000
CXUS51 KGYX 060106
CLAAUG

PWMCLAAUG 000
TTAA00 GYX 030203

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
806 PM EST TUE JAN 05 2021

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

...THE AUGUSTA CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR OF 2020...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1948 TO 2021

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART   LAST YEAR`S
                VALUE   DATE(S)   VALUE   FROM     VALUE DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH            100   08/05/1955
 LOW             -23   02/02/1962
HIGHEST           94   06/20         93       1       92  07/21
                                                          07/20
LOWEST            -9   02/15        -10       1       -2  02/27
                                                          02/01
                                                          01/14
AVG. MAXIMUM    56.6               54.7     1.9     53.9
AVG. MINIMUM    38.7               36.8     1.9     36.6
MEAN            47.7               45.7     2.0     45.2
DAYS MAX >= 90     5                4.8     0.2        4
DAYS MAX <= 32    35               57.5   -22.5       67
DAYS MIN <= 32   150              145.4     4.6      151
DAYS MIN <= 0      6               11.0    -5.0        8

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM       57.31   2005
 MINIMUM       25.79   2001
TOTALS         43.33              41.88    1.45    41.22
DAILY AVG.      0.12               0.11    0.01     0.11
DAYS >= .01      122              135.4   -13.4      150
DAYS >= .10       71               79.1    -8.1       82
DAYS >= .50       29               26.7     2.3       24
DAYS >= 1.00      13                9.2     3.8       10
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    2.41  10/13


DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL   6803               7422    -619     7515
 SINCE 7/1      2452               2756    -304     2718
COOLING TOTAL    581                388     193      445
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              6.9
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    38/340    DATE  12/06
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    56/160    DATE  11/16

SKY COVER
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.45

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     69

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM             15     HEAVY RAIN                25
RAIN                     44     LIGHT RAIN               116
FREEZING RAIN             2     LT FREEZING RAIN           5
HEAVY SNOW                5     SNOW                      17
LIGHT SNOW               43     FOG                      191
FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE    81     HAZE                      40

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

&&

THE YEAR BEGAN WITH A RELATIVELY MILD WINTER WITH ONLY BRIEF PERIODS
OF COLDER WEATHER. THE TEMPERATURE WARMED INTO THE 50S ON JANUARY 11
AND 12. THE MOST CONSISTENT PERIOD OF COLD WEATHER WAS ABOUT A WEEK
LATER WHEN AUGUSTA STAYED BELOW FREEZING FOR 5 STRAIGHT DAYS AND SAW
A LOW OF 3 BELOW ZERO ON JANUARY 18. BUT MILD WEATHER KEPT
RETURNING. THERE WERE A FEW MORE BRIEF BOUTS OF ARCTIC AIR IN
FEBRUARY INCLUDING 4 MORE SUBZERO LOWS, THE COLDEST BEING 9 BELOW ON
FEBRUARY 15. BUT OVERALL THE WINTER PERIOD WAS QUITE MILD. BY LATE
FEBRUARY AND EARLY MARCH THERE WERE EVEN A FEW MORE 50 DEGREE DAYS,
WITH THE WARMEST REACHING 61 ON MARCH 9. MORE FREQUENT STORMY
WEATHER WAS OBSERVED IN THE FIRST PART OF THE SPRING. A NEW STORM
SYSTEM WOULD BRING RAIN OR WINTRY WEATHER JUST ABOUT EVERY WEEK.
MORE THAN AN INCH OF RAIN FELL ON APRIL 2 AND 3. A WEEK LATER SAW
ANOTHER INCH OF PRECIPITATION ON APRIL 9 AND 10, THIS TIME WITH RAIN
CHANGING TO SNOW AS THE TEMPERATURE COOLED. A FEW DAYS LATER SAW
NEARLY 2 INCHES OF RAIN ON APRIL 13. AFTER THIS STORM MOVED BY, THE
WEATHER TURNED COOLER WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES QUITE COMMON
FROM THE LAST HALF OF APRIL INTO THE FIRST HALF OF MAY ALONG WITH
FREQUENT PRECIPITATION INCLUDING A VERY LATE SNOWFALL ON MAY 9. THIS
WAS ALSO THE LAST FREEZE OF THE SPRING.

SUDDENLY IN MID MAY THE FREQUENT STORMY WEATHER ENDED AND
PRECIPITATION LARGELY STOPPED. THE PERSISTENT TROUGH WHICH BROUGHT
THE COOL AND STORMY WEATHER SHIFTED TO THE EAST. INSTEAD, FREQUENT
COOL, DRY AIR MASSES SPILLED DOWN OUT OF CANADA. THE LAST
SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL WAS ON MAY 15 WHEN MORE THAN HALF AN INCH OF
RAIN FELL. BARELY ANY RAIN FELL AGAIN FOR MORE THAN A MONTH CAUSING
DROUGHT CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY. THE TEMPERATURE DURING THIS
TIME WAS FREQUENTLY WARM DURING THE DAY AND COOL AT NIGHT DUE TO THE
DRY AIR MASSES WHICH DOMINATED THE PERIOD. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE SOME
DAYS OF 80 DEGREE WARMTH IN LATE MAY, THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED INTO
THE 30S ON JUNE 1. THE FIRST STRETCH OF CONSISTENTLY HOT WEATHER
CAME IN MID JUNE WHEN AUGUSTA SAW 3 STRAIGHT DAYS ABOVE 90 DEGREES
FROM JUNE 18 THROUGH 20. THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURE OF THE YEAR WAS 94
ON JUNE 20. JUST AS THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY BEGAN TO CLIMB TOWARD THE
END OF JUNE, FINALLY SOME DROUGHT RELIEF ARRIVED. FROM JUNE 28
THROUGH 30 NEARLY 2 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AS A SLOW MOVING LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM BROUGHT FREQUENT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. UNTIL
THIS RAINFALL, AUGUSTA WAS ENDURING ITS DRIEST PERIOD ON RECORD FOR
THIS TIME OF YEAR. SUCH CONSISTENTLY DRY WEATHER WAS UNPRECEDENTED
FOR THE SPRING WHICH IS TYPICALLY THE RAINIEST TIME OF YEAR. THE
TABLE BELOW LISTS THE LEAST PRECIPITATION OBSERVED DURING THIS
STRETCH OF TIME.

LEAST PRECIPITATION MAY 16 THROUGH JUN 27 (SINCE 1948)...
RANK  PRECIP  YEAR
1      0.53   2020  <===
2      1.90   1964
3      2.04   2018
4      2.16   1963
5      2.29   2016

ALTHOUGH THE DROUGHT BUSTING RAINS ENDED, MORE FREQUENT SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS IN JULY KEPT THE DROUGHT FROM WORSENING, AT LEAST FOR
THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH. LATER IN JULY THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY
BEGAN TO BUILD AGAIN WITH MANY DAYS IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S AND
NIGHTTIME LOWS IN THE MID 60S TO LOW 70S. THIS CONTINUED THROUGH MID
AUGUST WITH ONE EXCEPTION. TROPICAL STORM ISAIAS MOVED THROUGH THE
REGION ON AUGUST 4 BRINGING ABOUT HALF AN INCH OF RAIN AND 45 MPH
WIND GUSTS. THE FIRST STRONG COLD FRONT CAME THROUGH ON AUGUST 15,
BRINGING THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY TO AN END. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE A FEW
MORE HOT DAYS IN LATE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL, THE PERSISTENT HEAT WAS
OVER. THIS WAS THE 6TH WARMEST SUMMER ON RECORD AT AUGUSTA.

MORE THAN AN INCH OF RAIN FELL ON AUGUST 29, BUT THIS WOULD BE THE
LAST SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL FOR A WHILE AS DROUGHT CONDITIONS EMERGED
AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER. BARELY ANY RAIN FELL DURING THE NEXT 4 WEEKS AS
A SERIES OF COLD FRONTS BROUGHT DRY, CONTINENTAL AIR MASSES INTO THE
REGION. THIS OFTEN BROUGHT WARM DAYS AND OCCASIONALLY COOL NIGHTS.
THE COOLEST TEMPERATURES WERE IN MID SEPTEMBER WHEN AUGUSTA SAW A
FEW FROSTY NIGHTS IN THE MID 30S. FINALLY AFTER A MONTH OF DRY
WEATHER A STORM SYSTEM ON SEPTEMBER 30 BROUGHT NEARLY AN INCH OF
RAIN ALONG WITH 49 MPH WINDS. THIS BEGAN A GRADUAL SHIFT IN THE
WEATHER PATTERN WITH MORE FREQUENT STORMINESS RETURNING. FREQUENT
FRONTAL SYSTEMS BROUGHT A TOPSY TURVY TEMPERATURE PATTERN WITH
OCCASIONAL WARMTH REPLACED BY COLD. THE FIRST FREEZE WAS ON OCTOBER
12. THE FIRST OF THE SIGNIFICANT STORM SYSTEMS BROUGHT MORE THAN 2
INCHES OF RAIN ON OCTOBER 13. A FEW DAYS LATER ANOTHER 2 INCHES WAS
RECORDED ON OCTOBER 16 AND 17. LATER IN OCTOBER THE TEMPERATURE
TURNED COLDER WITH SNOW OBSERVED JUST BEFORE HALLOWEEN. WHILE THE
COLDER WEATHER LASTED A FEW WEEKS, ANOTHER SHIFT WAS IN STORE FOR
NOVEMBER. AUGUSTA SAW ONE OF THE MOST INTENSE AND LONG LASTING LATE
SEASON WARM SPELLS ON RECORD. BEGINNING ON NOVEMBER 5, AUGUSTA SAW 8
STRAIGHT DAYS WARM INTO THE 60S OR HIGHER INCLUDING 7 CONSECUTIVE
DAILY RECORD HIGHS. THE WARMEST WAS 73 ON NOVEMBER 7.

A COLD FRONT ON NOVEMBER 12 BROUGHT THE UNUSUAL WARMTH TO AN END
WITH A COOLER AND STORMIER PATTERN RETURNING. A STRONG STORM SYSTEM
BROUGHT SOME RAIN AND WIND ON NOVEMBER 15 AND 16 WITH GUSTS TO 56
MPH BRINGING DOWN TREES AND POWER LINES IN THE AREA. THE NEXT STORM
ON NOVEMBER 23 BROUGHT MORE THAN 2 INCHES OF RAIN. ANOTHER STRONG
STORM ON NOVEMBER 30 INTO DECEMBER 1 BROUGHT MORE THAN 3 INCHES OF
RAIN AND 55 MPH WINDS, AGAIN CAUSING DAMAGE IN THE AREA. JUST A FEW
DAYS LATER ANOTHER COLDER STORM BROUGHT A HEAVY WET SNOWFALL WHICH
ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWER LINES. MORE THAN 2 INCHES OF
LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION WAS RECORDED FROM THIS SNOW ON
DECEMBER 5. THE COLDEST AIR OF THE NEW WINTER SEASON CAME IN MID
DECEMBER WITH AUGUSTA STAYING BELOW FREEZING FOR 7 STRAIGHT DAYS
ALONG WITH SOME MORE SNOW. HOWEVER, A WARM UP BEGAN BEFORE
CHRISTMAS. BY CHRISTMAS DAY ANOTHER WARM RAIN STORM HAD ARRIVED. IT
WAS THE WARMEST AND WETTEST CHRISTMAS ON RECORD AT AUGUSTA WITH THE
TEMPERATURE REACHING 60 DEGREES, MORE THAN 2 INCHES OF RAIN FALLING,
AND WINDS GUSTING TO 48 MPH. ALTHOUGH THE TEMPERATURE COOLED BEHIND
THIS STORM, IT REMAINED MILD THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE YEAR WAS 47.7 DEGREES WHICH WAS 2.0
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AND THE 5TH WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. THE WARMEST
YEAR WAS IN 1999 WHEN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AS 49.3 DEGREES. THE
COLDEST WAS 42.8 DEGREES IN 1968. THE FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS THE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR EACH MONTH OF 2020 INCLUDING DEPARTURES
FROM NORMAL.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURES BY MONTH IN 2020
MONTH      MAXIMUM       MINIMUM      AVERAGE      NOTES
JANUARY    33.2 (+5.6)   18.0 (+7.0)  25.6 (+6.3)  5TH WARMEST
FEBRUARY   33.9 (+2.1)   17.2 (+2.7)  25.6 (+2.4)
MARCH      44.4 (+4.0)   26.6 (+3.2)  35.5 (+3.6)  8TH WARMEST
APRIL      50.3 (-2.8)   33.6 (-1.0)  42.0 (-1.9)
MAY        66.0 (+0.8)   43.5 (-1.1)  54.8 (-0.1)
JUNE       76.7 (+2.9)   55.2 (+1.0)  66.0 (+2.0)
JULY       80.5 (+1.3)   62.9 (+3.0)  71.7 (+2.2)  3RD WARMEST
AUGUST     79.3 (+1.3)   59.7 (+1.2)  69.5 (+1.2)
SEPTEMBER  71.9 (+2.3)   51.2 (+0.7)  61.6 (+1.6)
OCTOBER    56.5 (-0.7)   39.7 (+0.1)  48.1 (-0.3)
NOVEMBER   49.9 (+4.7)   32.7 (+2.1)  41.3 (+3.4)  9TH WARMEST
DECEMBER   37.2 (+3.7)   24.5 (+5.9)  30.9 (+4.8)  7TH WARMEST
ANNUAL     56.6 (+1.9)   38.7 (+1.9)  47.7 (+2.0)  5TH WARMEST

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 47.7 DEGREES WAS THE 5TH WARMEST ON
RECORD FOR AUGUSTA. THE FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS THE WARMEST AVERAGE
ANNUAL TEMPERATURES AT AUGUSTA.

WARMEST ANNUAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (SINCE 1948)...
RANK  AVE   YEAR
1     49.3  1999
2     48.4  2010
3     47.9  1998
4     47.8  2006
5     47.7  2020  <===
      47.7  2012
7     47.5  1973
8     47.4  1953
9     47.2  2016
      47.2  1990
      47.2  1971

THE GROWING SEASON, AS DEFINED AS THE LONGEST CONSECUTIVE DAYS ABOVE
FREEZING, LASTED FOR 155 DAYS IN 2020 FROM MAY 9 THROUGH OCTOBER 12.
THIS WAS 11 DAYS SHORTER THAN THE NORMAL OF 166 DAYS. IT WAS ALSO
THE SHORTEST GROWING SEASON OBSERVED AT AUGUSTA SINCE 1995. THE
SHORTEST GROWING SEASON WAS 117 DAYS LONG IN 1956. THE LONGEST WAS
201 DAYS IN 2017 AND 1968.

A TOTAL OF 43.33 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL WHICH WAS 1.45 INCHES
ABOVE NORMAL. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION FELL ON NOVEMBER 30 AND
DECEMBER 1 WHEN 3.36 INCHES OF RAIN WAS MEASURED. THE WETTEST YEAR
WAS 2005 WHEN 57.31 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL. THE DRIEST WAS
2001 WITH ONLY 25.79 INCHES RECORDED. THE FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS THE
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS AND DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL FOR EACH MONTH OF
2020.

MONTHLY PRECIPITATION TOTALS FOR 2020
MONTH      PRECIPITATION   NOTES
JANUARY    1.92  (-0.69)
FEBRUARY   2.29  (-0.14)
MARCH      2.51  (-0.86)
APRIL      5.32  (+1.53)
MAY        1.98  (-1.71)
JUNE       2.44  (-1.12)
JULY       4.12  (+0.70)
AUGUST     2.95  (-0.36)
SEPTEMBER  1.13  (-2.61)   5TH DRIEST
OCTOBER    5.69  (+1.33)
NOVEMBER   6.86  (+2.50)   7TH WETTEST
DECEMBER   6.12  (+2.88)   7TH WETTEST
ANNUAL     43.33 (+1.45)

THERE WERE 13 DAYS THAT RECORDED AT LEAST 1.00 INCH OF
PRECIPITATION, 3.8 DAYS MORE THAN NORMAL. THE FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS
THE DAYS WHICH RECEIVED AT LEAST 1.00 INCH OF PRECIPITATION IN 2020.

DAYS WITH AT LEAST 1.00 INCH OF PRECIPITATION IN 2020
DAY           PRECIPITATION
JANUARY 25    1.37
APRIL 2       1.00
APRIL 9       1.15
APRIL 13      1.78
JUN 29        1.24
AUGUST 29     1.05
OCTOBER 13    2.41
OCTOBER 17    1.50
NOVEMBER 23   2.38
NOVEMBER 30   2.30
DECEMBER 1    1.06
DECEMBER 5    2.08
DECEMBER 25   2.06

THE FOLLOWING DAILY RECORDS WERE SET OR TIED IN 2020...
DATE    RECORD                               PREVIOUS
JAN 11  54   - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      54 IN 1983 (TIED)
MAR 4   36   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       36 IN 1974 (TIED)
APR 9   1.15 - GREATEST PRECIPITATION        0.87 IN 2000
APR 13  1.78 - GREATEST PRECIPITATION        1.19 IN 2002
APR 22  37   - COOLEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      38 IN 1989
MAY 1   0.76 - GREATEST PRECIPITATION        0.62 IN 1974
MAY 29  65   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       61 IN 1987
JUN 1   38   - COLDEST LOW TEMPERATURE       40 IN 2009 AND 1961
JUN 6   60   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       60 IN 1966 (TIED)
JUL 11  67   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       67 IN 2010 AND OTHERS (TIED)
JUL 12  70   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       70 IN 1988 (TIED)
JUL 14  0.87 - GREATEST PRECIPITATION        0.66 IN 1971
JUL 27  72   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       71 IN 1989 AND OTHERS
AUG 27  64   - COOLEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      65 IN 2006
SEP 28  64   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       62 IN 2008
SEP 29  63   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       62 IN 1967 AND 1959
OCT 13  2.41 - GREATEST PRECIPITATION        2.05 IN 1983
OCT 17  1.50 - GREATEST PRECIPITATION        1.01 IN 2019
OCT 28  37   - COOLEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      38 IN 1965
OCT 30  36   - COOLEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      37 IN 1966
NOV 3   36   - COOLEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      36 IN 1962 (TIED)
NOV 6   66   - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      65 IN 1959
NOV 7   73   - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      66 IN 1975
NOV 7   55   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       55 IN 2008 (TIED)
NOV 8   66   - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      66 IN 2011 (TIED)
NOV 9   69   - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      68 IN 1975
NOV 10  69   - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      64 IN 1948
NOV 11  71   - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      65 IN 2002
NOV 12  63   - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      62 IN 2012
NOV 23  2.38 - GREATEST PRECIPITATION        1.45 IN 1953
DEC 1   44   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       40 IN 1991
DEC 5   2.08 - GREATEST PRECIPITATION        1.12 IN 1950
DEC 25  60   - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      56 IN 2015
DEC 25  50   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       41 IN 1964
DEC 25  2.06 - GREATEST PRECIPITATION        0.86 IN 1979

$$

KIMBLE