Pamela J. Bennett, Ohio State University Extension, Clark County.
This report includes a compilation of Ohio weather conditions and noteworthy environmentally induced and cultural plant problems in 2002. Observations were drawn from Ohio State University Extension's Buckeye Yard and Garden Line, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Monthly Water Inventory Report, and the State Climatologist's Office for Ohio.
Weather Background
This section discusses precipitation and temperature reports for the season. At the end of the section are tables showing statewide precipitation from January through September and average temperatures and departures from normal for three locations in the state for April through September 2002.
Precipitation for the 2002 calendar year started off rather dry across most of the state except for northwestern and south-central Ohio, which had slightly above normal amounts. However, in March, April, and May, precipitation was noticeably above normal. In March, precipitation fell as rain and snow. In southern Ohio, more than 6" of rain was reported in several locations. On March 26, snow and freezing rain fell in the northern half of the state with anywhere from 5 to 10" of snow reported.
April brought more rain and was the 15th wettest April during the
past 107 years of records. It was the 10th wettest for the southeastern
region, the 11th wettest for the central hills region, and the 13th
wettest for the southwestern region.
Several significant storms occurred during the month, with the most notable storm on April 12 in the western part of Ohio. Southern Ohio received 3" of rain during this storm. Additional storms occurred on April 27 and 28, with a tornado touching down in Stark County causing considerable damage on the 28th.
Extension agents in Columbus and Cincinnati reported temperatures 20 degrees above normal with 85°F and 84°F on April 15. However, temperatures in the following week were back in the 40°F range.
Precipitation for May was also above normal statewide except for scattered areas in northwestern Ohio where it was below normal. This was the 7th wettest May during the past 107 years of record for the northeastern region, and the 8th wettest for the southwestern region. Cheviot, in Hamilton County, reported the greatest amount of precipitation with 9.43". Precipitation fell every week during May with minor flooding occurring in areas with already saturated soils.
The average statewide precipitation for the year to date was
4.09" above normal. Temperatures were below normal the first of the
month and remained wet and cool, according to Extension agents; planting
was delayed in many areas of the state. Cleveland reported the 7th
coldest May on record. On May 19, Columbus had a record low of
34°F, and Cincinnati had a record low of 30°F. Scattered
frosts occurred across much of the state during the third week of May.
In June, precipitation was generally below normal in the northwestern half of the state and above normal in the southeastern region. June ended up being the 10th driest for the northwestern region and the 17th driest for the northeastern region during the past 107 years of record. The central region of the state was in an incipient drought, according to the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), while the rest of the state was near normal.
Temperatures in early June remained below normal but changed drastically near the end of the month. Extension agents reported a quick transition from spring-like to summer-like conditions, with temperatures in the high 80s and low 90s. Due to the lack of precipitation at the end of the month along with high temperatures, agents were reporting cracks in soil and decline of annuals and perennials due to poor root system development.
Precipitation in July was noticeably below normal across much of the
state. For the entire state, this was the 16th driest July during the
past 107 years. The first half of the month was drier than the second
half. In some areas, less than 0.5" of rain fell during scattered
thunderstorms on July 9 and 10. However, southeastern Ohio did receive
around 1 to 3" of rain during these storms.
In addition to being dry, temperatures averaged above normal across the state. Extension agents noted that soils were cracked and as hard as cement. In the Toledo area, there are 14 days over 90°F during an average year; by early July, there had already been 12 days over 90°F.
August precipitation was also noticeably below normal across most of the state, making this the 19th driest August in the past 107 years. Precipitation was spotty with no widespread rains occurring during the entire month. In general, northern Ohio had the greatest amount of precipitation during August. Some stations reported only 1 or 2 days of rain during the entire month. All 10 reporting stations in Ohio noted a moderate to severe drought, according to the PDSI. Precipitation still remained above normal for most of the state for the 2002 year through August. The Cincinnati area had 25 days of temperatures above 90°F by mid-August.
September precipitation was above normal across most of the state, bringing relief to many areas. However, the northwestern region was still below normal for September. Many areas of the state received little or no rain during the first half of the month. This, combined with above-normal temperatures, worsened the drought-like conditions that were prevalent during the summer.
When it did rain, areas of the state received quite a bit. Montgomery and Clark Counties experienced the 8th wettest September with 8.41" and 8.31" respectively. Effects of Hurricane Isidore moved through the state on September 26 and resulted in moderate to heavy rain with approximately 1 to 2" in the northern half and 2 to 3" in the southern half of Ohio. Southwestern and central Ohio received more than 5".
Above normal temperatures occurred during the first part of the month. On the 8th, Springfield set a record with 95°F and on the 9th Toledo set a record with 95°F. Columbus had six days of over 90°F temperatures before the 10th of the month. Towards the third week, temperatures returned to normal.
Useful websites for weather-related topics are listed here:
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water, monthly water inventory report:
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/water/
National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NPOAA), drought report:
http://www.drought.noaa.gov/
USDA Topsoil Moisture Chart:
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/monitoring_and_data/topsoil.html
Degree day, phenology update for Ohio:
http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/gdd