Mid-August Rainfall Extremes
August 1-15 rainfall ranged from less than 25% of normal to more than 200% of normal.
Rainfall during the first half of August was highly variable, ranging from less than 25% of normal to more than 200% of normal. The driest areas were generally in much of New England, New York, the northern halves of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and southeastern Maryland. Twenty-seven of the Northeast’s 35 major climate sites were drier than normal, with 14 of those ranking this August 1-15 period among their 20 driest on record. The driest of those sites was Allentown, PA, which saw just 8% of normal precipitation. The lack of precipitation led to the expansion and intensification of drought conditions in multiple locations. Impacts of the drought have included dry wells, increased fire activity, and reduced crop yields. For more information, see the weekly Northeast Drought Update and the Northeast DEWS Dashboard.
Conversely, the wettest areas were generally in West Virginia, Maryland, far southern Pennsylvania, and the northern half of Maine. Eight of the major climate sites were wetter than normal, with Elkins, WV, at 304% of normal having its wettest August 1-15 period on record and Charleston, WV, at 397% of normal having its second wettest. In fact, this August already ranks among the 13 wettest Augusts on record at both sites with half the month left to go! Portions of West Virginia have seen multiple rounds of flash flooding.
This August 1-15 period was among the 20 driest on record at 14 major climate sites but ranked as the wettest on record for Elkins, WV, and second wettest for Charleston, WV.
August 1-15 average temperatures ranged near normal to 6°F above normal for much of the Northeast.
During the first half of August, average temperatures for much of the Northeast ranged from near normal, particularly in western Pennsylvania, to 6°F above normal, mainly in areas closer to the coast. August 1-15 average temperatures at the 35 major climate sites ranged from 0.1°F below normal in Pittsburgh, PA, to 5.1°F above normal in Worcester, MA, with 33 of the sites being warmer than normal and 26 of the sites ranking this August 1-15 period among their 20 warmest on record.
Twenty-six major climate sites ranked this August 1-15 period among their 20 warmest on record.