SEASONAL CLIMATE SUMMARY FROM JUNE THROUGH AUGUST 2009

by Robert Stonefield

Note: Records and normals discussed in this article pertain to NWS Blacksburg's first order climatic sites which includes Roanoke, Lynchburg, Danville and Blacksburg, VA and Bluefield, WV. To view other station climate data that may be closer to your home, visit NWS Blacksburg's Climate web site at http://www.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=rnk or Southeast Regional Climate Center (SERCC) at http://www.sercc.com/climateinfo/historical/historical.html.

Figure 1. WFO Blacksburg County Warning area geographical break down.

Overall, the temperatures this past summer (June through August) averaged near normal. Figure 2 shows all of the Blacksburg County Warning Area within a degree of normal. Looking specifically at Blacksburg's five climatic sites (Tables 1-5), each were within about a half of a degree of normal for the 2009 summer season.

Figure 2. Departure of Average Temperature (°F) from Normal (June through August 2009), Climate Prediction Center.

Although the three month average temperature was near normal, this summer was still the coolest in the past 5 years. Also, this summer may have seemed below normal because there were not very many hot days (>90F). In this aspect, the area was below normal as Danville had 30 days of 90F or warmer (normal is 42.6 days), Lynchburg had 12 days (normal is 20.6 days), and Roanoke had 8 days (normal is 24.1). Blacksburg and Bluefield had no 90F or warmer days and they typically average 5.7 and 1.6 days respectively.

However, a break down by month (Tables 1-5) at each site shows a roller coaster of a summer with June being above normal, July being below normal and August being above normal. July was a very cool month across the area; the 4th coolest on record at both Lynchburg and Blacksburg, 7th coolest at Roanoke and 8th at Danville.  

The following line graphs (graphs 1-5) and tables (table 1-5) for each of the five climate sites in Blacksburg’s County Warning Area give a more in depth look at the temperature trends during the summer period.

Graph 1: Daily Highs, Lows, Normal Highs, Normal Lows, and Precipitation amounts
from June 1 to August 31, 2009 for Blacksburg (RNK), VA.

Graph 2: Daily Highs, Lows, Normal Highs, Normal Lows, and Precipitation amounts
from June 1 to August 31, 2009 for Roanoke (ROA), VA.