John McGinley, Peak to Peak.

September 2020: I don’t know about you, but I am tired of month after month with a fraction of our normal precipitation. Despite a rare snowstorm we only managed 35% of what we should get. This makes five straight months of severely dry conditions. With temperatures way above normal it is a miracle we haven’t had a local fire. The four-inch snow on September 8 was welcomed as it brought about half an inch of liquid. Unfortunately, it was the only day of significant moisture all month.

Precipitation: Liquid water was 0.64 for the month. Normal 1.78. Snow totaled 4.8 inches.

Temperature: Another warmer than normal month with an average high of 67.3F and a low of 41.6F. These combined to make the month nearly four degrees above normal. We are now at the seventh straight month of above normal temperatures. The maximum high was 83F on the 6th and the lowest high was 32F on the 9th. The lowest low was 22F on the 9th.

Winds: Only one windy day (the day before the snowstorm), where winds hit 42mph.

Other Features: The blocking ridge to the west kept most storms to the north and brought in dry, warm air from the southwest.

Outlook for October: More ridging to the west will keep things unchanged up through mid month. At that time the ridge weakens, and two strong storms will move in between the 12th and the 15th. Some rain and snow are possible. Other than that, conditions will be warm and dry. The average high/low in October is 54F/29F. Normal precipitation is 1.26 inches with 11 inches of snow.

(Originally published in the October 8, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)