An Excessively Wet Start to September
September 1-15 rainfall ranged from less than 50% of normal to more than 300% of normal.
September 1-15 rainfall ranged from less than 50% of normal to more than 300% of normal, with much of the Northeast being wetter than normal during the first half of September. This was largely driven by the remnants of Hurricane Ida, which dropped excessive amounts of rain on parts of the Northeast on September 1. Many locations in an area stretching from Maryland into Pennsylvania and New Jersey through southeastern New York and southern New England saw two to five times their normal precipitation for the September 1-15 period. Scranton, PA, and Bridgeport, CT, recorded their wettest first half of September on record, while another 24 major climate sites had one of the 20 wettest starts to September. In fact, seven major climate sites have already seen one of the 20 wettest Septembers on record. Overall, September 1-15 rainfall at the 35 major climate sites ranged from 75% of normal in Rochester, NY, to 475% of normal in Newark, NJ, with 32 of the sites being on the wet side of normal. The wetter-than-normal weather helped areas of drought and abnormal dryness shrink in the region.
This September 1-15 period ranked as the wettest on record for Scranton, PA, and Bridgeport, CT, and among the 20 wettest for another 24 major climate sites.
September 1-15 average temperatures ranged from 4°F below normal to 4°F above normal.
September 1-15 average temperatures were within 2°F of normal for a majority of the Northeast. However, parts of West Virginia saw average temperatures that were as much as 4°F below normal, while parts of New England saw average temperatures that were up to 4°F above normal. At the major climate sites, average temperatures for the first half of September ranged from 1.5°F below normal in Charleston, WV, to 3.5°F above normal in Boston, MA. Overall, 23 major climate sites were warmer than normal, with eight ranking this September 1-15 period among their 20 warmest on record.
This September 1-15 period ranked among the 20 warmest on record for eight major climate sites.