Ithaca Climate Summary for August 2002

Temperature

• With an average temperature of 70.2 degrees, the month averaged 2.9 degrees warmer than normal.
• This was 0.4 degrees cooler than last August, yet the 9th warmest August since 1873.
• There were ten days this month with temperatures reaching at least 90 degrees. This is the second greatest August total on record (most was 11 in 1938).
• There have been fifteen days this summer with a temperature of 90 or above. This is the most since 19 days in 1988.
• The warmest temperature of the month was 96 degrees on the14th.
• The coldest temperature of the month was 46 degrees on the 8th and 9th.
• High temperature records were set on two days:
  August 2nd: 94 degrees broke record of 93 degrees set in 1926,
  August 14th: 96 degrees broke record of 92 degrees set in 1888.

Precipitation

• August precipitation totalled 2.04 inches, which represented 60% of normal.
• Almost all of the month's rainfall came during a six-day period. Between the 20th and 25th, 1.89 inches of rain fell.
• This was fourth driest August in the last 20 years.
• Nine of the last eleven months have been drier than normal.
• Year-to-date precipitation now stands at 24.71 inches, 0.66 inches above normal.