Below Avg Summer With Cooler Temps ahead

While we’ve had the rain and storms, temperatures have been relatively cooler compared to our past 5 summers. Take a look at 2012. In the month of July that year, we had 15 days with highs in the 100s, and only 1 day in the upper 80s. The total number over 90 degree days was 71! That summer also, brought below average rainfall, picking only 7.12″ of total rainfall from May 1st to August 31st in Columbia. This year, we’ve tripled that value since May 1st, bringing in 21.98″ at Columbia Regional. A possible correlation to hotter temperatures = drier summer? Possibly. But the low level jet is the main factor for the rainfall we’ve seen this year.

A strong cold front is moving in Tuesday night. We get a shot of cold air and a taste of fall on Wednesday. Look for high temperatures in the mid 70s, with overnight low temperatures in the upper 50s. These are typical temperatures we see at the end of September. -ABC17 Stormtrack Meteorologist Brittany Beggs