MUWIC
Newsletter - August 2006
(Issued: August 3, 2006)
Millersville University Weather Information Center (MUWIC) Eric J. Horst, Director
************************************************************************ LEAD STORY: “Drying Out After Soggy June”
After the second wettest June (13.34”) on
record, July turned gradually hotter and drier. The month began with scattered
showers during the July 4th weekend, and a heavy thunderstorm on
July 18th dropped over an inch of rain across the county. By the end
of July, however, the total monthly rainfall only totaled 3.17. A late-month
heat wave and lack of heavy shower activity produced notable drying of soil
conditions by month’s end. Still, year-to-date rainfall remains 5.47 inches
above normal, so there is no threat of a return to the drought conditions of
this past Spring.
Temperature-wise, July produced
above-normal temperatures from coast to coast. A record heat wave developed
early in the month along the west coast, and then expanded to the Plains and
east coast. July concluded 3.3 degrees above normal in Lancaster, a tie for the
5th warmest July on record.
Warmest Julys – MU Weather Center (departure from normal)
4. 1955 (+3.5) 5. 1934/1988/2006 tie (+3.3) ************************************************************************ EVENT OF THE MONTH
A severe thunderstorm crossed Lancaster on the evening of July 18th. Reports of hail, heavy downpours, and wind gusts up to 60 mph were reported, especially across the northern half of the county.
************************************************************************ JULY CLIMATOLOGY (MU Weather Station)
Average High Temp: 87.4 F Average Low Temp: 68.7 F Average Monthly Temp: 78.0 F (Departure from Normal: +3.3 F)
Precipitation: 3.17 inches (Departure from Normal: -1.34) Annual Precipitation: 29.81 inches (Departure from Normal: +5.47) ************************************************************************ AUGUST NORMALS, RECORDS & FACTS
Normal high/low temperatures decrease from 86/63 on August 1st to 83/59 by month’s end. The record high for August is 107 degrees set on the 7th of 1918, while the record low is 35 F set on the 29th in 1982. Normal liquid precipitation for the month is 3.97 inches. The rainiest August on record (13.94 inches) occurred in 1933. The driest August was in 1957 when only 0.51 inches fell. ************************************************************************ AUGUST OUTLOOK
August has begun with a searing heat wave, however, the worst of the summer heat will soon be behind us. A pattern change will shift the axis of the extreme warmth back into the Rockies and Plains beginning the week of August 7th. A modest trough position setting up near New England and the Canadian Maritimes will then allow a series of cold fronts to sag into Pennsylvania. These fronts will provide a chance for a few showers and help keep our temperatures near seasonable levels through mid-month. A few more 90-degree days are likely through Labor Day weekend, yet I do not see any long-lasting extreme heat (like the current heat wave). Precipitation-wise, August will bring us a few rounds of showers, but total rainfall will likely vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood. The common afternoon thunderstorms during the dog days of August can produce gutter-gushing downpours in one location, while little rain falls a few miles away. Of course, we’ll need to keep a watch on the tropics since a more widespread rain event is possible should such a storm track near our region. COPYRIGHT 2006 Millersville University Published monthly by the Millersville University Weather Information Center. Subscribe on our homepage at www.atmos.millersville.edu/~wic ******************************************************************** *** Bookmark our web site at: www.atmos.millersville.edu/~wic *** ******************************************************************** |