A Soggy, Cool Summer for Many

August precipitation ranged from 25% of normal to more than 200% of normal.

August precipitation ranged from less than 50% of normal to more than 200% of normal, with a large portion of the Northeast wrapping up the month on the wet side of normal. The driest locations, which saw less than 50% of normal precipitation, included southeastern Pennsylvania, portions of Maryland, and coastal New Jersey. Meanwhile, areas that received more than 200% of normal were found throughout the region and included portions of Maine, northern New York, and northeastern Pennsylvania. At the Northeast’s 35 major climate sites, August precipitation ranged from 48% of normal in Atlantic City, NJ, to 206% of normal in Williamsport, PA, with 22 of the sites being wetter than normal. This August ranked among the 20 driest on record at two major climate sites but among the 20 wettest for 13 major climate sites.

This August ranked among the 20 driest on record at two major climate sites but among the 20 wettest for 13 major climate sites.

Summer precipitation ranged from 50% of normal to more than 200% of normal.

June was drier than normal for much of the Northeast outside of parts of New England, while July was a soggy month for most and August leaned wetter than normal for multiple areas. With that, summer precipitation ranged from near normal to more than 200% of normal for a large portion of the region, with the wettest areas generally in New England and northern New York. However, some southern areas were drier, particularly eastern West Virginia, central Maryland, and coastal New Jersey, which saw as little as 50% of normal. Summer precipitation at the 35 major climate sites ranged from 67% of normal in Huntington, WV, to 196% of normal in Boston, MA, with 24 sites being wetter than normal. Summer 2023 was the wettest summer on record for Albany, NY, and ranked among the 20 wettest for another 16 major climate sites. Meanwhile, two sites experienced one of their 20 driest summers on record.

Summer 2023 was among the 20 driest for two major climate sites but among the 20 wettest for 17 major climate sites including Albany, NY, which was record wet.

August average temperatures ranged from 3°F below normal to 2°F above normal.

August average temperatures ranged from 3°F below normal to within 1°F of normal for almost the entire Northeast, with a few Mid-Atlantic spots being up to 2°F above normal. The coolest spots tended to be in New York and New England. At the Northeast’s 35 major climate sites, August average temperatures ranged from 2.5°F below normal in Erie, PA, to 1.5°F above normal at Dulles Airport, VA, with 28 sites being cooler than normal for the month. Despite that, this August ranked among the 20 warmest on record for two major climate sites.

While many areas were cooler than normal, this August was among the 20 warmest on record for two major climate sites.

Summer average temperatures ranged from 2°F below normal to 2°F above normal.

June was generally cooler than normal, especially in southern areas, while July was warmer than normal, particularly in northern areas, and August featured below-normal temperatures for most areas. With these months averaged together, summer average temperatures generally ranged from 2°F below normal, especially in western parts of the region, to 2°F above normal, particularly in northern New England. Summer average temperatures at the 35 major climate sites ranged from 2.1°F below normal in Providence, RI, and Erie, PA, to 0.9°F above normal in Caribou, ME, and Syracuse and Binghamton, NY, with 23 sites being on the cool side of normal. Summer 2023 ranked among the 20 warmest on record for four major climate sites.

Summer 2023 ranked among the 20 warmest on record for four major climate sites.

For September, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center favors above-normal temperatures for the entire Northeast. There’s a tilt toward drier-than-normal conditions in September for northwestern Pennsylvania, parts of New York, and northwestern Vermont, with equal chances of below-, near-, or above-normal precipitation predicted for the rest of the region.

September is expected to average out to be warmer than normal for the Northeast.

Parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont could be drier than normal this September.