GENERAL OUTLOOK
WARMER AND DRIER THAN NORMAL AUGUST
A strong ridge of high pressure across the Great Basin and Rockies brought warmer and drier than normal conditions to most of the Pacific Northwest. In fact, August 2001 was the warmest on record in Helena and the second warmest on record in Havre. The only areas that experienced above normal precipitation and near or slightly below normal temperatures were Northwest Oregon, Western Washington and areas of Southern British Columbia north of Revelstoke. An usually strong storm system relative to summer standards brought significant rainfall to Northwest Basins on the 21st and 22nd.
Pacific Northwest mean temperatures departed +2.5 degrees from normal relative to 1961-1990 normals (31 stations). Mean temperature departures ranges from -1.3 to 6.2 degrees.
There were several record high temperatures reported in August and a vast majority of them occurred across Western Montana. They included: 100 at Great Falls, .102 at Helena, and 109 at Havre on the 3rd, 100 (tie) at Helena and 107 at Havre on the 7th, 101 at Havre on the 13th, 98 at Helena and 99 at Havre on the 17th, 100 at Helena and 105 at Havre on the 18th, 96 at Helena on the 22nd, 95 at Helena on the 26th, and 98 at Helena and 99 at Havre on the 27th.
Only two record low temperatures were reported in August. They included: 36 (tie) at Butte and 40 at Pocatello on the 1st.
There were a few new daily precipitation records established in August. They included: 1.09 inches at Astoria on the 21st and 1.41 inches at Seatac Airport and 1.92 inches at Astoria on the 22nd.
For AUGUST, PRECIPITATION is:
32 percent of normal (1961-1990) at COLUMBIA above COULEE
20 percent of normal at THE SNAKE RIVER ABOVE ICE HARBOR
32 percent at COLUMBIA ABOVE THE DALLES.
For the WATER SUPPLY SEASON, PRECIPITATION is:
70 percent of normal (1961-1990) at COLUMBIA ABOVE COULEE
71 percent of normal at THE SNAKE RIVER ABOVE ICE HARBOR
69 percent at COLUMBIA ABOVE THE DALLES.