After a cool, wet July, August has been quite dry at my Cheviot 0.9 SSE location. There has only been one really good rain here all month with 1.27 inch on the 4th. In the past 16 days I have recorded only 0.35 inch. Lawns are beginning to slump into summer dormancy in my neighborhood.
Summer arrives this weekend…extended stay?
Summer will finally arrive in Cincinnati this weekend, perhaps for an extended stay.
The weather pattern which has dominated over the past month, bringing cool air to the east and hot air to the western US, will break down. This will allow the western US heat to expand into the east and midwest. Read more here.
This new pattern may hold over the next two weeks.
14 day forecast: click here
NWS 8 to 14 day outlook: click here
Rainfall Tuesday was generous and over one inch area-wide. Therefore, we are starting out with good soil moisture heading into this hot and drier two week period.
Summary of recent heavy rain and severe storms: Click here
Watering instructions and rain gauges: click here
Severe thunderstorm/derecho/flooding threat
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect over Indiana into the afternoon. Training thunderstorms have dumped several inches in spots, while other areas have gotten little rain. Parts of Brown County, Indiana have gotten 7 inches of rain thus far.
Heavy thunderstorms are ongoing, especially in southeast Indiana, and these storms are likely to continue. Lack of appreciable movement is leading to tremendous rainfall totals and flooding in isolated areas. Other areas, such as my personal rain gauge in western hills, have gotten less than a tenth of an inch.
A line of severe storms has formed in Illinois and is moving eastward as a large bow echo. This complex is expected to continue and may form into a derecho as the morning goes on. Such a storm complex could be quite damaging as the day goes on if and where it holds together.
Bow echo information: click here
Derecho definition: click here
More about derechos: click here