Soggy Start to August

August 1-15 rainfall ranged from less than 25% of normal to more than 300% of normal.

The remnants of Hurricane Debby doused a large portion of the Northeast, with much of the region falling on the wet side of normal for the first half of August. The wettest areas including eastern West Virginia, central Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania saw over 300% of normal precipitation. This chipped away at drought conditions in those areas; however, the storm’s rainfall also led to devastating flash flooding in parts of northern Pennsylvania and central New York. Albany, NY, had its wettest August 1-15 period on record, while the period ranked among the 20 wettest on record for another 16 of the region’s 35 major climate sites. Conversely, a few areas such as western and southern West Virginia saw significantly less rainfall, less than 50% of normal, allowing drought to intensify. In fact, Beckley, WV, had its sixth-driest start to August. Overall, August 1-15 precipitation at the region’s major climate sites ranged from 15% of normal in Beckley to 291% of normal in Albany.

This August 1-15 period was record wet for Albany, NY, among the 20 wettest for another 16 of the sites, but the sixth driest for Beckley, WV.

August 1-15 average temperatures ranged from 2°F below normal to 4°F above normal.

Average temperatures during the first half of August ranged from 2°F below normal to 4°F above normal, with much of the Northeast experiencing warmer-than-normal conditions. At the region’s 35 major climate sites, August 1-15 average temperatures ranged from 0.5°F below normal in Providence, RI, to 3.2°F above normal in Charleston, WV. This first half of August was among the 20 hottest on record for 11 major climate sites.

This August 1-15 period ranked among the 20 hottest on record for 11 major climate sites.

There’s a tilt toward wetter-than-normal (areas shaded green) and warmer-than-normal (areas shaded orange and red) conditions for much of the Northeast for September. Click to enlarge.

Outlooks from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center indicate September could be wetter than normal for an area stretching from eastern West Virginia up to central Maine, with the greatest likelihood in an area from the Delmarva Peninsula up to Long Island. This is due in part to the potential for increased tropical moisture during the peak of hurricane season. Meanwhile, above-normal temperatures are favored for the entire Northeast, particularly Maine, northern New Hampshire, and northeastern Vermont. Factors such as above-normal sea surface temperatures and long-term climate trends contributed to the forecast.