|
Pamela J. Bennett, Ohio State University Extension, Clark County; Jane C. Martin, |
Weather Background
This section discusses precipitation and temperature reports for the season. At the end of this section is a table of statewide precipitation from January-September, and average temperatures and departures from normal for three locations in the state, April through September.
Ohio precipitation was below normal in January, February, and March. Precipitation in January was noticeably below normal, making it the ninth driest January in 119 years of weather records (Table 1). Precipitation fell as both snow and rain, with snowfall nearly normal for the eastern half of the state but below normal for the western half.
Precipitation in February was also below normal except for the extreme northwestern area of Ohio where it was above normal. Snow fell the first week of the month followed mainly by rain the rest of the month. March was dry as well, with precipitation amounts heaviest in southeastern Ohio (90% of normal), which diminished going toward the northwest (28% of normal). By the end of the first three months, soils were dry and considered workable in many parts of the state. Some areas of the state reported record low temperatures in March.
Showers and thunderstorms occurred across the middle third of the state on April 9-11, followed by some small stream flooding in the southern half of Ohio. A persistent day-long rain occurred April 20-21; the rest of the month was rather dry. April warmed up quickly, with some Extension agents commenting that temperatures were winter, spring, and summer-like within a single week. In Cincinnati, snow fell on April 1, followed by 85F a week later.
Record high temperatures were recorded in Toledo and Columbus. During the week of April 19, temperatures ranged from 30-80F, and April temperatures in the state departed 4.6F from normal (Table 2).
May was wetter than normal statewide though it started out dry, continuing the trend at the end of April, with the exception of a few light showers and heavy rain storms in the eastern half of Ohio. However, by the end of the month, May was the 17th wettest May on record, with an average of 5.33" of rainfall, 142% of normal (Table 1). Several locations reported more than 10" of rainfall, while a station in Erie County reported the least at 2.59".
Slow-moving rain systems delivered rain each week, with the heaviest and most widespread rain falling in the last half of the month. This consistent rain did not allow soil to dry enough for working or planting in many locations, and landscapers and home gardeners often resorted to "mudding-in" plants. At the end of May, the Extension agent in Cincinnati reported +1.12" of rain for the month, but -6.13" for the year, leading him to comment, "This is the wettest drought I have ever seen." Summer-like temperatures occurred in the first half of May with normal temperatures returning in the last half.
The first half of June continued the May trend in precipitation while the last half of the month was noticeably drier (Table 1). Precipitation for the first half of the 2001 calendar year was below normal across nearly all the state, with only a few areas in southeastern Ohio receiving above normal amounts. Some below average temperatures were reported for June, particularly early in the month, though temperatures went into the 90Fs in a few locations.
July was drier than normal, except for the west central and southwestern parts of Ohio (Table 1). Precipitation fell in the typical summer pattern of scattered showers and thunderstorms with some producing heavy rain. Light rain occurred during the first eight days of July, followed by eight dry days. Dry conditions prevailed the rest of the month for the northern half of Ohio, but the southern half experienced showers and storms on several days with some flooding. Strong storms occurred on July 17-18 in the southwestern half of Ohio. Several Extension agents reported that soil was cracking, lawns were going dormant, and short, voluntary watering bans were issued in Franklin and Lucas counties. Meanwhile, Cincinnati recorded 8.70" of rain for July, and homeowners were mowing green lawns twice a week. Cleveland's official rain total for July was 0.62", the lowest ever in July weather records for the city.
August brought widely scattered showers to the state, along with thunderstorms and locally heavy rain (Table 1). In the western third of the state, rainfall was 119%-145% of normal, while in the eastern half, large areas experienced below normal rainfall. For example, on August 9, scattered storms crossed most of Ohio, with very strong storms in the east-central region where up to 3" of rain fell in one event. The last week of August brought welcomed rain to many areas of the state. Temperatures started out high in August and continued that way through the month.
September was wetter than normal in the western third of the state and in the north central region, ranging from 106%-147% of normal. It was drier than normal in the central, south central, and southeastern regions. State rainfall averaged 3.21", which was 107% of normal (Table 1). Early in the month, several locations around the state received heavy rainfall. For instance, Springfield (west central area) reported 4" to 7" of rainfall in the first week, with flash flooding and storm damage to trees. In the second week of September, Toledo reported 2" of rain, Cleveland 5", and Springfield another 1.6", while Columbus remained dry. The northeastern part of the state remained dry most of the month. By the last week in September, temperatures were dropping into the low 50Fs for daytime highs, with parts of northeastern Ohio dropping into the low 40Fs at night.