Some cooler mornings gave us the taste of fall in August, but the month wasn’t without some summer-like heat, too.
Just a few days into August, McAllen, Texas, hit a new record high of 105 degrees Fahrenheit on Aug. 3 then a record high of 105 degrees was noted in Midland the following day. Around the middle part of the month, Dalhart, Texas, had two days of consecutive new record highs with 104 degrees on Aug. 14 and 100 degrees on Aug. 15.
August still included some bouts of severe weather, although the frequency of severe storms started to wane as the month went on. Some excessive rain did lead to flooding concerns at times for the Plains. One instance of this was in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma in the later part of the month.
Also noteworthy in August were periods of showers and storms that helped alleviate some drought conditions.
Looking ahead for drought, some sort of drought is forecast to persist or develop for western parts of Nebraska and Kansas as well as west central to southwest Texas in the next few months.
For September, the entire lower 48 is forecast to see temperatures average above seasonal norms.
During that same time, below normal precipitation is expected from western into northern Texas, Oklahoma, southern and western Kansas as well as western Nebraska.
That same area is actually expected to see that precipitation trend continuing the next three months.
Meanwhile, temperatures are also predicted to stay above normal through November for the entire Plains.
The coupled ocean-atmosphere system continues to reflect ENSO-Neutral. ENSO-Neutral conditions are forecast to remain through early fall before we should start to see a transition to La Niña by later fall and continuing into the wintertime frame.
I’m always keeping an eye to the sky (and the weather patterns), so watch for October’s update.
Editor’s note: Regina Bird grew up on a farm near Belleville, Kansas. The views from the farm helped spur her interest in weather. Following high school, she went on to get a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from the University of Kansas. She worked as a television meteorologist for nine years in Nebraska. Follow her on Twitter: @ReginaBirdWX.
