Weekly Weather Event -Week of September 6th
September 11, 2021NOAA’s U.S climate report for the month of August was released on September 9. August ended up being a busy month with Hurricane Ida making landfall, numerous wildfires, and devastating flooding occurring all throughout the United States.
August 2021 was the 14th hottest August on record, with the average temperature across the contiguous U.S. at 74.0 degrees F. The states of New Hampshire and Vermont had their warmest August on record. This past August was also the 14th wettest August on record. While no state broke their monthly record, Tucson, Arizona saw its wettest August on record. This was thanks to a very active Southwest monsoon season.
August also marks the end of meteorological summer. While astronomical seasons are defined using the summer and winter solstices and spring and autumn equinoxes, meteorologists define seasons based off of the annual temperature cycle. In the Northern Hemisphere, meteorological summer falls between June 1 and August 31. The summer of 2021 had an average temperature of 74.0 degrees F, technically exceeding the record heat of the 1936 Dust Bowl Summer. However, 2021 only beats out the Dust Bowl Summer by 0.01 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beyond pure climate statistics, August also saw Hurricane Ida make landfall and cause devastating damage and flooding throughout the Gulf Coast and the Eastern United States. Tropical Storms Fred and Henri also brought strong flooding to North Carolina and the Northeast respectively, and Tennessee saw severe flooding from slow moving thunderstorms early in the month. Out west, wildfires have continued burning in California. The Dixie fire is the second largest fire in the state’s history, and air quality remains a concern far from the site of the fires.