Excessive Rainfall Potential for the Southeast; Heat Expands for Center of the Nation; Critical Fire Weather for Pacific Northwest

Flash flooding threatens areas from the Tennessee Valley to the Carolinas as storms repeat along a stalled front. Monsoonal storms may trigger flooding in the Southwest. Dangerous heat expands across the Desert Southwest, Plains, mid-Mississippi Valley and Southern Tier. Critical fire weather for interior Pacific Northwest. Cooler, drier air brings brief relief to the Great Lakes and Northeast. Read More >

August temperatures hovered around average, but rainfall was quite a bit below average at all climate sites. The lack of rain caused drought conditions to worsen, with some areas experiencing extreme to exceptional drought and at least moderate to severe drought persisting across most of the region. Rivers and streams remain around to below average as a result and soils remain dry.

CPC outlooks suggest that warm and dry conditions may persist through the remainder of September, with equal chances for above, below, or around average temperatures for the next three months going into fall. There is some signal for below normal precipitation in the next three months.

NOTE: No records were tied or broken at any climate site in August 2023.