...HOT AND DRY AUGUST AND SUMMER...

THE MONTH OF AUGUST AND THE SUMMER OF 2011 (JUNE-AUGUST) WAS A WARM 
AND DRY PERIOD WITH SEVERAL TOP 10 RECORDS BEING ESTABLISHED. THE 
FIRST HALF OF THE SUMMER WAS DOMINATED BY HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE 
TENNESSE VALLEY BACK INTO TEXAS. THIS RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ALLOWED 
TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION TO BE ABOVE NORMAL. ABUNDANT SUNSHINE 
ALLOWED ROANOKE...BLACKSBURG...AND BLUEFIELD TO BREAK TOP 10 RECORDS 
FOR WARMEST AVERAGE AUGUST TEMPERATURES. ROANOKE AND BLACKSBURG HAD 
THEIR SECOND WARMEST SUMMER ON RECORD...AND BLUEFIELD HAD THEIR 
THIRD WARMEST.

RAINFALL WAS SPARSE DURING THE PERIOD. HURRICANE IRENE BROUGHT THE 
BEST CHANCE FOR WIDESPREAD RAIN INTO THE AREA DURING AUGUST BUT 
TRACKED EAST OF THE AREA AND KEPT THE HEAVIEST RAIN ALONG THE COAST. 
DANVILLE...BLACKSBURG...AND BLUEFIELD HAD ONE OF THEIR DRIEST 
SUMMERS ON RECORD. THE 6.91 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN DANVILLE WAS THEIR 
SECOND DRIEST SUMMER BEHIND 2007 (6.76 INCHES). 

AUGUST 2011 AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE

            AUG  RANK  RECORD  YEAR
ROANOKE     77.8   7    82.1   2007
LYNCHBURG   76.1  38    81.3   1900
DANVILLE    77.8  24    82.0   2007
BLACKSBURG  72.6   9    76.0   2007
BLUEFIELD   73.4   7    78.2   2007

SUMMER 2011 AVERAGE SEASONAL TEMPERATURE

            AUG  RANK  RECORD  YEAR
ROANOKE     77.9   2    78.2   2010
LYNCHBURG   76.3  15    78.5   1943
DANVILLE    77.8  15    80.0   2010
BLACKSBURG  72.6   2    72.9   2010
BLUEFIELD   73.9   3    74.5   2010

AUGUST 2011 MINIMUM MONTHLY RAINFALL

            AUG  RANK  RECORD  YEAR
ROANOKE     1.45  11    0.74   1995
LYNCHBURG   2.06  29    0.42   1930
DANVILLE    1.47   6    0.60   2007
BLACKSBURG  1.25   3    0.87   2002
BLUEFIELD   2.34  12    0.65   2007

SUMMER 2011 MINIMUM SEASONAL RAINFALL

            AUG  RANK  RECORD  YEAR
ROANOKE     8.72  22    4.77   1993
LYNCHBURG   8.86  30    3.89   1930
DANVILLE    6.91   2    6.76   2007
BLACKSBURG  7.81   6    6.08   1991
BLUEFIELD   7.49   6    6.12   1999