NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

AUGUST 2022

 

July 31-Aug. 6: Spotty but locally heavy showers and thunderstorms extended across the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Southeast.  Over the last 30 days, one of the driest areas extended across southern Iowa into portions of neighboring states. Meanwhile, mostly dry weather prevailed in early August across the nation’s mid-section, including the central and southern Plains. The dryness, combined with extreme heat, maintained significant stress on the southern Plains’ rangeland, pastures, and rain-fed summer crops, including cotton and sorghum. Hot, dry weather also dominated the Northwest, where several new wildfires flared.

 

Weekly temperatures broadly averaged at least 5°F above normal across the Plains, Northeast, and Northwest. Some of the most extreme heat, relative to normal, covered New England; Oregon and environs, including northern sections of California and Nevada; and the Plains, excluding North Dakota and parts of Montana. At times, heat edged into the western Corn Belt, where 100-degree temperatures affected much of Nebraska and South Dakota, along with southwestern Minnesota and western sections of Iowa and Missouri. However, temperatures remained below 95°F in most Midwestern areas east of the Mississippi River. Northwestern heat eased slightly as the week progressed but generally persisted. From July 30 – August 1, three consecutive daily-record highs were set in Montana locations such as Missoula (102, 104, and 103°F) and Helena (101, 101, and 102°F). Meanwhile in Texas, San Angelo’s streak of triple-digit high temperatures remained active after reaching 5 weeks, or 35 days, on August 7. Previously, San Angelo’s longest stretch with high temperatures of 100°F or greater lasted 28 days, from July 2-29, 2011. In early August, extreme heat returned across portions of the northern and central Plains. In Nebraska, Scottsbluff posted a daily-record highs of 103°F on August 1. The following day, Valentine, NE, registered 109°F, a record for August 2, while record-setting high temperatures in South Dakota soared to 106°F in Mobridge and 105°F in Sioux Falls. Parts of Florida also remained hot in early August, with Tampa and Ft. Myers collecting daily-record highs of 96°F on the 2nd. By August 3, another day of heat in the south-central U.S. led to daily-record highs in Roswell, NM (106°F), and McAllen, TX (105°F). Elsewhere in the nation’s mid-section, daily-record highs for August 4 surged to 105°F in Miles City, MT; 102°F in Dickinson, ND; and 101°F in Sheridan, WY. The Plains’ heat generally peaked on August 5 with daily-record highs in Pierre, SD (109°F); Chadron, NE (109°F); and Denver, CO (101°F). Cheyenne, WY, tied a monthly record with a high of 98°F on August 5. During the second half of the week, hot weather also developed in the Northeast. Record-setting highs for August 4 rose to 99°F in Albany, NY, and 98°F in Boston, MA, and Concord, NH.

 

7-13: In the Plains, hot and mostly dry weather continued to stress rangeland, pastures, and immature summer crops.   Weekly temperatures averaged at least 5°F above normal in parts of coastal southern California, along portions of the northern Atlantic Coast, and in most areas from the interior Northwest to the northern High Plains.

 

Weekly temperatures averaged at least 5°F above normal in parts of coastal southern California, along portions of the northern Atlantic Coast, and in most areas from the interior Northwest to the northern High Plains. In contrast, slightly below-normal weekly temperatures were common in the upper Great Lakes region. Scattered below-normal readings were noted in the Southeast and Southwest. Early-week heat was particularly impressive in the Northeast, where Portland, ME (96 and 95°F), and Providence, RI (95°F both days), posted consecutive daily-record highs on August 7-8. Boston, MA, tallied a trio of daily-record highs (97, 98, and 98°F) from August 6-8. Meanwhile, record-setting high temperatures also dotted the western and central U.S. In Kansas, for example, Russell collected consecutive daily-record highs (108 and 107°F, respectively) on August 6 and 7. In the Pacific Coast States, daily-record highs included 98°F (on August 7) in Anaheim, CA, and 102°F (on August 8) in Omak, WA. Anaheim tallied another record-setting high (99°F) on August 11. The second half of the week featured hot weather in the Northwest, extending across the northern High Plains. In Wyoming, triple-digit, daily-record highs for August 10 included 101°F in Casper and 103°F in Greybull and Worland. Except for a single day last year (101°F on June 15, 2021), Casper had not been above the 100-degree mark since July 30, 2006. Hot weather also prevailed during the mid- to late-week period in the southern Atlantic States, where daily-record highs soared to 98°F (on August 10) in Wilmington, NC, and 95°F (on August 13) in Vero Beach, FL.

 

14-20: Hot, dry weather persisted through week’s end in most areas from the Pacific Coast to the northern Plains, where temperatures broadly averaged at least 5°F above normal. Readings averaged 10°F above normal in scattered locations across the interior Northwest and northern California. Northwestern heat and dryness favored small grain maturation and harvesting but maintained an elevated threat of wildfires amid isolated lightning strikes. Elsewhere, spotty Midwestern showers benefited filling corn and soybeans, while leaving some fields unfavorably dry. Some of the most-needed rain fell in the western Corn Belt, which has generally trended hotter and drier than the eastern Corn Belt. Much of the Midwest, Southeast, and Southwest reported slightly below-average weekly readings, although temperatures averaged more than 5°F below normal in portions of the middle Atlantic States. 

 

Heat lingered across the southern Plains and the midSouth. With a daily-record high of 104°F on August 15, Little Rock, AR, experienced its hottest day since July 22, 2016. Hot weather continued for the remainder of the week in Florida, where daily-record highs soared to 98°F in Fort Myers (on August 20) and Vero Beach (on August 17). Miami, FL, posted consecutive daily-record highs of 96°F on August 17 and 18. In contrast, cool, damp weather settled across the mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley. Temperatures failed to top the 70-degree mark in locations such as Columbus, OH (high of 70°F on August 14), and Roanoke, VA (69°F on August 15). Another batch of cool air held the August 16 maximum temperature in Hastings, NE, to 65°F—the lowest August high in that location since August 11, 1997. Farther west, however, persistently hot weather settled across much of California, the Great Basin, and the Northwest. In western Montana, Missoula tallied a trio of triple-digit, daily-record highs (100, 100, and 101°F) from August 17-19. August 17 featured dailyrecord highs of 103°F in Boise, ID; Burns, OR; and Winnemucca, NV. Redding, CA, collected daily-record highs of 110°F on August 16, 17, and 20. In Washington, record-setting highs for August 18 included 108°F in Ephrata and 104°F in Omak. Salt Lake City, UT, reached or exceeded the 100-degree mark each day from August 16- 18, including a daily-record high of 101°F on the 18th. Late in the week, warmth overspread the Northeast, where Portland, ME, tallied a daily-record high (90°F) for August 19.

21-27: Little or no rain fell during the week in several areas, including the central Plains, lower Midwest, and Tennessee Valley. Spotty, locally heavy showers dotted the North, from Montana into the Northeast. 

 

Hot, dry weather prevailed in the Far West, while monsoonrelated showers gradually subsided in the Four Corners States. Northwestern heat and dryness favored small grain maturation and harvesting—but left little moisture for the upcoming winter wheat planting season. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 10°F above normal across the interior Northwest. A much larger area, generally stretching from near the Pacific Coast to the northern High Plains, experienced temperatures averaging at least 5°F above normal. Readings also averaged 5°F or more above normal in portions of the Northeast. In contrast, temperatures averaged 2 to 5°F below normal across southern sections of the Rockies and High Plains. Weekly readings also averaged at least 2°F below normal.

 

For much of the week, extreme heat was focused across Florida’s peninsula, California, and the Northwest. In Florida, Fort Myers reached or exceeded the 95-degree mark each day from August 20-25, including a trio of daily-record highs (98, 97, and 97°F) during the first half of the 6-day hot spell. Meanwhile in Montague, CA, where no measurable rain has fallen this month, a daily-record high of 102°F occurred on August 21. Other triple-digit, daily-record highs included 101°F (on August 21) in Winnemucca, NV; 100°F (on August 22) in Santa Rosa, CA; 100°F (on August 23) in Salt Lake City, UT; and 102°F (on August 25) in Dallesport, WA. Record-setting heat extended to southern California, where Lancaster logged consecutive daily-record highs (106 and 109°F, respectively) on August 22-23. Similarly, Bishop, CA, tallied a pair of daily-record highs (105 and 102°F, respectively) on August 23-24.

 

 

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