MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY

By Mike Anderson
California State Climatologist
California Department of Water Resources, Flood Management Division

August 2006

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After an exceptionally hot July, August 2006 quietly ended up as a run-of-the-mill August. While temperatures across the state fluctuated near their climatic normals for most of the month, 28 temperature records were tied or broken. The majority of these new records were for new daily low maxima or new daily low minima. Statewide, the average temperature was 70.8°, 0.6 degrees below the long-term average. The statewide average maximum temperature was 84.9°, 0.9 degrees below the long-term average, and the statewide average minimum temperature was 56.6°, 0.3 degrees below the long-term average.

Ridging during the 8th through the 10th and again at the end of August yielded the highest temperatures for the month. Triple digit maximum temperatures were recorded in many places. Salinas recorded the highest temperature of the month at 117°, one degree higher than Needles' 116°. Woodland Hills, Santa Maria, and Sandberg set new daily record high temperatures during the month.

A steady succession of upper-level troughs throughout the month helped keep the state's temperatures in check. In Monterey, cloudy weather on August 24 led to a high temperature of 58°, 2 degrees lower than the January average high temperature. The lowest temperature recorded by the cooperative network was in Bodie, CA with a low temperature of 18 degrees. Record daily low temperatures were set in Thermal, Palmdale, Riverside, Campo, Yorba Linda, Palomar Mountain, Lake Arrowhead, Ramona, Paso Robles, Lancaster, Monterey, Stockton, Sacramento, and Eureka.

The succession of troughs crossing the state during August created conditions suitable for some thunderstorm activity. High level moisture from the remains of Hurricane Hector passed through the state during the middle of the month resulting in some high clouds. Notable rainfall events for the month include 0.01 inches of rain in Red Bluff on August 6th which beat the previous daily record trace precipitation set in 1945 and 1.46 inches of Rain in Blythe which was the maximum precipitation recorded for the month in the co-operative network. The statewide average precipitation for the month was 0.05 inches of rain with only 25% of the stations in the cooperative network reporting precipitation. Climatology for August shows 0.3 inches of rain for the 1971-2000 averages.



Page last updated 9/21/06.