• September 2020 National Weather Summary

    From James Munley@21:1/5 to All on Tue Oct 13 16:35:08 2020
    NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

    SEPTEMBER 2020

    1st-5th: Ongoing dryness in most areas from the Pacific Coast to the High Plains led to further drought intensification, especially where combined with above normal to record-setting temperatures.

    Much of New England also remained unfavorably dry. With summer-like heat covering most of the country, weekly temperatures averaged at least 5°F above normal in many locations from the western Gulf Coast region to the southern Atlantic Coast; in the Rio
    Grande Valley; and throughout the Far West. Cooler-than-normal conditions (temperatures as much as 5°F below normal) were mostly limited to the upper Midwest. As the week progressed, expanding and intensifying Western heat, combined with gusty winds,
    low humidity levels, and worsening drought, encouraged the rapid spread of new wildfires. Within 3 days of its September 4 ignition, the Creek Fire (northeast of Fresno, CA) scorched nearly 80,000 acres of vegetation. Elsewhere, hot, humid weather in
    southwestern Louisiana complicated hurricane recovery efforts, particularly in areas where electricity and municipal water supplies have not been restored.

    intensifying Western heat sent late-week temperatures into record-setting territory. By September 5, extreme heat reached the High Plains, where monthly temperature records were tied or broken in locations such as Chadron, NE (106°F); Sheridan, WY (103°
    F); Livingston, MT (102°F); and Denver, CO (101°F). Extreme heat also gripped the Far West, including much of California. Burbank, CA, tied an all-time record (originally set on July 6, 2018) with highs of 114°F on September 5 and 6. In addition,
    Sunday, September 6 was the hottest day ever recorded in southern California locations such as Woodland Hills (121°F), Paso Robles (117°F), and San Luis Obispo (117°F). Leading up to the record-smashing heat wave, some cool air lingered across the
    West in late August and early September. On August 30, daily-record lows dipped to 40°F in Buffalo, WY, and 47°F in Eureka, CA. On September 1, daily-record lows in Utah included 24°F in Randolph and 37°F in Logan. Farther south, however, Del Rio, TX,
    collected consecutive daily-record highs (105°F both days) on August 30-31. Meanwhile, hot, humid weather prevailed across the South. On September 2, Naples, FL, noted a daily-record high of 96°F. Elsewhere in Florida, Key West broke a monthly record
    with lows of 86°F on September 2, 3, and 4. Similarly, Galveston, TX, experienced lows of 87°F each day from August 31 to September 3; previously, the highest minimum temperature in the last 145 years had been 86°F on August, 8, 12, and 18, 2019, and
    August 12 and 29, 2020. The parade of Western monthly records began on September 3, when the high of 106°F in Bishop, CA, tied the mark first achieved on September 2, 1950. Bishop broke the record the next day, September 4, with a high of 107°F. Reno,
    NV, set a monthly record on September 4, with a high of 102°F (previously, 101°F on September 2, 1950, and September 3, 2017). Dozens of monthly record highs were set or tied across the western half of the country on September 5, including those listed
    previously. Denver had reported a triple-digit reading in September only once before: 100°F on September 2, 2019. The latest-ever 100-degree readings occurred on September 5 in Reno, NV (100°F); Billings, MT (102°F); and Sheridan, WY (103°F). With a
    high of 100°F on September 5, Salt Lake City, UT, tied a monthly record previously set on September 8, 1979, and September 1, 2019.

    6-12: Dozens of dangerous and sometimes deadly wildfires continued to burn across the West, with the greatest concentration of blazes affecting the parched Pacific Coast States. By week’s end, 15 active fires in California, Oregon, and Washington had
    scorched at least 100,000 acres of vegetation, along with two in Colorado. At least a dozen active wildfires had destroyed more than 100 structures, while some three dozen fatalities have been reported, with several individuals still unaccounted for.
    Meanwhile, heavy rain (and high elevation snow) developed across portions of the Rockies, Plains, and Midwest, slowing fieldwork but boosting topsoil moisture and benefiting drought stressed rangeland, pastures, and immature summer crops.

    A sharp, early season cold snap delivered record-setting low temperatures across the Plains, Rockies, and upper Midwest, while hot weather lingered along and near the Pacific Coast and from the Ohio Valley southward. Humid conditions accompanied the
    Southeastern heat. Weekly temperatures averaged at least 5°F above normal in parts of the Ohio Valley and Pacific Coast States, but generally ranged from 10 to 15°F below normal across large sections of the northern and central Rockies, Plains, and
    upper Midwest. In southern California, September 6 was the hottest day ever recorded in California locations such as Woodland Hills (121°F), Paso Robles (117°F), and San Luis Obispo (117°F). Many other communities from California to the Southwest
    reported record-high September temperatures. The list of September records set or tied on the 6th included 120°F in Needles, CA; 117°F in Riverside, CA; 112°F in Gilroy and Lancaster, CA; 110°F in Kingman, AZ, and Stockton, CA; 109°F in Sacramento,
    CA; 105°F in Hanksville, UT; 99°F in Cedar City, UT; and 91°F in Rock Springs, WY. Intense heat persisted through September 7 in the San Francisco Bay area, where Gilroy again reached 112°F. Richmond, CA, noted its highest-ever temperature (107°F)
    on the 7th, tying September 15, 1971. In South Dakota, however, Rapid City (32°F on the 7th) reported its earliest freeze on record, supplanting September 9, 1962 and 2001. Rapid City also reported an inch of snow on September 7, just 2 days after the
    high temperature had soared to 102°F. By September 8, daily-record lows in Montana plunged to 25°F at the Dillon Airport and 28°F in Great Falls. It was the second-earliest hard freeze (28°F or lower) in Great Falls, following September 6, 1929. It
    was Dillon Airport’s second-earliest reading of 25°F or lower (tied with 1962), behind only September 2, 1974. In conjunction with the blast of cold air, a wind gust to 87 mph was clocked on September 8 in Rock Springs, WY. From September 8- 10, a
    trio of daily-record lows were set in locations such as Amarillo, TX (40, 37, and 40°F), and Casper, WY (29, 24, and 27°F). Heat lingered in the Pacific Northwest, where Olympia, WA, notched consecutive daily-record highs of 91°F on September 9-10.

    13-19: Mostly dry weather covered the remainder of the country, although locally heavy rain fell in southern Texas and late week showers developed in the Pacific Northwest. Across large sections of the country, dry weather promoted summer crop maturation
    and harvesting. In winter wheat areas, producers planted at a rapid pace.

    drought remained entrenched across much of the western half of the country, where wildfires reduced air quality across a broad area and continued to threaten several Western communities. Weekly temperatures averaged 5 to 10°F above normal in portions of
    the Great Basin and Intermountain West. Meanwhile, cool weather shifted eastward from the previous week, primarily affecting the Midwest and Northeast. Temperatures averaged as much as 5 to 10°F below normal from the Midwest into the middle and northern
    Atlantic States, but growing season-ending freezes were mostly limited to areas north of primary corn and soybean production areas. Early in the week, chilly conditions lingered in the West, where Winslow, AZ, notched a daily-record low (40°F) for
    September 13. Subsequently, summer-like heat returned across the much of the West. By September 13, daily-record highs reached or exceeded the 90-degree mark in Wyoming locations such as Buffalo (91°F) and Greybull (90°F). Later, Phoenix, AZ, collected
    a pair of daily-record highs on September 16-17, attaining 109°F both days. Other record-setting highs for September 16 included 111°F in Yuma, AZ, and 110°F in Imperial, CA. The following day, on the 17th, daily-record highs in California soared to
    113°F in Thermal and 110°F in Needles. Elsewhere in southern California, triple-digit, daily-record highs occurred on September 18 in El Cajon (104°F), Campo (102°F), and Anaheim (100°F). Farther east, hot, humid weather plagued the western Gulf
    Coast region, where Galveston, TX, logged consecutive daily-record highs (95 and 96°F, respectively) on September 15-16. At Hobby Airport in Houston, TX, the low of 80°F on September 16 marked the 37th day this year with a minimum temperature of 80°F
    or greater. Prior to this year, the annual record for 80-degree minima at Houston-Hobby was 22 days in 2017. Late in the week, chilly air overspread the Midwest and Northeast. On September 17-18, consecutive daily-record lows were set in northern
    Minnesota locations such as International Falls (23 and 20°F, respectively) and Hibbing (24 and 21°F). In Wisconsin, record-setting lows for September 18 plunged to 25°F in Ashland and Merrill. Sub-freezing, daily-record lows for September 19 included
    21°F in Saranac Lake, NY; 27°F in Montpelier, VT; and 30°F in Flint, MI.

    By week’s end, there were more than seven dozen active Western wildfires in various stage of containment. Among them, 18 fires (eight in CA, five in OR, three in WA, and two in CO) had charred at least 100,000 acres of vegetation. The Bobcat Fire,
    northeast of Pasadena, CA, surpassed the 100,000-acre mark on September 20.

    20-26: Mostly dry weather covered the remainder of the country, aside from a few showers in the upper Great Lakes region and some precipitation in the Northwest.

    Ongoing drought remained a concern across much of the western half of the country, with adverse impacts on rangeland and pastures. In addition, the late-week arrival of hot, windy weather fanned several new Western wildfires. Near- or above-normal weekly
    temperatures prevailed in the West, with the hottest weather— relative to normal—occurring in the Four Corners States. Heat also returned across the nation’s midsection, boosting weekly temperatures at least 10°F above normal from the central High
    Plains into the far upper Midwest. In contrast, readings averaged as much as 10°F below normal in Virginia and the Carolinas. A broader area of below-normal temperatures covered much of the South, extending as far north as the Ohio Valley. Freezes
    lingered during the first half of the week in parts of the Northeast. The cold weather compounded the effects of Northeastern drought on pastures, which largely remained in poor condition. Across Maine, daily-record low temperatures on September 21
    included 23°F in Houlton and 26°F in Bangor. On the same date, Saranac Lake, NY, noted a daily-record low of 21°F. On September 21-22, consecutive daily-record lows were established in Saint Johnsbury, VT (28 and 29°F, respectively), and Glens Falls,
    NY (27°F both days). Meanwhile in Nebraska, daily-record highs rose to 95°F in Valentine (on September 22) and North Platte (on September 23). During the second half of the week, late-season heat expanded across the High Plains and the Southwest. On
    September 24, daily-record highs topped the 90-degree mark in Montana locations such as Miles City (94°F) and Billings (92°F). On September 25-26, the week ended with consecutive, triple-digit, daily-record highs in Borger, TX (103 and 102°F), and
    Roswell, NM (100 and 103°F). Other triple-digit, daily record highs included 102°F (on September 25) in Dodge City, KS, and 100°F (on September 26) in Lubbock, TX.

    26-30: Completely dry weather dominated the western half of the country, contributing to another wave of wildfires and leading to further drought intensification. In addition, weekly temperatures averaged at least 10°F above normal in portions of the
    Pacific Coast States. Dryness extended eastward across the Plains.

    Mostly dry weather also returned across much the South, following soaking rainfall events associated with Hurricane Sally and Tropical Storm Beta. Temperatures averaged as much as 10°F below normal in the mid-South and Midwest. Elsewhere, locally heavy
    rain at the end of September provided some drought relief in the Northeast, following a warm week (as much as 10°F above normal in northern Maine), while a persistent plume of tropical moisture maintained cloudy, showery conditions across Florida’s
    peninsula. Heat lingered early in the week across the southern High Plains, where daily-record highs for September 27 soared to 103°F in Midland, TX, and 101°F in Roswell, NM. That marked Roswell’s 65th day this year with triple-digit heat, breaking
    the 2011 annual record of 60 days. Meanwhile in Oregon, Medford’s 99-day spell without measurable precipitation—the seventh-longest such streak on record in that location—had ended (with a 0.05-inch total) on September 24. However, heat persisted
    in Medford (and elsewhere in the Far West). In fact, Medford posted consecutive daily-record highs of 98°F on September 28 and 29. As the week progressed, triple-digit, daily-record highs were common across California, where the Glass and Zogg Fires
    quickly consumed more than 50,000 acres of vegetation after being started on September 27 and the August Complex—the largest wildfire in modern state history—surpassed 1 million acres. On September 28, daily-record highs included 103°F in King City
    and 102°F in San Jacinto. Eureka, CA, typically cooled by the Pacific Ocean, tied monthly and all-time records on September 28 with a high of 87°F. Previously, Eureka attained 87°F on September 2, 2017. Heat further expanded by September 29, when
    daily-record highs in California surged to 104°F in Paso Robles and 102°F in Fresno. On the last day of September, highs of 109°F in Yuma, AZ; 108°F in Imperial, CA; 106°F in Paso Robles; and 102°F in Sacramento, CA, were among a large number of
    triple-digit, daily-record highs. Warmth lingered across New England, where Caribou experienced a daily-record high of 83°F on September 29. With 57 days of 80-degree warmth this year, Caribou has broken its 1999 annual record of 51 days. Having last
    received measurable rain on April 20, Las Vegas, NV, continued to set dry-spell records.

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