This year July gave us an abundance of sunshine along with southwesterly breezes. There were only two overcast days. Our temperatures reflected this and were well above average for the month. We had two heat waves (three days in a row of 90 degrees or above). There were 11 days in the 90s. The high of 98 degrees occurred on July 19, 27 and 28. The low was 54 degrees on July 16.
Our precipitation was 2.91 inches in Salem — considerably below average. We had five thunderstorms.
The heaviest rainfall came down in buckets and totaled 1.79 inches on July 22 and 23. Salem and its surrounding area experienced considerable street flooding due to the torrential rain; one inch fell here in a matter of minutes around 2 p.m. Many more dramatic flooding events occurred in Essex County with spectacular lightning strikes and microbursts (up to 65 mph) bringing down trees and power lines.
A small, narrow line of intense thunderstorms raced east across the North Shore on the evening of July 30. The storms were accompanied by strong, gusty winds; vivid lightning and brief torrential rain. A large tree at Sainte Anne Parish was shattered.
The warm weather of August is here, and our temperatures will continue to be quite warm. We can expect readings in the mid to upper 80s, falling to the often comfortable mid-to-upper 50s by dawn.
Looking back in our records, we have had readings of 100 degrees or more three times in August. Our highest reading was 101 degrees in 2006. Fortunately, we occasionally still can enjoy our welcome sea breezes from the cool, coastal ocean winds. Our lowest August temperature in Salem was a remarkably cool 42 degrees in 1982.Â
Our August precipitation is usually 3.41 inches. But we've had as much as 11.16 inches in 2011. In contrast, we have had as little as 0.59 inches just recently in 2017.Â
Novice and experienced boating enthusiasts should continue to be aware that some thunderstorms may have those strong, dangerous microburst winds as we had last month.
Like July, August can also occasionally give us conditions during which the warm, humid air over the much cooler Atlantic waters enables dense fog to form quite suddenly.Â
Last July we reviewed Hurricane Bob. Now, looking back 66 years to late August 1954, many of the older folks remember we had the devastating Category 3 Hurricane Carol. It brought battering winds and heavy rainfall of 2 to 5 inches across the region.
Carol became the most powerful storm to strike Southern New England at that time, since the Great New England Hurricane of 1938. Sustained winds of 80 to 100 mph were reported over our region with gusts to 125 mph.
Since the storm passed just after high tide, the hurricane produced an incredibly high storm surge, even here in Salem. It was a day for weather memories.
Arthur A. Francis is a Salem meteorologist.Â
