Not the Best Summer Weather

By Russell Russ 

This August felt like a wet month. On paper, it was near average for both temperatures and rainfall, but with 21 of 31 days recording some amount of rainfall, it just seemed wet all month. Humid and cloudy days were common. There were no record high temperatures. This August was very much like last August. Neither were all that great if you like nice summer weather. It was not good weather for house painting. 

August’s high temperature of 87 degrees was observed on Aug. 2 and the low of 47 was observed on Aug. 21. The monthly mean temperature of 66.9 degrees was 0.5 degree above normal. The warmest August, and fifth warmest of any month, was in 2022 with 71.8 degrees. The coolest August on record was in 1964 with 61.5 degrees. 

The total precipitation recorded for the month was 5.46 inches, 0.86 inches above normal. August saw numerous days with fog, mist, rain showers and rain. There were six thunderstorms observed, but none were severe or came with excessive rainfall totals. A thunderstorm and accompanying rain during the evening of Aug. 2 produced the month’s largest daily rainfall of 1.39 inches. Norfolk’s wettest August and wettest of any month is still August 1955 (Flood of ’55) with 23.67 inches. The driest was in 1953 with just 0.65 inch, which was also Norfolk’s fifth driest month of any month. 

Through August, the total precipitation amount for the year was 41.62 inches, 7.27 inches above normal. It has been a very quiet hurricane season for the Northeast. Norfolk’s yearly surplus is from above-average precipitation evenly distributed from January through August. 

September brought in a welcomed change of weather. Autumn has arrived and the moist conditions seen in July and August transitioned to beautiful and dry weather for the first half of September. Seasonable temperatures, clear skies and hardly any rainfall were the theme for early September. It was perfect weather for house painting. Rainfall is very important, but when sitting on a surplus of over seven inches, there should be no complaints about a few weeks of spectacular early autumn weather. By mid-month, the changing foliage was very noticeable. With some Anthracnose affecting the sugar maples and the beech trees being affected by Beech Leaf Disease, it might not be the best foliage season. There will still be colorful foliage out there, so enjoy it while it lasts. Things will look much different come November. 

Weather observations are recorded by the Great Mountain Forest at Norfolk’s National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Observer Station, Norfolk 2SW.