Parched Start to August
August 1-15 rainfall ranged from less than 25% of normal to near normal for much of the Northeast.
During the first half of August, much of the Northeast was drier than normal. The driest locations, which saw less than 25% of normal precipitation, were generally along a path from northern West Virginia, through Pennsylvania and New York, across Vermont and New Hampshire, and into much of Maine. However, there were some localized wet spots, mostly confined to areas closer to the coast along a path from central Maryland to northeastern Massachusetts.
All 35 major sites were drier than normal during the first half of August, with the driest site, Williamsport, PA, seeing only a trace of precipitation or 0% of normal. It was Williamsport’s first time on record without measurable precipitation during the first half of August, making the period being record dry. This August 1-15 period ranked among the 20 driest for another 17 of the major sites. Little precipitation, along with above-normal temperatures in northern parts of the region, led to a notable expansion of drought and abnormal dryness.
This August 1-15 period was record dry for Williamsport, PA, and ranked among the 20 driest for another 17 major sites.
August 1-15 average temperatures ranged from 4°F below normal to 6°F above normal.
Average temperatures during the first half of August ranged from 4°F cooler than normal in the region’s southeastern corner to 6°F above normal in parts of northern New England. Twenty-one of the Northeast’s 35 major sites were cooler than normal, with average temperatures for all the sites ranging from 4.2°F below normal in Atlantic City, NJ, to 3.3°F above normal in Buffalo, NY. This August 1-15 period ranked among the 20 coolest for two major sites but among the 20 hottest for three others. A heat wave in northern Maine produced four straight days with a high of at least 90°F in Caribou, tying the site’s all-time longest such streak.
This August 1-15 period ranked among the 20 coolest for two major sites but among the 20 hottest for three others.