Heading Towards a Record
By Russell Russ
The month’s high temperature of 80 degrees was observed on August 18. The low temperature of 45 degrees was observed on August 20. The average temperature this month was 65.1 degrees, just about one degree below the August average.
While the average temperature was close to normal this month, we hit 80 degrees or higher just one time. For August, this is a little unusual. On average, Norfolk gets up to 90 degrees or higher 2.5 times per year. On only one occasion this summer we topped 90 degrees, and that was back in June. It seems Global Warming must have taken.
What did not take the summer off was the rain. August’s total rainfall amount was 6.62 inches, 2.06 inches above normal. Six thunderstorms were observed at the station this month. The most notable weather event this month came during the afternoon of August 15 when Norfolk got hit by a thunderstorm and a long line of heavy rain that dumped 2.60 inches in about two hours. Historically the month of August has had some high rain totals so this August wasn’t record breaking. The wettest month (of any month) by far on record for Norfolk was
During the summer months of June, July and August we were collectively 6.60 inches above normal for rainfall. For the year we are now 10.07 inches above normal. We have a ways to go until year’s end, but it could easily be the wettest year since 1996 and possibly one of our top ten wettest years on record.
There was great weather during the first weekend of the month for Norfolk’s big 250th anniversary celebration. It was a beautiful Friday evening for the spectacular fireworks show. A quick thunderstorm hit around noon on Saturday, but it cleared off nicely in time for the start of the parade. Mother Nature was indeed nice to Norfolk that weekend, but she had her raincoat and rubber boots on for a good portion of the summer.
