August had 5 days of record hot temperatures

August was a dry month in an increasingly dry, and warm, year. It rained once – like July – this time 0.2 inches on the 4th. The real news was the six record-setting daily temperatures. The five record highs were the month’s hottest day, Aug 18, 86.1 degrees, and the month’s last week: Aug 24, 81.4 degrees; Aug. 25, 84.6 degrees; Aug. 30, 82.6; and Aug. 31, 85.3 degrees. This followed three record high days in July.

Twelve days topped 80 degrees, 39% of the month The average daily maximum temperature of 77.8 was the highest this century, 3.7 degrees above the century average. The 64.7 average daily temperature was 2.1 degrees above the average since 2000. The average daily low temperature of 52.8 was 0.6 degrees also above the century average, though a record low was set Aug. 5: 45.6 degrees,

The 0.2 inches of rain was an inch under the normal August rainfall for this century. It was the fourth driest August in that time, one of seven years with less than one-half inch of rain.

Less than 1 inch of rain has fallen 14 times since 2000, and eight of the last 11, including the last six years. The 0.04 inches in 2017 was the second driest year of the century. There has been nine years of more than 1 inch of rain, with 2.9 inches in 2016, the second most after 2004’s 6.3 inches. In 2021 almost an inch of rain fell, most of it in a three day period.

The 16.3 inches of rain this year is 2.3 inches below, 12.2%, the century average. June’s abundant rain, 3.1 inches skews the data.

Statewide, 6% of area, in the central Cascades is in moderate drought and 30% is classified as abnormally dry, 13 counties in total, as measured by the U.S. Drought Monitor Aug. 30. All the counties west of the Cascades are labeled “None” for drought intensity.

Data measured at the WSU Mount Vernon Memorial Highway weather station.