August 2022 – Warm and Dry Conditions Persist Across Delaware

August Temperatures
Preliminary data indicates that the statewide average temperature in August was 78.3° F, which is 2.8° F above the 1991-2020 mean value of 75.5° F (Figure 1). August 2022 was tied with August of 1900 as the third warmest August since observations began in 1895.

August Precipitation
Delaware’s statewide precipitation for August 2022 averaged 2.73 inches, 1.96 inches below the 1991-2020 mean (Figure 2). This month’s precipitation ranking was the 29th driest since observations began in 1895, placing it in the lowest one-third of all August values.

Statewide Spatial Anomalies
Data from the Delaware Environmental Observing System (DEOS) show that temperature departures were above normal across the entire state (Figure 3), with many stations more than 2° F above normal. Precipitation observations were uniformly below normal across the State, with many negative precipitation anomalies topping three inches (Figure 4).

National Anomalies
Temperatures were above normal across most of the conterminous United States, with portions of the Pacific Northwest and Northeast seeing positive departures of 5° – 7° F (Figure 5). Precipitation anomalies varied greatly across the country (Figure 6), with very dry conditions along the Pacific Coast, the central Great Plains, and the Coastal mid-Atlantic. Wet conditions were confined mainly to Nevada and portions of Texas. The 500 hPa height pattern for August shows a jet stream ridge over the northern tier of the United States contributing to the positive temperature anomalies across the country (Figure 7).

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