September 2023 Weather Summary

Bill1 Comment

September was near normal for temperature. The high for the month was 90.0 deg. F recorded on September 5. The low for the month was 43.1 deg F, recorded on September 15. There was 1 day at or above 90 deg F and 0 days at or below 32 deg F. There were 154 heating degree days and 100 cooling degree days.

September had 2.43 inches of rainfall recorded, which was 1.52 inches below normal. The maximum rainfall in a single day was 0.68 inches recorded on September 9. There were 10 days of rain >.01 in, 7 >.10 in, and 0 > 1 in. There was enough rainfall to end the moderate drought conditions in Pennsylvania.

High wind speed of 25 mph on September 4.

September 2023 Data

Summary 0f Summer 2023

Bill1 Comment

Meteorological Summer is officially over. Here is a brief summary of June 1-August 31 in Stormstown, PA:

Number of days Max T >= 90 F: 1

Max T: 91.2 F – June 2, 2023

Min T: 38.4 F – June 8, 2023

Jun Dep from Normal: -2.7 F

Jul Dep from Normal: 0.0 F

Aug Dep from Normal: -1.0 F

Heating Degree Days: 165

Cooling Degree Days: 538

Jun Precip: 3.89″, 0.20″ below normal  

Jul Precip: 6.39″, 2.60″ above normal  

Aug Precip: 5.58″, 1.42″ above normal  

The main event of the summer was the Canadian wildfire smoke in June.

August 2023 Weather Summary

Bill1 Comment

August was 1.0 deg F below normal for temperature. The high for the month was 87.5 deg. F recorded on August 21. The low for the month was 51.5 deg F, recorded on August 2. There were 0 days at or above 90 deg F. There were 38 heating degree days and 174 cooling degree days.

August was an above-normal month for precipitation with 5.58 inches of rainfall recorded, which was 1.42 inches above normal. The maximum rainfall in a single day was 1.22 inches recorded on August 14. There were 11 days of rain >.01 in, 8 >.10 in, and 1 >1 in.

High wind speed of 29 mph on August 8.

August 2023 Data

Robin’s Nest

Bill1 Comment

On Friday afternoon July 21, 2023, I was trimming back the Hydrangas by our front door. It was then that I discovered a bird’s nest, with 3 light blue eggs. I immediately stopped trimming and let them be. A few days later, on July 25, I found that the eggs had hatched.

On July 29 they had grown quite a bit.

On the morning of July 30, I found that one of the hatchlings was not in the nest. I found it nearby and rescued it. It seemed to be uninjured, but it was probably tired, thirsty, and hungry.

On August 1, their flight feathers were developing.

On August 4, I took my last photograph of the young birds in their nest.

On August 5, the nest had fallen from its original location with no sign of the young Robins.

Later, one hatchling was spotted on the ground in the shrubs. It is hoped that the others survived as well.

Update: Early in the evening I found one of the fledglings in our backyard.

July 2023 Weather Summary

Bill1 Comment

July was a normal month for temperature. The high for the month was 89.9 deg. F recorded on July 28. The low for the month was 54.6 deg F, recorded on July 31. There were no days at or above 90 deg F. There were 17 heating degree days and 240 cooling degree days.

July was an above-normal month for precipitation with 6.39 inches of rainfall recorded, which was 2.60 inches above normal. The maximum rainfall in a single day was 1.03 inches recorded on July 20. There were 15 days of rain >.01 in, 11 >.10 in, and 2 >1 in.

High wind speed of 37 mph on July 20.

July 2023 Data

June 2023 Weather Summary

Bill3 Comments

June was 2.7 deg F below normal for temperature. The high for the month was 91 deg. F recorded on June 2. The low for the month was 38 deg F, recorded on June 8. There were 110 heating degree days and 124 cooling degree days.

June was a below normal month for precipitation with 3.89 inches of rainfall recorded, which was 0.20 inches below normal. The maximum rainfall in a single day was 0.83 inches recorded on June 12. There were 11 days of rain >.01 in, 8 >.10 in and 0 >1 in.

High wind speed of 30 mph on June 14.

June 2023 Data

Here is the latest drought summary for Pennsylvania:

On two occasions, smoke drifted down from the Canadian wildfires into our region. The first was June 6-8.

The second was June 28-30.

The air quality became unhealthy during both events and the first one was slightly worse.

Canada Wildfire Smoke Reaches Stormstown

Bill1 Comment
Afternoon at Stormstown, PA on Wednesday, June 7, 2023

On Wednesday, June 7, 2023, smoke from several major wildfires in Canada drifted into the central Pennsylvania region. The air quality in the area became unhealthy as a result.

This is a graph of air quality parameters collected during the week of June 7. A Davis AirLink sensor at my home collected the data. The wood smoke adjustment was enabled.

The graph shows that the general air quality index (AQI), the index for particulates that are 10 micrometers and smaller (PMI 10) was quite high, and particulates of 2.5 micrometers and smaller (PMI 2.5). In fact, the overall AQI was in the red or unhealthy range, nearly at the purple or very unhealthy level. Particulates of 1 micrometer or smaller (PMI 1) were in the moderate range.

More information can be found in the EPA AQI guide.

May 2023 Weather Summary

Bill1 Comment

May was 1.9 deg F below normal for temperature. The high for the month was 85.0 F, recorded on May 29. The low for the month was 39.9 deg F, recorded on May 18. There was 1 day at or below 32 F. There were 286 heating degree days and 67 cooling degree days.

May was a below-normal month for precipitation with 0.59 inches of rainfall recorded, which was 3.05 inches below normal. The maximum rainfall in a single day was 0.14 inches recorded on May 3. There were 7 days of rain >.01 in, 2 >.10 in, and 0 > 1 in.

It is abnormally dry throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with a small area of moderate drought conditions in the southeast quadrants.

The high wind speed for the month was 27 mph on May 1.

May 2023 Data

Summary of Spring 2023

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Meteorological Spring is officially over. Here is a brief summary of March 1 – May 31, 2023 in Stormstown, PA:

Number of Days Max T <= 32 F: 2
Number of Days Min T <= 32 F: 29
Max T: 85.0 F – May 29, 2023
Min T: 18.5 F – March 19, 2023

Mar Dep from Normal: 1.6 F
Apr Dep from Normal: 3.7 F
May Dep from Normal: -1.9 F

Heating Degree Days: 1508
Cooling Degree Days: 113

Mar Precip: 2.81″, 0.57″ below normal
Apr Precip: 2.95″, 0.56″ below normal
May Precip: 0.59″, 3.05″ below normal

April 2023 Weather Summary

Bill1 Comment

April was 3.7 F above normal for temperature. The high for the month was 86.1 F, recorded on April 14. The low for the month was 27.0 F, recorded on April 25. There were 7 days at or below 32 F. There were 407 heating degree days and 46 cooling degree days.

April was a below-normal month for precipitation with 2.95 inches of rainfall recorded, which was 0.56 inches below normal. The maximum rainfall in a single day was 0.74 inches recorded on April 30. There were 10 days of rain >.01 in, 8 >.10 in and 0 > 1 in.

There was no measurable snow in April.

High wind speed of 44 mph on April 1.

April 2023 Data