Our summer weather for 2019

This time around we’ll be looking at the historic weather results for our summer – June, July and August and the summer of 2019. We’ll also take a look-see at what is being predicted for our upcoming winter – December, January and February 2019-20.

First, let’s delve into the world of predicted weather as provided by the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). The CPC, as I’ve mentioned before, is a service of the National Weather Service, an agency under the broader umbrella of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). As of this writing, here is what the CPC is stating for the three-month winter period for our general area. The temperature probability is above normal. So, maybe a lighter jacket will be needed? Precipitation falls into the EC or, Equal Chance of above normal, below normal or normal. Not much help there. Keep the snow blower tuned and snow shovel at the ready. I need to state that these predictions were made in mid-August.

Here are the results for the month of August 2019 at my home weather station. Total precipitation was 0.76 inches. Our mean for August is 0.41 inches, and the all-time maximum precipitation was 1.76 inches in 2014. Temperatures for August were as follows: high was 103.1˚F, the low was 52.6˚F and the mean for the month was 74.2˚F. The all-time high was 110˚F in 1961, the all-time low was 38˚F back in 1951, and the all-time mean for the month is 72˚F. I had three days that were over the 100˚F mark here at the home weather station — August 6, 7 and 8.

Now, let’s look at the results for the summer weather of 2019 — June, July and August. The high temperature was 103.1˚F in August. The low temperature was 42.1˚F in June, and the mean for the three-month period was 71.5˚F. We had precipitation all three months: June 0.09 inches, July 0.18 inches, and August 0.76 inches. Total precipitation for the summer of 2019 — 1.03 inches. We average 10.75 inches in a year.

Weather data for our region has been recorded since 1934. That gives us about 85 years of weather data. Weather observations started here as the Grand Coulee Dam project began. Those data are available from the National Weather Service in Spokane via their website. The chart shows the three-month summer weather data from 1934 to 2018.