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Sep. 4—The words "historic" and "unprecedented" apply without reservation to last month's weather in Berks County as it burned its way to hottest August on record in terms of average temperature in a 124-year Berks database.
The 78.7-degree temperature recorded at Reading Regional Airport, the National Weather Service site, was nearly a full degree higher than the previous marks from 1955 and 2021. After 124 years, a degree is a big margin of victory.
August joins many months that have one superperformer on the hot side or on the cold side. The official site is currently at the airport but that's only been since 1999.
"Weather this August warranted much rewriting of the August and summer pages of the record book," said Jeffrey R. Stoudt, Berks weather historian and founder of the Berks Area Rainfall Networks.
"August had been the holder of the weakest-month warmest of the 12 months. After a betterment of 0.9 degree, it still might be the weakest monthly warmest," Stoudt, a retired meteorologist, added.
All of the hottest months on record are Julys, but last month almost got on that list, finishing at 12th.
However, if last month had occurred before 2010 it would have been the seventh hottest, and the only August. Such is a measure of how hot some recent summers have been.
Stoudt thinks outdoing 78.7 is possible.
"A 'perfect storm' of August heat consisting of an early half like 1955 and a latter half like 1953 would produce an average temperature substantially warmer than this August 2022," he said.
Last month achieved its lofty spot with nearly no date records. There was one day early in the month that the low was a record for warmest.
Stoudt looked at other angles on August:
—"Examining the details in greater depth, one finds the average of the daily highs of 89.7 surpassed the August 1983 of 89.3. However, the average of the daily lows of 67.6 fell short of the August 1955 standard of 68.8.
—"Further, the 16 days which heated to at least 90 tied 1983 for the most in that category.
—"Despite that tied high record, there was no severe heat. The highest of 97, though slightly above average, is not unusual for an August highest.
—"Cool weather was not entirely absent. But it was in a small minority with only small departures below normal and definitely not enough to spoil a new warmest August."
All 31 days warmed to at least 80 degrees.
"Only Augusts of 1970 and 2016 (had) accomplished that feat," Stoudt said. "The combination of persistent fair weather, including ample sun by day, plus the lack of really cool Canadian or North Atlantic air masses, allowed this feat to be successful for a second month; July also had all 31 days warm to at least 80.
"Most locations to the near- and mid-South, even into South Carolina, failed to achieve this feat."
But the streak of at least 80 degrees started with June 24 and now extends to 72 days, making it by far the longest such streak. It passed the previous mark of 61 days from 2016 in August.
It's unclear how long the streak will continue, or the dry conditions.
Berks is long overdue for an overcast and rainy day. AccuWeather's forecast for Tuesday shows it could be a day for significant rainfall and a high in the 70s.
But we've heard it before.
About 1983
The year 1983 remains tied with 2022 for the most 90-degree days in August but that's where the similarities end.
There was so much offsetting cold in 1983 that the month is ranked 16th hottest August.
That year fell in the middle of the cold period that was the 1970s and '80s. There are no years from that period among the 10 warmest of any month, but they heavily populate the 10-coldest lists.
The summer of 1983 came on strong late, and the year ended with 49 90-degree days, which is still an annual record. The year 2010 ended the closest at 48 90-degree days, and after the 48th only missed a tie by 1 degree on a subsequent September day, when 89 was the high.
The weather cooled off after that in 2010 and there were no further runs at 90.
The year 1983 had one of the heaviest snowfalls on record in Berks in February, when 2 feet was recorded amid a very cold winter.
10th driest August
What wasn't unprecedented in August 2022 was the lack of rainfall, but it was in the ballpark. At the airport, the month was the 10th driest in an even longer database of 153 years.
"The official monthly total of 1.07 inches ... supplanted 1.15 from 1981," Stoudt said. "Berks County was not without downpours this August. Most western and northern areas received well over 2 inches of rain, even as much as 5.26 inches at Albany ... Even so, thunderstorm downpours were fewer than usual, of short duration, and more miss than hit. ... Severe weather, including flooding, wind damage, and large hail, was very limited and isolated.
But the dry times have been going on since the beginning of June, and Berks and 35 other counties are in a state Department of Environmental Protection-issued drought watch.
Statistical summer
The statistical summer — some call it meteorological summer — of June, July and August was third hottest on record at an average temperature of 76.4 degrees.
It was behind 1966 and 2010.
The near normal June held down the summer 2022 ranking since July was sixth hottest of any month and Berks just had its hottest August.
"Total summer rainfall of 7.83 inches, though much below normal, did not place in the driest 10. The 10th driest is still 6.14 inches from 1894," Stoudt said.
August weather
—Temperature: 78.7 degrees
—Normal: 74.3 degrees
—Rainfall: 1.07 inches
—Normal: 4.49 inches
90-degree days: 16 (Year: 36)
Record
—Warmest low temperature: 77 degrees (76, 1968)
Hottest Augusts
(Average temperature, degrees)
78.7: 2022
77.8: 1955, 2021
77.4: 2016
77.2: 1900
77.1: 1938
77.0: 2020
76.8: 2002
76.7: 1959, 1968, 2005 and 2018
Totals from the Berks Area Rainfall Networks
Albany, 5.26 inches; Morgantown, 3.29; Bernville, 3.19; Hamburg, 3; Womelsdorf, 2.75; Mohrsville SW, 2.70; Bally, 2.67; Frystown, 2.63; Boyers Junction, 2.54; Pine Grove, 2.47; Topton, 2.45; Douglassville, 2.42; Elverson NE, 2.41; Knauers, 2.17; Harlem, 2.13; Riverview Park, 1.99; Boyertown, 1.89; Hopewell Park, 1.80; Shartlesville, 1.80; Bechtelsville, 1.78; Pikeville, 1.75; Gilbertsville, 1.66; Oley Furnace, 1.50; Mohrsville, 1.40; Birdsboro, 1.30; Mertztown, 1.27; Henningsville, 1.36; Vinemont, 1.20; Adamstown, 1.16; Reading E, 1.06; Mohnton, 1.00; Lobachsville, 0.97; Greenfields, 0.78; Cumru Township building, 0.71; Cacoosing, 0.69; Reiffton and West Reading, 0.68; Shillington, 0.67; Wernersville, 0.65; Cornwall Terrace, 0.63; Gibraltar, 0.49; Lincoln Park, 0.45; and Wyomissing, 0.43.
