and steamy weather covered a large portion of the nation again today with high temperatures in the 90’s as far north as New England, Michigan and westward to North Dakota and Montana. The combination of the heat and humidity is resulting in apparent temperatures of 105 to 110 in many locations. Monsoonal moisture resulted in afternoon and evening thunderstorms across the Four Corners region today. Elsewhere across the West, the weather is mainly tranquil with sunshine and seasonable temperatures.
Temperatures soared in the East again Thursday, leaving residents sweltering in the midday heat for the third straight day. By 10 a.m., the thermometer had already climbed to 91°F in New York City and 93°F in Newark, NJ. Across the Great Lakes, scattered showers and storms were reported in the middle Ohio Valley through northern Mississippi region. An estimated four inches of rain fell in Rhea county, Tenn., prompting a flash flood warning. The moisture spread north Thursday afternoon across the central Gulf Coast, bringing cloudy skies and spotty showers to Alabama, western Georgia and the central Gulf Coast. Near the Great Lakes and northern New England a line of clouds and occasional showers extended from upper Michigan through lower Minnesota to southern South Dakota and Nebraska. Other areas along Eastern Seaboard remained dry and generally fair. Most of the southern Plains and Texas were dry Thursday afternoon. The northern Plains and upper Mississippi Valley were dry and cloudy with similar weather over the far northern Rockies, much of Washington state, western Oregon and California. Isolated showers were found in deep southern California, southern Nevada, northern Arizona and central New Mexico. Other scattered showers and thunderstorms increased over central Wyoming through central and eastern Colorado. Heavy storms were found west of Denver, Colorado. Scattered showers were over northeast Nevada, southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon.
Thunderstorms and showers were scattered from the Southwest to the East Coast on Saturday, with locally heavy rainfall in the mid Atlantic and lower Ohio Valley states and in parts of the South. Much of the stormy weather developed along a cold front that extended from the Texas Panhandle to southern New Jersey and had given the Northeast relief from a heat wave. Slow-moving storms over eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey poured up to 3 inches of rain on some areas, accompanied by high wind and lightning. Showers extended eastward over southern New England. Storms also stretched southward across Maryland and Delaware into Virginia, the eastern edge of West Virginia and western North Carolina. Farther west, rain developed across southern Illinois, western Kentucky, western Tennessee and southern Missouri. Up to 2 inches of rain fell during the day in parts of southern Illinois and western Kentucky. In the South, thunderstorms formed along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and spread inland during the afternoon across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, northern Florida and southern Georgia. Locally heavy rain fell in parts of Mississippi. And it was the second day of heavy rain in parts of Alabama, where the town of Arab reported almost a foot of rain on Friday. Flash flooding in Alabama on Friday caused scattered damage and blocked some roads. Thunderstorms also spread across southern Florida. Farther west, an area of rain and thunderstorms formed during the morning across the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles and southwestern Kansas. Those storms moved eastward during the afternoon into eastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas. Widely scattered thunderstorms formed during the afternoon in the Southwest, spreading across Arizona, New Mexico and parts of Utah and Colorado. A few storms also moved into southern Wyoming. Elsewhere, a few isolated showers and thunderstorms were possible over the eastern Dakotas and Minnesota.
12th-18th…Heavy thunderstorms over the Gulf Coast dumped up to 3 inches of rain in parts of Louisiana and Texas on Monday. Scattered rain and thunderstorms blanketed much of the East Coast. Heavy rains in eastern Tennessee brought more flooding to the region's mountain communities and forced some families from their homes. It was mostly dry in the Midwest and northern Plains, with some showers and thunderstorms in central Nebraska and north-central Kansas. The monsoonal flow continued to bring widely scattered showers in the West, with some of the heaviest storms over central Arizona. Most of the West Coast was dry.
19th-25th…A cold front brought rain and gusty thunderstorms to the Northeast on Monday, while scattered showers stretched across the Midwest. Rain also hit parts of the Southeast. Strong storms moved across New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Nearly 2 inches of rain fell in Chatham, MA. Heavy rain also fell along the Gulf Coast, including near Mobile, AL, and Biloxi, MS. Other storms hit Arkansas and stretched across the South to South Carolina. Much of the western two-thirds of the county was calm and largely dry, though strong storms were forecast overnight in the Plains. Clouds spread over Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and much of Colorado and Wyoming. Isolated heavy rain prompted flash flood watches in Arizona.
Fair skies prevailed over much of the East on Wednesday, while a line of storms swept through the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. The Tennessee Valley and the Gulf States also saw dry skies. New England saw some cloud cover. Heavy rain and winds of up to 30 mph blew through Iowa, Michigan and Ohio and moved toward Kentucky and West Virginia. Over 2 inches of rain fell in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
In the West, rain also fell over much of Washington and Oregon, while cloudy skies were found in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona. Low clouds and fog lingered on the California coast.
Up to three inches of rain fell in parts of Tennessee and Kentucky on Friday as showers stretched across several areas from the Carolinas to the lower Ohio Valley. Two other storm systems extended out of southwest Missouri into Oklahoma, bringing severe thunderstorms, hail and lightning to parts of the state. Clouds appeared in much of the East, and a few showers fell near the Florida and Louisiana coastlines. Much of the upper Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, upper Ohio Valley and northern Mid-Atlantic had low clouds and fog in the morning, but they had started to break up in the afternoon. Conditions were mostly dry and partly cloudy to fair in the West.
26th-31st…More than 3 inches of rain fell in Louisiana Monday as clouds covered much of the country. Scattered showers and thunderstorms fell from Maine through southern Pennsylvania. Showers and occasional thunderstorms edged east along the central Gulf Coast and the southern coastline of Florida. Sowers were also scattered in Tennessee, the lower Mississippi Valley and central Texas. Some of the heaviest storms fell along the Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts, with more than 3 inches in northwest Louisiana and 2 inches in Texas. The rest of the Gulf states through the Carolinas and Virginia were dry, with clear or partly cloudy skies. Thick clouds covered southern Missouri, Arkansas, southeast Oklahoma and northern Louisiana through much of northern and middle Texas.
Clouds hung over the western Great Lakes, causing showers and occasional thunderstorms from Michigan through northern Illinois. Clouds also hovered over the Rockies, but the West and northern and central Plains were dry. Some low clouds lingered near the Pacific coast.
Steady rain spread across parts of Texas and Louisiana on Wednesday, and scattered afternoon storms developed from the Southwest to the East Coast. Moist air flowing northward out of the Gulf of Mexico fueled the steady rainfall over eastern Texas and the southern half of Louisiana, with locally heavy rain along the coastlines of the two states. During the afternoon, scattered thunderstorms emerged in parts of northern Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and eastern North Carolina. Farther north, a line of scattered storms developed during the afternoon from northern Arkansas and southern Missouri across Kentucky into West Virginia and northern Virginia. Afternoon heating also helped produce isolated showers and thunderstorms in parts of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado. A separate area of rain and thunderstorms moved out of eastern South Dakota through southern Minnesota into western Wisconsin. Steady rain spread across parts of Texas and Louisiana on Wednesday, and scattered afternoon storms developed from the Southwest to the East Coast. Moist air flowing northward out of the Gulf of Mexico fueled the steady rainfall over eastern Texas and the southern half of Louisiana, with locally heavy rain along the coastlines of the two states. It was the second day of rain for parts of Texas, with more than 8 inches falling in the San Angelo area on Tuesday. Flash flood watches were posted for parts of the state. During the afternoon, scattered thunderstorms emerged in parts of northern Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and eastern North Carolina. Farther north, a line of scattered storms popped up during the afternoon from northern Arkansas and southern Missouri across Kentucky into West Virginia and northern Virginia.
Afternoon heating also helped produce isolated showers and thunderstorms in parts of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado. A separate area of rain and thunderstorms moved out of eastern South Dakota through southern Minnesota into western Wisconsin.
Heavy downpours continued to drench eastern Texas on Friday, while stormy weather hit the Midwest and Northeast. Flood watches were posted for southeast Texas, where rain has fallen. The flooding was concentrated near the Guadalupe River. A strong cold front pushed storms into the Midwest and Northeast. Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania reported heavy rain, high winds, hail and lightning. Scattered showers with some severe weather drifted into New York and New England. The Dakotas into the Great Lakes had fair skies. The Pacific Northwest was covered by clouds. Spotty showers drifted into the Rocky Mountains. The Southwest and California were dry and clear.