August 2021 Observations and Discussion

[Tom]

Rise n Shine!  As daylight begins to emerge, I happened to catch this 10-day forecast and it shows nothing but sunshine after today’s possible storm action along a CF that is pressing through the region.  Boy, these temps look amazing and Labor Day weekend is trending to be a great one.

[Tom]

5 hours ago, FAR_Weather said:

Another thunderstorm moving through. We've made up the deficit quite nicely with all these rounds of rain over the past couple of days.

So happy to hear that the "desert" climate you've been experiencing this summer is likely history for the rest of this year!

On the topic of history, Ida is about to make history and hours away from slamming into LA as a very powerful CAT 4 with winds now at 145 mph.  This storm is going to cause tremendous coastal and inland flooding along with immense storm surge.  Nothing worse than a rapidly deepening storm as it approaches while slowing down.  I feel for those who are in the path of this storm.  Prayers to all. 

[Tom]

@snowstorm83and LNK/OMA crew got hit pretty good overnight...and of course @CentralNebWeather where its been tropical of late.  @gabel23, how are you doing out there?   Is your garden doing good this year?

http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/current/mcview.phtml?prod=comprad&java=script&mode=archive&frames=75&interval=10&year=2021&month=8&day=28&hour=19&minute=40

 

[westMJim]

A new record warmest minimum was set yesterday. The official low for August 28th at Grand Rapids was 74 and that set a new record for the date. The old record was 71 set in 1948 and 1971. For today the record high is 95 set in 1953 and the warmest low is 74 set in 1984. 
The overnight low here at my house was a very warm 76 the official low at Grand Rapids was 74. At this time it is 77 here with a dew point of 71 The 8 am reading at GRR was 75 with a dew point of 71.

[Andie]

On 8/28/2021 at 3:43 AM, Tom said:

The same can be said by all the people trying to move from CA/OR/WA into Arizona.  It's gotten so bad that the CA home buyers are bidding out the first time home buyers in Arizona!  That's not what you want to see.  Anyway, in terms of the wx, last summer was ridiculously HOT but this summer has been abnormally cool since July when the Monsoon has fired up.  I remember last year on our drive back from So Cal to PHX on the I-10 hwy, I saw several cars packed to the roof driving into the valley of PHX.  It is really quite something seeing this mass migration of people for various reasons...I'm sure some of them are basing that decision on the weather.

Speaking of the wx, we'll be baking and sweating in the heat and humidity today.  A "Taste of TX" in the forecast today with a predicted high of 95F.  Won't be hard to get there since we have current conditions of 79F/72F.  

I don’t know why Californians don’t fix their state.   It’s got so much to offer.  
 

Weatherwise,  in Texas we’re hoping to get some rain from the outer edges of Ida.  Having reached a Cat 4 we could see some western out bands drift our way.  

[CentralNebWeather]

2 hours ago, Tom said:

@snowstorm83and LNK/OMA crew got hit pretty good overnight...and of course @CentralNebWeather where its been tropical of late.  @gabel23, how are you doing out there?   Is your garden doing good this year?

http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/current/mcview.phtml?prod=comprad&java=script&mode=archive&frames=75&interval=10&year=2021&month=8&day=28&hour=19&minute=40

 

I got 0.55” this early morning. Lots of reports over 2.5” north and west. Corn now needs dry weather for the final maturation stage. Also should not be putting off much evapotranspiration anymore. One day of cooler today that back to warm for the week. Hopefully Friday onward we flip to a Fall pattern. 

[Clinton]

A line of showers has formed along an outflow boundary this morning giving me some light rain and temps in the mid 70s.

[snowstorm83]

I was asleep, but overnight was the first widespread downpour in like forever. 1.12" at the airport. 

[Clinton]

11:55 am CDT #Ida made landfall as an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane near Port Fourchon, Louisiana https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1432024656932794373

[Andie]

She’s a beast.  

[james1976]

153mph wind gust at Port Fourchon, LA where it made landfall.

Wild video footage coming in from Louisiana 

[CentralNebWeather]

Good news, temperature has only made it to 75 under cloudy skies. However, dews have stayed mid 60’s with no wind. Just too much moisture around, and not a strong enough cold front to scour out the humidity. Though it is about as green and lush as any late August I’ve ever seen. 

[Sparky]

16 hours ago, Mr Marine Layer said:

That sounds like oppressive humidity. 

Yes it felt tropical. Today is feeling better after a cool front moved through.

[gabel23]

15 hours ago, Tom said:

@snowstorm83and LNK/OMA crew got hit pretty good overnight...and of course @CentralNebWeather where its been tropical of late.  @gabel23, how are you doing out there?   Is your garden doing good this year?

http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/current/mcview.phtml?prod=comprad&java=script&mode=archive&frames=75&interval=10&year=2021&month=8&day=28&hour=19&minute=40

 

Been a crazy year @Tom. Rain totals this month is sitting at just over 7" with another 2-3" in the forecast for tomorrow into tomorrow night. Last night we had a crazy amount of CG and the rain came down in buckets. Garden is out of conrol! Wife put up 14 quarts of chili and spaghetti base today and I still have 6 beer flats of tomatoes sitting in the wind! We also canned our Colorado peaches tonight so it has been a crazy sunday. My total precipitation since January (34.05") is well over what I average in a given year! 

[IMoveALot_Weather]

Tucson has more rain than here this year and it's not even close.

[OttumwaSnomow]

46 minutes ago, FAR_Weather said:

Tucson has more rain than here this year and it's not even close.

Its been odd summer! Why nebraska  so wet  but Dakotas  and north Minnesota  so burned up?  I had sopping  wet summer until aug 1st now spots  near me driest aug ever!  In Southern  iowa its been totally  nuts spots with 4 to 7 inches and few miles away zero in aug. That can be said for many parts of south Iowa.

[Andie]

They’re saying on several different weather stations that Ida actually was more dangerous than Katrina.
Having assisted my husband, a FEMA Regional Dir., to get people out of the NOLA football stadium, that’s saying a LOT.  
I can’t believe it strengthened so fast in those 87* waters.  Conditions were perfect. 

[westMJim]

A little update on August 2021. This will end up being one of the warmest August since 2010 in most locations. Here is where we stand with just 2 days to go. At Grand Rapids the mean is 74.5 that is a departure of +3.5 and if the month were to end today this would be the 8th warmest on record. At Muskegon the mean is also 74.5 for a departure of +3.6 and at this time it is the 3rd warmest August of record. At Holland the mean there is 73.9 (mostly due to some cooler overnight lows) and that is a departure of +3.7 and is now the 9th warmest August. and now for Lansing to the east the mean so far is 75.6 that is a departure of +5.4 and at this time it is the warmest August on record the next two years are 1955 at 75.4 and then 1947 and 1995 at 75.1 

[CentralNebWeather]

As of 1:30 PM, temp of 85 with a Heat Index of 92 and a 70 dew.  Just can't get rid of this humidity.  Going to my son's JV Football game tonight in Lexington.  Another balmy evening for sure.

[Clinton]

Temps are outdoing the forecast, todays forecasted high was 86.  It's currently 90 with a heat index of 97 and a DP of 72.  

[CentralNebWeather]

NWS Hastings says that lower dews are coming by Sunday and beyond.  Let's hope they are correct.

[Madtown]

57 with a dew point of 55...curled up under a blanket atm

[Tom]

Good morning from Fountain Hills, AZ!  I decided to take a trip out here and stay for a little while.  The wx was absolutely perfect for a day flight with barely any turbulence.  HP dominated most of the trip.  I posted some vids and pics from takeoff to landing.  I love flying and have been fascinated with aircraft since I was a kid.

I’d be lying to you if I wasn’t both surprised and excited to see that the entire state of AZ is under a flood watch.    I’m soo looking forward to some tropical infused downpours tomorrow.  It is a bit Hot and a touch humid here but nothing I can’t handle after what we’ve been dealt with in the MW in August.  My plan is to go up north for the holiday and visit Page, AZ (horseshoe bend) and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  Might even do some wild mushroom picking.  We’ll see.

The pic below of Fountain Hills is one that I see quite often when descending into the valley for landing.

[westMJim]

With just one more day to go it is now safe to say that August 2021 will be the 9 warmest August of record at Grand Rapids and Holland. It will be the 4 warmest at Muskegon and over at Lansing it looks to be the warmest on record. This was all done with few extremely hot days this August only had 5 days of 90 or better there have been 24 other years when August had more. Grand Rapids is way down the list even at the 89, 88, 87 list even at 85 there have been 15 years with more 85° days in August. For the overnight lows there were 8 nights when the temperature did not fall below 70 that is good for the 7 most.  2010 had the most with 12.  And in the number of nights with lows of 65 or better this August had 18 and that is the 4 most at GR the most is 22 in 1995. So the bottom line is that August 2021 was very warm but with few "hot" days but it had may very warm nights. And of course it was very humid.

[Clinton]

A little cooler this morning as temps dipped into the upper 60s.  Watching a strong line of storms in SE Nebraska, hoping they hold together.  I would gladly enjoy a cool rainy day.

[westMJim]

Summer 2021 will end up above average. The current mean with just one more day to go is 72.5 the new 30 year average is 70..9 and the 15 year average is 71.4. This will be the warmest summer since 2018 (72.6) and the first simmer since 2016 that all 3 summer months had a mean of 70 or better. 2016 had a mean for the summer of 72.7.

[CentralNebWeather]

Another warm and muggy morning.  Been busy with coaching and going to games so I hadn't looked very close at the extended forecast.  Today and tomorrow both show potential to touch 90.  Starting Thursday, all days in the extended are 70's to perhaps 80 with lows in the 50's, maybe a day or 2 here or there of 60.  Corn should really start drying out and the airmass has lower dews.  

[james1976]

Forgot to mention I picked up 2.15" over the weekend and tacked on another 0.15" last night. Today looks to be cloudy with scattered showers and temps in the 70s.

[snowstorm83]

A line of strong winds and heavy rain finally moved in around 6:30 this morning. It didn't last long, but it was a wake up call for the entire house. 0.88" fell at the airport. 

[gabel23]

Picked up another 1.75" earlier this morning. The lightning was absolutely incredible! I took a picture of the radar return as it was over my place. Loud, bright and the rain came down in sheets! August rain total is 8.85"!!!!

[Clinton]

Nice band of rain coming through right now.  It's so nice to have a cloudy rainy day after the heat and humidity from the last few weeks.

[CentralNebWeather]

Forecast now calls for 60-70% of showers and thunderstorms basically all day and night on Thursday.  That would be quite a day and probably the reason that projected high temps have trended downwards.  

[CentralNebWeather]

I just glanced at our weather almanac.  Sept. 1st in my area average high temps have dropped to 82 degrees and average lows are 56.  We are losing about 2 minutes and 30 seconds a day of daylight, or 17 minutes a week.  Hints of fall for sure.

[Hawkeye]

It is very cool here this afternoon.... upper 60s with showers and a breeze.

[jcwxguy]

4" rain late last night/ this morning

[CentralNebWeather]

More rain coming according to the NAM. 

[james1976]

Way nice out wow. Clear calm no humidity and 66 currently. Chops, potatoes and onions on the Weber. Had a busy evening so now its chill time out on the deck.

[Clinton]

Kansas City picked up 0.96" of rain this morning which gives us 5.24" for the month of August which is exactly 1.00" above normal. This was good enough for the 34th wettest August on the 134 year record.

[OttumwaSnomow]

.55 fell today  and sub 80 temp felt nice. Dewpoint  still got to 71 though. 

In Aug:

1.75" rain  one of my driest months in the past 36 months, compared to average. Throughout  my area some were above avg and some below avg rainfall.

high was 95

High dewpoint  84

 

This summer will  be remembered  for unending  humidity. Worse ive seen ever in usa in 52 years and 5 years overseas.  Ive seen over 18 days of 90F and 80 DP.  Over 35 days over 90.  Very very few day sub 70 dewpoint.  Its been a growing  season of  long dry periods  interrupted  by  very wet periods.  A excellent  season for lawn care, farming and gardening which I do. Another tidbit at my home no severe weather at all now 2 years.  No wind damage, no hail,  limited lightning and no flooding compared to what  Ive seen in other years in southeast  Iowa.

 

[Tom]

7 hours ago, OttumwaSnomow said:

.55 fell today  and sub 80 temp felt nice. Dewpoint  still got to 71 though. 

In Aug:

1.75" rain  one of my driest months in the past 36 months, compared to average. Throughout  my area some were above avg and some below avg rainfall.

high was 95

High dewpoint  84

 

This summer will  be remembered  for unending  humidity. Worse ive seen ever in usa in 52 years and 5 years overseas.  Ive seen over 18 days of 90F and 80 DP.  Over 35 days over 90.  Very very few day sub 70 dewpoint.  Its been a growing  season of  long dry periods  interrupted  by  very wet periods.  A excellent  season for lawn care, farming and gardening which I do. Another tidbit at my home no severe weather at all now 2 years.  No wind damage, no hail,  limited lightning and no flooding compared to what  Ive seen in other years in southeast  Iowa.

 

I'm thrilled to hear that your business and farm have done well right in the heart of the ag belt region of the MW.  I'm curious though, have you increased your prices due to inflation?  If so, are your customers ok with the price rise?  Just wondering as I've seen costs have run up big time this year.

[Sparky]

Yesterday I was surprised by some little showers that developed into a defo band like feature after the main overnight complex had totally missed just to the sw. But the heavier showers again managed to miss all around by 4 - 6 miles where up to around 1” may have fallen to the west and north. Still got a decent .32” putting my August total up to 2.31” and that’s a lot better than August 2020 when I had under .60” when I normally should get over 4”. Some places to my se. near the Mississippi River got inches of rain yesterday.

[Tom]

I sure busted on my call for a cooler August around the GL's region as ORD ended up becoming the 6th warmest month on record.  As @westMJim mentioned, overnight lows really did a number on the avg mean temp.  Day time highs were not exceedingly high for August.

[OmahaSnowFan]

Here's my monthly summary for my backyard.

Avg low: 66.4 (+.8)

Avg high: 87.6 (+1.8)

coldest low: 55.0 (2nd)

warmest high: 96.8 (23rd)

precip: 4.93" (+.33")

Like almost everyone else had a hot and muggy August with 10 days over 90 degrees and multiple days with dews in the upper 70s and even low 80s. Up to 34 days this summer with highs over 90 now. Max heat index on my weather station was 112.5.

It was mainly hot, humid, and dry to start the month, but the last 10 days were more active. Had 3 severe tstorm watches, 4 severe tstorm warnings, a flash flood warning with severe flooding downtown Omaha, and 5 days of heat advisories. Only had 1 day with measurable precip the first 19 days.

[IMoveALot_Weather]

Better than June, that's for sure.