Early September has been a hot one in California, Idaho

In most years, after we arrive in September, temperatures grow to be noticeably cooler throughout a lot of the West. It’s not typically that we hear about highs hovering far above the 100-degree mark in California. Nonetheless, this yr was very totally different.

Final week, many stations in California endured essentially the most intense, early September heatwave in recorded historical past. On the downtown Sacramento location, the mercury soared to a record-shattering 113 levels Monday and once more Thursday. On Sept. 6, the all-time document for the most popular day within the historical past of Sacramento at a blistering 116 levels. Previous to this yr, California’s capitol metropolis by no means hit 110 levels, however in 2020, they got here shut with a excessive of 109 levels.

In keeping with the Nationwide Climate Service, the typical excessive in early September is round 90 levels on this a part of the nation. For the primary 9 days of this month, the typical excessive in Sacramento has been over 108 levels. These readings are extra typical of the desert areas within the southwestern U.S. Extremely, regardless of document power demand, residents managed to keep away from main brownouts or blackouts.

This newest heatwave additionally pushed Sacramento excessive for 100-degree days. For 2022, there have been 43 days with highs at or above 100 levels, essentially the most in historical past. The large heatwave lastly broke over the weekend as temperatures dropped 10-20 levels in lots of areas.

The Golden State has additionally seen extra extremes in precipitation. Document rains fell in October 2021, however the meteorological faucet virtually shut off after the start of 2022. For instance, solely 2.17 inches of rain has fallen in Sacramento since Jan. 1, which is over 10 inches below-normal.

Right here in North Idaho, now we have lastly seen the final of the 90-degree temperatures. For the 2022 summer season season, there have been 36 days with highs at or above 90 levels at Cliff’s station in northwestern Coeur d’Alene. There have been 4 days with readings over 100 levels in late July, with the most popular afternoon on July 30 with a excessive of 103 levels. Final summer season, in 2021, there have been a document 45 days with readings at or above 90 levels, together with seven days with highs within the triple-digits.

As I discussed final week, it was the warmest August in historical past in Coeur d’Alene. The primary week of September was additionally one of many warmest, as our common excessive was 88.4 levels. That is over 10 levels above the typical, regardless of the showers Sept. 4. One of many hottest late August and early September intervals was in 1967. The typical excessive in the course of the first week of September was 91.6 levels with a 102-degree excessive Sept. 1, 1967.

Since July 8, solely 0.32 inches of rain has fallen at Cliff’s station. Regardless of the extraordinarily dry climate, our seasonal rainfall complete continues to be above-normal because of the moist spring season. Since Jan. 1, Coeur d’Alene has acquired 21.33 inches of rain and melted snow, in comparison with the conventional of simply over 16.50 inches. On the Spokane Worldwide Airport, 9.97 inches of moisture has been reported because the starting of the yr, in comparison with the conventional of about 10.30 inches.

By way of our native climate, the long-range laptop fashions are starting to indicate some modifications within the upper-level wind patterns within the japanese Pacific Ocean. It does seem like we’ll see an rising likelihood of bathe exercise throughout a lot of the Inland Northwest in mid-to-late September. Nonetheless, we should have one other month with below-normal precipitation. The traditional rainfall for this month is 1.49 inches, and until we see circumstances grow to be extra lively across the finish of the month, it might be a wrestle to achieve that determine.

Within the waters of the south-central Pacific Ocean, we nonetheless have a weak, cooler-than-normal sea-surface temperature occasion referred to as La Nina. Forecasters nonetheless say that the results of this phenomenon ought to be with us by no less than the early portion of 2023. Subsequently, Cliff and I do see a rise in precipitation later in October and November. Throughout this excessive climate sample, now we have been flipping from one facet to the opposite. The early portion of the yr had little or no snowfall, then we had document snows in April. Our spring was one of many coolest and wettest in historical past, adopted by one of many driest and warmest summer season seasons. Subsequently, we anticipate to return to the wetter and cooler facet of the meteorological scale later this fall.

Our upcoming winter season also needs to have close to to above-normal moisture throughout the Inland Northwest. Throughout La Nina years, we usually obtain extra snowfall than regular. However, it’s been a wrestle in recent times, regardless of La Nina, as temperatures have been hotter and most of the winter storms have come as rain within the decrease elevations. Subsequent month, Cliff and I’ll have our annual snowfall prediction for japanese Washington and North Idaho.

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Contact Randy Mann at randy@longrangeweather.com.