August 2026

[winterwarlock]

1.56 for event but places close by me got over 2 inches

[Prue11]

2.28” central suffolk 

[donsutherland1]

A few locations could still see a shower or thundershower this evening. Most of the region will likely be dry.

Rainfall totals through 4 pm include:

Bridgeport: 0.97" (old record: 0.95", 1954)
Hartford: 3.54" (old record: 3.18", 1954) ***7th Highest August Daily Amount***
Islip: 1.89" (old record: 1.36", 1987)
New York City-Central Park: 1.93"
New York City-JFK Airport: 2.75" (old record: 1.90", 1948)
New York City-LaGuardia Airport: 1.22"
Newark: 2.27" (old record: 1.60", 1885)
Westfield: 1.69"
Westhampton: 1.63" (old record: 1.41", 1961)
Worcester: 1.52" (tied record set in 1996)

No exceptional heat is likely through the first week of August. However, it will turn warmer during the second half of the week.

The ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly was +4.1°C and the Region 3.4 anomaly was +2.3°C for the week centered around July 30. For the past six weeks, the ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly has averaged +3.53°C and the ENSO Region 3.4 anomaly has averaged +2.02°C. The ongoing strong El Niño, which has reached super El Niño threshold, will continue to strengthen through the summer.

The SOI was -10.38 today. 

The preliminary Arctic Oscillation (AO) was -0.154 today. 

 

[bluewave]

Typical uneven nature of rainfall from convection. We would probably need a tropical system to have the heaviest totals spread out more evenly. Bridgeport currently has the heaviest totals since June 1st of the major reporting stations. 
 

June 1st through August 3rd rainfall

NYC….10.28….+0.67

LGA…..9.61……+0.83

EWR….9.74…..+0.27

JFK…..9.31……+1.19

ISP…..10.33……+2.66

BDR….15.84…..+8.36

[psv88]

7 minutes ago, bluewave said:

Typical uneven nature of rainfall from convection. We would probably need a tropical system to have the heaviest totals spread out more evenly. Bridgeport currently has the heaviest totals since June 1st of the major reporting stations. 
 

June 1st through August 3rd rainfall

NYC….10.28….+0.67

LGA…..9.61……+0.83

EWR….9.74…..+0.27

JFK…..9.31……+1.19

ISP…..10.33……+2.66

BDR….15.84…..+8.36

that looks very even to me...5/6 stations within 1 inch over a 60 day period is very even. 

[SACRUS]

a few 90s in NJ extending the mini heatwave for those that hit 90 Fr-Sat-Sun

[bluewave]

25 minutes ago, psv88 said:

that looks very even to me...5/6 stations within 1 inch over a 60 day period is very even. 

Most major sites are just a little above average since June 1st. Bridgeport is the only major station with an uneven big departure. So for the heavy rain to be more even most sites would need to be like Bridgeport.

[psv88]

27 minutes ago, bluewave said:

Most major sites are just a little above average since June 1st. Bridgeport is the only major station with an uneven big departure. So for the heavy rain to be more even most sites would need to be like Bridgeport.

Disagree with that. Bridgeport is the clear outlier and most stations were nearly identical. For the rain to be more even, Bridgeport would need to be more like the other 5 sites, not the reverse. 

[bluewave]

8 minutes ago, psv88 said:

Disagree with that. Bridgeport is the clear outlier and most stations were nearly identical. For the rain to be more even, Bridgeport would need to be more like the other 5 sites, not the reverse. 

If you read my post more clearly that is what I said. Bridgeport is the only major site with such a heavy rainfall departure since June 1st. So for the heaviest totals to be more spread out more sites would need to be like Bridgeport. The other major sites are similar in that they missed the heaviest totals. 

[Psychguy]

1 hour ago, SACRUS said:

a few 90s in NJ extending the mini heatwave for those that hit 90 Fr-Sat-Sun

Thinking it might have hit 90 in Philadelphia today as well... so far only showing 89, but the inter hour readings showed several 90's after today's high was reported. If so, mini heatwave here with 90 Saturday, 91 yesterday, and possibly today. If that is the case our tally would now be up to 29 for the summer season.

[jm1220]

Beautiful ending to the day and humidity definitely dropping. 

[the_other_guy]

What beautiful weather behind the storm! I said it earlier, and I’ll say it again definitely had echoes of a coastal storm, including the rapid clearing and beautiful conditions behind it

[SACRUS]

Today's Highs: (nice recovery)

EWR: 89 
PHL: 89
New Brnswck: 88
ACY: 87
TTN: 87
TEB:  86
LGA: 86
BLM: 85
JFK: 84
ISP: 80
NYC: 80  (wet park doing its work 5 - 7 below other metro sites)


 

[qg_omega]

4 hours ago, bluewave said:

Typical uneven nature of rainfall from convection. We would probably need a tropical system to have the heaviest totals spread out more evenly. Bridgeport currently has the heaviest totals since June 1st of the major reporting stations. 
 

June 1st through August 3rd rainfall

NYC….10.28….+0.67

LGA…..9.61……+0.83

EWR….9.74…..+0.27

JFK…..9.31……+1.19

ISP…..10.33……+2.66

BDR….15.84…..+8.36

very even outside BDR for summertime convection, just a total drought buster without any tropical system.  Amazing

[psv88]

Beautiful night. 73/64 and a breeze 

[LibertyBell]

18 hours ago, bluewave said:

It sounds like you would enjoy the climate out West which averages under 25” a year of precipitation. Just had some friends get back from San Diego and they really loved it out there. We got close to that here back in the 1960s for a time. 

 

I love San Diego but the climate would get kind of boring.  I like a strong variance in weather between the seasons. So for example a hot and dry summer followed by a snowy winter. 2010 into 2011 is probably the best example of that followed by 1993 into 1994. 1995 into 1996 and 2002 into 2003. 1966 into 1967. 1977 into 1978. Come to think of it i think our snowiest winters come after hot and dry summers.

[LibertyBell]

20 hours ago, bluewave said:

Harrison, NJ is on track for their first 9 consecutive years with over 30 days reaching 90°. The last time they had under 10 days was 1996. That year is still the reigning champ for the most snow and least 90° days across the area.

 

Time Series Summary for HARRISON, NJ - Jan through Dec 90° Days
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

2026	26	151
2025	37	0
2024	41	0
2023	33	0
2022	44	0
2021	38	0
2020	39	0
2019	39	0
2018	47	0
2017	23	0
2016	40	0
2015	32	0
2014	16	0
2013	25	0
2012	35	21
2011	31	30
2010	50	30
2009	15	42
2008	22	19
2007	22	5
2006	30	4
2005	41	9
2004	17	6
2003	14	8
2002	47	8
2001	30	7
2000	15	14
1999	39	4
1998	18	2
1997	20	5
1996	8	17

I think the summer pattern leads into the winter pattern which is why there's a rubber band effect so our snowiest winters come after our hottest summers. Examples

1966 into 1967

1977 into 1978

1993 into 1994

1995 into 1996

2002 into 2003

2010 into 2011

 

[LibertyBell]

On 8/2/2026 at 11:30 PM, winterwx21 said:

It's good to see you back, but I disagree with your posts that deny that there's been a drought. As Bluewave has pointed out, we've been in a long term dry pattern since the fall of 2024 and the drought monitor maps have shown the type of drought we've been in. We've had serious issues with wildfires off and on the last couple years due to the very dry conditions. I'm not sure how anyone can deny that there's been a drought. Finally things have gotten better the last few weeks.

The hot dry weather is very bad for gardeners. I lost some of the first tomatoes that were about to ripen up in early July due to sunscald. It was that horrific heat wave to start July (4 days in a row of 100+ degree weather) combined with the bone dry conditions. Thankfully things turned around after that with a cooler pattern and a good amount of rain the rest of July, so I've been getting a big crop of tomatoes the last couple weeks. It wouldn't have happened though had we stayed in the hot very dry pattern. We don't want too much rain, but it's important to get enough. Drought combined with heat is the worst and it makes is very difficult for gardeners. 

I'm glad you mentioned the Perseid meteor shower. It wasn't very good last summer due to the moon, but will be great this summer as long as we have clear conditions. Keeping my fingers crossed for good conditions next week!

I'm glad you're back and I hope you decide to stay. I'm sure you were not happy about being 5 posted, and I didn't agree with that being done to you. But you can still be a strong contributor here with 5 posts per day, so I hope you keep posting. 

I appreciate you. I used to grow tomatoes years ago but I stopped somewhere in the 2010s when I couldn't tolerate their acidity anymore. I grow cucumbers now less acidity and they still taste great. Tomatoes are notoriously sensitive to weather, Too hot too cold too wet too dry etc. Up here in the mountains back in 1996 there was rather sadly a killing frost on May 14 I remember that one clearly because i came back to NY after that weekend and saw a heavy frost the following Monday even on Long Island

As far as droughts go I think this one is more localized than the ones I remember from the 1980s and 1990s. 1999 and 2002 stand out clearly in my mind, 1999 even moreso than 2002 because of how it ended with Hurricane Floyd and massive flooding. Both of those droughts were far more expansive. Where I am now there has been at least one inch of rain every week since I relocated here in early April. I've only used air conditioning twice since you can just open the windows at night regardless of how hot it is during the day it almost always gets down into the 50s at night here. Sometimes even colder even in the middle of summer.

It's good to get a nice short extreme heatwave around the 4th of July it made up for the monstrous Memorial Day weekend washout. July 4th is notorious for that kind of weather it happened in 1966, 1999 and 2010 too. As far as tomatoes go one of my best growing seasons for pretty much everything was 1993 which saw unparalleled heat all summer long. I dont remember if there was a drought or not that year what I do remember is 5 straight days at or above 100 and 10 straight days at or above 90. I also remember growing corn that year, cantaloupes, sunflowers 9 feet tall and weeds even taller than that lol! I used to garden with my dear Dad and he used some undisclosed fertilizer that is probably illegal now and can't be found anywhere haha. All I remember is seeing a big mound of it in the backyard and a giant beetle flying out of it turning and flying towards me quite slowly and me screaming very loudly and running back into the house. Probably a dung beetle? Good memories that stay with you forever!