Tag Archives: rain

NYC Monthly Summary: September 2012

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September was slightly warmer and wetter than usual in New York City this year.  Starting off with readings in the 90’s, our daily high temperatures dropped off as the month progressed and summer turned to fall.   Notwithstanding this seasonal cooling, the city finished the month with an average temperature of 69°F, which is 1°F above normal.

Precipitation was above average as well.  In Central Park, 4.39 inches of rain was collected, which is 0.11 inches above normal.   Most of this came down in two separate, yet significant rain events.  This September also marks the first time since May – and only the second time this year – that NYC recorded above average monthly rainfall.

Graph Credit: The Weather Gamut

Isaac’s Impact on U.S. Drought

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The worst drought in fifty years has been plaguing America’s agricultural heartland all summer. Earlier this week, however, the soggy remnants of Hurricane Isaac brought some much needed relief to the situation, if only in a small area.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, between two and six inches of rain fell across the Mid-West. As a result, the region’s severe drought status improved from 50% to 45%. While this precipitation was beneficial to area’s soybean crop, which is still maturing, it arrived too late to save the region’s fields of desiccated corn.

To quench this drought completely, experts say another five to fifteen inches of rain is still needed.

Image Credit: US Drought Monitor

NYC Monthly Summary: August 2012

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August was another warm month for New York City. We had three days when the mercury reached 90°F or above. This helped drive the city’s average monthly temperature up to 76.7°F, which is 1.69°F above normal.

On the precipitation front, a number of thunderstorms rolled through NYC this August. Although they brought periods of heavy rain, the city finished the month on the dry side.  We collected a meager 2.91 inches of rain in Central Park, which is 1.53 inches below normal.  This is a huge departure from the record rainfall – 18.95 inches – which we received in August last year.

Graph Credit: The Weather Gamut

Hurricane Isaac

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Hurricane Isaac, the ninth named storm of this Atlantic Hurricane Season, made landfall in Louisiana late Wednesday.  Despite its humble category–one status, this storm severely battered the Gulf Coast for several days.

Measuring nearly 250 miles in size, Isaac was a massive storm.  It produced strong winds and high storm surge that caused power outages and significant property damage throughout the region. Moving slowly – at approximately 5 mph – Isaac also brought unrelenting heavy rain, which lead to widespread flooding. According to the NWS, rainfall totals for this storm, so far, range from 10 to 20 inches across the area. The communities of Plaquemines Parish, LA and Slidell, LA were particularly hard hit by rising water.  In Mississippi and Alabama, several hurricane-induced tornadoes have also been reported.

Downgraded to a tropical depression, the remnants of Isaac are now moving inland.  Forecasts predict this enormous system will bring drenching rainfall to the drought stricken regions of the mid-west and southern plains.   Unfortunately, however, this storm could bring too much rain too quickly to the parched land and possibly cause flash flooding in some areas.

Similar to last year’s Hurricane Irene, Hurricane Isaac demonstrates that even low-category hurricanes can pack a serious punch.

Hurricane Isaac, 2012

Image Credit: NOAA

How Droughts Work

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The drought of 2012 has gone from bad to worse this summer as relentlessly hot and dry conditions continue to dominate the central United States.

Once drought takes hold of a region, it tends to feed on itself in a vicious cycle. To start, high temperatures increase evaporation rates causing the soil to dry out.  Without plentiful rain to replace the moisture, the sun’s energy heats the ground and the air even further.  The parched ground is then unable to support healthy vegetation that would release moisture into the air through transpiration.  Humidity levels then drop and the air becomes even less able to produce rain, making the affected area even drier.

To break this cycle, a drought stricken region needs more than a few spotty showers. It requires drenching rains on a regular basis.  Alas, these are not in the forecast for America’s desiccated heartland.

Image Credit: Agriculture Emergency Report

Widespread U.S. Drought

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Drought, an extended period of below average precipitation, has been plaguing many parts of the United States this summer.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 61% of this country is currently suffering in a state of moderate drought or worse. This is the largest area ever recorded in the monitor’s twelve-year history.

Experts say that this year’s widespread drought has been developing for months and cite the unusual position of the jet stream as a key factor.   Often referred to as the “storm track”, the jet stream typically travels across the middle of the country in winter and spring, bringing vital snow and rain to the region. This year, however, it has been persistently flowing far to the north.  As a result, abnormally hot and dry conditions have been dominating much of the nation.

Without any soaking rains in the forecast, this drought is expected to get worse before it gets better.

Image Credit: US Drought Monitor

Monthly Summary: May 2012

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Overall, New York City was warm and soggy this May.  Despite a cool start, we finished the month with an average temperature of 65.1°F, which is 3.1°F above normal.  The stretch of very warm days at the end of the month helped contribute to this above average reading.

Precipitation was above average as well.  The city saw 5.38 inches of rain in Central Park.  That is 1.19 inches above normal.  This was the first time we had above average rainfall since October 2011.  New York City, however, is still 5.41 inches below average for the year.  As a result, the city is currently listed as “abnormally dry” on the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Graph Credit: MF at The Weather Gamut

Wettest City in the U.S.

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“Rain rain go away, come again another day.”  With rain on fourteen of the last twenty-four days, this old nursery rhyme sums up the feelings of many New Yorkers.  For the residents of Hilo, Hawai’i, however, this sentiment is not an option.

Hilo is the wettest city in the United States.  Situated on the windward coast of the island of Hawai’i, the city is in the path of the moisture laden Trade Winds. Averaging 126 inches of rain annually, Hilo experiences every conceivable type of rainfall, from mist to downpours.  Looking at the calendar’s point of view, some form of precipitation falls there 272 days of the year on average.

As soggy as it may sound, Hilo’s amazing tropical rain forests, waterfalls, and rainbows would not be possible without this significant precipitation.

Pineapple Express

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A Pineapple Express is a non-technical term used to describe a weather pattern that originates in the tropical Pacific and impacts the west coast of the United States. More specifically, it is a type of atmospheric river.

According to NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory, atmospheric rivers are “relatively narrow regions in the atmosphere that are responsible for most of the horizontal transport of water vapor outside of the tropics.” Coming in a variety of shapes and sizes around the globe, they form when strong winds associated with storms draw moisture into a thin area ahead of a cold front. The strongest atmospheric rivers can carry as much as 15 times the amount of water that flows through the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Directed by the jet stream, a Pineapple Express transports moisture from the Hawaiian tropics to the west coast of the US. They are famous for bringing warm, moist air and heavy rain to California, Oregon, and Washington. Just a few of these events, according to NOAA, can supply the region with 30% to 50% of its annual precipitation. While beneficial on one hand, they can also be dangerous. If these systems stall over an area, they can cause major flooding and landslides.

The term Pineapple Express is named for the tropical Pacific’s popular fruit.

The atmospheric river known as the pineapple express. Image credit: cimss/wunderground

The atmospheric river known as the pineapple express.  Image credit: cimss/wunderground.

Rev. 2014

Pumpkin Economics

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Many aspects of the economy are dependent on the weather. The agricultural sector is especially vulnerable to extreme conditions.  Crops need just the right amount of water. Either too much or too little is bad news.

This summer and early fall we had excessive rain and serious flooding in the North East.   This extreme weather has affected many crops with pumpkins being a high profile seasonal example.

Depending on their location, some crops washed away in floods or rotted from a moisture loving fungus.  As a result, there will be less pumpkins in the patches this year in certain areas.  So, go early for a good selection.  It should also be noted that according the laws of supply and demand, we can most likely expect to pay a little more for our Halloween pumpkins this year.

Pumpkins ... a symbol of the season

Photo Credit: Wikipedia