Climatological Report (Monthly)
Issued by NWS Spokane, WA

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000
CXUS56 KOTX 020058
CLMGEG

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
557 PM PDT FRI SEP 01 2023

...................................

...THE SPOKANE WA AIRPORT CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2023...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1881 TO 2023

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART   LAST YEAR`S
                VALUE   DATE(S)   VALUE   FROM     VALUE DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH            108   08/04/1961
                       08/04/1928
 LOW              35   08/29/1965
                       08/31/1964
HIGHEST          102   08/15         MM      MM      100  08/18
                                                          08/31
LOWEST            51   08/24         MM      MM       48  08/28
AVG. MAXIMUM    84.6               83.8     0.8     90.1
AVG. MINIMUM    60.1               56.7     3.4     62.0
MEAN            72.3               70.3     2.0     76.0
DAYS MAX >= 90    12                8.3     3.7       19
DAYS MAX <= 32     0                0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 32     0                0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 0      0                0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM        2.12   1923
 MINIMUM           T   2022
TOTALS          0.98               0.47    0.51        T
DAILY AVG.      0.03               0.02    0.01        T
DAYS >= .01        6                3.2     2.8        0
DAYS >= .10        3                1.3     1.7        0
DAYS >= .50        0                0.2    -0.2        0
DAYS >= 1.00       0                0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   0.47   08/29 TO 08/30                  T

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           0.0   MM
TOTALS           0.0                0.0     0.0      0.0
SINCE 7/1        0.0                0.0     0.0       MM
SNOWDEPTH AVG.     0                                   0
DAYS >= 1.0        0                0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH        0                                   0  MM
 24 HR TOTAL      MM                                  MM

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     19                 28      -9        3
 SINCE 7/1        19                 52     -33       MM
COOLING TOTAL    255                190      65      353
 SINCE 1/1       746                469     277       MM
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              7.6
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    32/230    DATE  08/18
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    38/230    DATE  08/18

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           12
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             12
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          7

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     46

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              1     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                1     RAIN                       3
LIGHT RAIN                7     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     SLEET                      0
FOG                       8     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      1
HAZE                     11

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

$$

AUGUST 2023 BROUGHT WARMER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES TO NORTHEAST
WASHINGTON AND THE NORTH IDAHO PANHANDLE.  PRECIPITATION WAS ABOVE
NORMAL AS WELL DUE TO A COUPLE WET SYSTEMS DURING THE MONTH. FOR
SPOKANE THE 0.98 INCHES THAT FELL AT THE AIRPORT MADE IT THE WETTEST
AUGUST SINCE 2004. THIS DID NOT MEAN A LACK OF FIRE WEATHER EVENTS
HOWEVER WITH AUGUST 18TH BEING A DAY SPOKANE RESIDENTS WILL REMEMBER
FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

FROM THE 5TH THROUGH THE 9TH A PERIOD OF WET THUNDERSTORMS IMPACTED
THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS WITH SCATTERED WET THUNDERSTORMS. THE 7TH WAS
PARTICULARLY ACTIVE FROM CHEWELAH TO PRIEST LAKE AS THUNDERSTORMS
PRODUCED ABUNDANT LIGHTNING.  UNFORTUNATELY MOST OF THE SPOKANE AREA
ONLY RECEIVED LIGHT AMOUNTS OF RAIN FROM THIS ACTIVE PERIOD. THE
HOTTEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SUMMER ARRIVED FROM THE 14TH THROUGH THE
17TH WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES EACH DAY RANGING FROM THE UPPER 90S TO
NEAR 105.  THEN ON THE 18TH VERY DRY CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS
FANNED FLAMES OF DISASTER IN THE SPOKANE AREA. A STRONG DRY COLD
FRONT LED TO RAPID FIRE SPREAD OF TWO FIRES. GUSTY WEST WINDS GUSTED
UP TO 37 MPH COMBINED WITH SEVERAL HOURS OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY AS LOW
AS 6 PERCENT.  IN ADDITION, A WIND SHIFT OUT OF THE NORTHWEST BEHIND
THE COLD FRONT MADE MATTERS EVEN WORSE. THE GRAY FIRE BURNED THROUGH
THE MEDICAL AND SILVER LAKE AREAS JUST SOUTHWEST OF SPOKANE.  THE
OREGON FIRE BURNED THROUGH MUCH OF ELK. THE FIRES BURNED HUNDREDS OF
STRUCTURES INCLUDING HOMES, AND ALSO RESULTED IN TWO FATALITIES.

THEN FROM THE 19TH THROUGH THE 21ST SMOKE MOVED DOWN FROM CANADA
ALONG WITH ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM LOCAL FIRES. AIR QUALITY
REACHED VERY UNHEALTHY TO HAZARDOUS LEVELS OVER THE REGION.
ACCORDING TO DATA FROM SPOKANE CLEAN AIR, IT WAS THE SECOND WORSE
SMOKE EVENT SINCE 2000, BUT NOT QUITE REACHING THE SMOKE LEVELS NOR
THE DURATION THAT OCCURRED IN SEPTEMBER 2020.  THEN THE SMOKE AND
FIRE SITUATION IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY WITH MUCH NEEDED RAIN OVER THE
REGION ON THE 22ND AND THEN INCREASED WEST WINDS ON THE 23RD TO
CLEAR OUT THE SMOKE. WIDESPREAD RAIN AMOUNTS OF 0.25-0.50" FELL WITH
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE SANDPOINT
AREA HAD A COUPLE REPORTS OF 1.04 INCHES OF RAIN WITH 0.81 AT PRIEST
LAKE.  BUT AN EVEN WETTER STORM TRACKED THROUGH ON THE 29TH AND 30TH
PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS INITIALLY FOLLOWED BY STEADY RAIN.
WIDESPREAD RAIN OF 0.50-1.25 INCHES FELL WITH A FEW AREAS GETTING
EVEN MORE.  DEER PARK CAME IN WITH 1.49 INCHES, AND KELLOGG 1.58
INCHES.

A COUPLE TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE TIED OR BROKE DURING THE MONTH AT
THE SPOKANE AIRPORT.  THIS INCLUDES A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 102
SET ON THE 15TH...AND A HIGH OF 101 THAT TIED THE RECORD ON THE 16TH.


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