ChescoWx

Below is my September weather recap for the local newsletter...some very interesting stats on the unprecedented wet summer and it's impact on our equine friends in our Township. Hello again from Paul at the East Nantmeal PA Weather Station (www.chescowx.com). Be sure to follow me on twitter at Twitter as I am tweeting multiple daily climate reports, forecast updates and weather photos for our fair Township. When I wrote my last article, we were in the early days of June coming out of a warmer and wetter than normal May. This trend would continue with 2 of the 3 summer months of June, July and August averaging above normal in temps. Before we get to the big weather story of the summer the incredible wetness let’s cover the temperatures. June finished up with an average temperature of 69.0 degrees which is +1.7 degrees above normal. We did not experience any 90-degree days here in East Nantmeal in June, with our highest temperature being the 88.7 on June 30th. We also experience our last low below 50 degrees on June 12th when we bottomed out at 48.4 degrees. That was our last dip into the 40’s we will experience until toward the end of this month (September) or early October. July ended up just a bit below normal with an average temperature of 73.7 which is 0.2 degrees below normal. That said we did experience our 1st heat wave (3 or more days in a row at 90+) in 6 years the last being July 5-7. 2012. Our heat wave this year started on July 1st with the hottest day we experienced all summer at 92.6 degrees. Highs of 90.9 and 92.3 followed on the 2nd and the 3rd. This however would be our last 90-degree day of the year. We finished the year with only 4 days above 90. As I mentioned in my last article keep an eye on the heat island that is the Philadelphia airport to contrast the summer we experienced here in the relative high elevations of East Nantmeal compared to the near sea-level readings recording at PHL airport. Philadelphia ended up with a whopping 30 days that exceeded the 90-degree mark while we ended at just 4 such days. That said a lot of upper 80’s with humidity did not mean we had a cool summer! What really made this summer notable and for many of you with horses in the Township quite stressful was the incredibly wet summer. Alison Mallamo from our Township educated me on a condition called “laminitis” which results from horses love of tall lush grass, however just like human diabetics, horses can develop insulin resistance, and lush grass is high in sugar. What happens is their feet fall apart. Structures called "laminae" that support the "coffin" bone within the hoof begin to break down, and the sole can also thin out, causing this very painful condition. I hope those of you with horses in the Township made it through this very wet summer. So how wet was this summer? In a word it was unprecedented. I went back and looked at every summer in Chester County over the last 125 years of weather records. During the summer months of June, July and August we recorded an incredible 28.71” of rain including 13.00” in August - this crushed the old record for wettest summer previously held by the wet summer way back in 1928 when 26.40” of rain fell. What made this even worse was how many of our summer days ended up with recorded rainfall. In fact, from June 1st through September 15th over 45% of the days featured some rain with 45 of those 107 days experiencing rainfall. To add more perspective that 28.71” that fell in just 3 summer months represents 58% of our normal annual rainfall! The 1st 15 days of September have actually increased the rainy trend with 11 of the days so far this month with rain. The good news is our driest season (fall) is almost here. With fall we will see normal high temperatures falling from the mid-70’s today to the upper 50’s by the end of October. We should also experience our 1st frost and then freeze during the month of October. By the next time we chat in December it is probable that we would have already experienced our 1st snowfall or at least flurries of the season. Our average snowfall here in East Nantmeal is a little over 36” in a typical winter season. As I mentioned in a prior article this is actually the same average snowfall that is expected in Chicago IL. Philadelphia at the airport by contrast should only expect around 22” in a normal winter. I hope all of you have a great fall! If you have any questions, please visit my website, follow me on twitter and send me an email. Until next time –All the best! Paul “Some are weather-wise, some are otherwise” Ben Franklin

Not much rain here with only .03" of rain so far today more possible tonight - our 7th straight day with measurable rain with 3.60" during that stretch. We are now up to 56.82" of rain for the year (+21.11" above normal) - this is already the 9th wettest year (125 years of local Chester County records) - wettest year was 1996 when 75.12" fell

Up to 1.37" of rain so far today (and still raining) here in East Nantmeal Chester County PA which brings the month up to 3.02" with an incredible 31.73" falling since June 1st. We are now a whopping 20.81" above normal rainfall through today with 56.19" year to date

Best we could do in Chester County was 89 at KMQS and 87.2 in East Nantmeal....where heat waves go to die! Still not a 90+ day since July 3rd and likely done for the year with only 4 days over 90

Yesterday's highs in Chester County yesterday KMQS - 89 and East Nantmeal 86.3 - still no 90+ days since July 3rd at both locations....while down in PHL now up to 28 such days and 29 on the way today

Here in the beautiful hills of NW Chester County in East Nantmeal Township we are now up to exactly 2.00" of rain today and 13.00" for the month of August this is the 3rd highest August rainfall in Chester County since NWS CoOp records began way back in 1894. August 2018 ranks only behind the 17.81" that fell in 1955 and the 13.29" of rain in August 1933. Year to Date we are now at 53.17" which is 19.06" above normal!

1st Heat Wave of the Year at the NJ shore with today's high before the sea breeze at 91.9 -1st "official" heat wave with the last 3 days above 90 in beautiful Sea Isle City NJ...of course back in the highlands of the philly burbs in Chester County PA not close to a heat wave as just 83.3 today - still sitting at only 4 days above 90 here in the burbs vs. the now 26 90+ days at PHL airport

Hi Great Snow - just 3 years ago the winter of 2015/16 was much colder than only 3 degrees below normal. In that winter we experienced the following departures from normal for the winter months December +2.6 / January -3.6 / February -11.1 and March -5.2 so much colder than a -3 departure. Let me know if you need any more info Thanks! Paul

Just checked at KMQS airport in Coatesville and just like here still not one 90+ day in August...tho they did manage 1 degree higher than my location at 89 today

Of course no heat wave here in NW Chester County Pa with while it was the hottest day of the month we could only squeeze out an 87.7 today. However, down on the NJ Beaches today was the hottest day of the summer with a high in Sea Isle City today of 93.7 - this was the 3rd 90+ day of summer at the shore- while back inland in the western Philly burbs no 90+ temps since July 3rd and only four 90+ days this summer!

After another 1.64" of rain since last night....now up to 11.00" even for August - 8.05" above normal through today and 21.02" since June 27th. Finally a nice stretch of weather ahead with an autumnal feel by tomorrow night and then a warm up heading into next week

With the 0.14" of rain today we are up to 8.84" for the month and 18.86" since June 27th and 49.01" for the year which is 17.25" above normal

I posted JBs outlook...nothing that epic a few degrees below normal and 33% more snow.....not hype worthy IMHO

With the 3.89" so far today here in East Nantmeal - Chester County this is already the 7th greatest daily rainfall since 1984 - the record is the 7.85" with Hurricane Floyd back on September 16, 1999. Rainfall for the month is up to 8.42" over the 1st 13 days of August with 18.44" falling here since June 27th. YTD rainfall stands at 48.59" we are within 2" of our normal annual rainfall...with 4 1/2 months to go in the year!

Rain starting to lighten up - now up to 3.89" so far this AM - My wife just called to let me know most roads in area are of course flooded with traffic barely moving.

sheesh it continues to dump - now up to 2.50" of rain this morning.....more on the way!

Well over 1.50" of rain has fallen here in NW Chester County in East Nantmeal Twp during the past hour....heavy rain and some thunder continues...flooding is and no doubt will continue to occur across the area...

keeping an eye on a big cell now just 11 miles to my NW (just southeast of Reading) dropping SE.....could be some major flooding in East Nantmeal Twp if this holds together

Just picked up 0.47" of rain here in 18 minutes with latest storm - continues to rain more lightly now - up to 0.51" for the day here in East Nantmeal Township - 4.24" (+3.01" above normal) this month and 13.78" since July 1st. Year to date we are now at 44.41" which is 13.31" above normal for here (1983 to Present)

Think your thermometer is running hot - can't find any other readings above 84 in SE PA....

With the 0.15" of rain last evening we are now up to 3.64" this month and 13.18" since July 1st - through today we are 13.25" above normal rain through today. Rain so far this year stands at 43.81" our average annual rainfall is 50.97" with the wettest being the 75.12" that fell back in 1996.. This is already the 10th wettest year in the last 36 years and we are only 0.66" away from matching the entire rain we recorded in 2017.

Highs so far this week in NW Chesco (what heat wave??) Sunday - 87.7 Monday - 87.1 Tuesday 86.3 So far today 85.1

I will post Professional Meteorologists Winter Forecasts here for those interested. To start off Weatherbell sent client forecasts last week and hit us professional subscribers with their forecast (not a probability forecast) today. They see an early start and a cold and stormy winter for our local area. Temperature forecasts for the area are 3 degrees below normal temperatures with more than 133% of normal seasonal snow. Paul

So far this week of course no 90 degree readings here in NW Chesco - I do see PHL likely to hit their 19th such day of the year and 3rd?? in a row. While here in Chesco no 90 degree days in over a month with the last one recorded during our one and only heat wave of the season on July 3rd - for the year here only 4 days above 90