January and a few 2011 highlights.

2011 continued to be very dry, with a rainfall of 29.25", the third lowest annual total since records began in 1948. It was better than the 24.27" of 2010, but not much better. This is the first time that we have had two consecutive years below 30". We also had a very hot summer, with a record total of 90+ days for the year. I hope this year will be wetter! Heck, 3 feet of rain this year would be nice.

August 2011 was our hottest August on record. We also set a record for the most days of 90 or higher (30), and had our second longest streak of consecutive 90+ days.


December 2011 was warm and dry. No freezes occurred during the month. That is a bit unusual, but not rare. A coming arctic cold wave assures we will have freezes during the first week of January. The lack of freezes has allowed a lot of gnats to survive, which is annoying.

December had an average temperature of 58.7, which is 4.6 degrees above normal. Rainfall was 1.32", exactly half of the average monthly total of 2.64". Warm and dry. Again. Almost all the rain fell on December 12th.

January is normally our coldest month, with an average temperature of 51.4 degrees according to the 1981-2010 normals. January also averages a little wetter than December, with a monthly total of 3.20". I hope we are above average this month. That may not mean much--both 2010 and 2011 saw rainfall near or above normal in January, before the rest of the year became crackingly dry.

The latest monthly normals for 1981-2010 vs 1971-2000 show January having 0.48" less rain and being 0.3 degrees colder.

The technical weather discussion from the Jacksonville weather office can be read here.

St. Simons Island's official weather observations for the past 72 hours can be viewed here.


Some records I keep for extremes in our area (since November 22, 2003)



Record high....... June 14, 2010...................................98.4
Highest low........July 9, 2005......................................80.4
Lowest high.......January 9, 2010.................................35.4
Lowest low.........December 14, 2010...........................21.7
Highest waves (buoy 41008).....February 27, 2005........13.8 feet
Lowest waves...(same buoy)....many dates..................0.7 feet
Highest pressure......January 3, 2008..........................30.75" / 1041.2 mb
Lowest pressure.......March 2, 2010............................29.43" / 996.8 mb
Highest wind..............May 21, 2008............................47 mph sustained, gust 66 mph
Heaviest rain..............October 4, 2005........................6.78"
................................October 5, 2005........................7.94" {Tropical storm Tammy}

Altamaha River
Highest stage / greatest flow.........April 11, 2009.....................14.58 feet / 96,500 cfs
Lowest state / lowest flow.............September 18, 2011............0.87 feet / 1,170 cfs

Tidal departure

April 15, 2007......................-3.50 feet

August 22, 2008..................+4.01 feet {Tropical storm Fay}

Date..............actual..............normal................departure.............notes

JANUARY WEATHER DIARY

Jan 1...........52.9 / 70.2.......43.6 / 60.4...........+9.5
Jan 2...........40.1 / 62.2.......43.6 / 60.4............-0.8
Jan 3...........28.4 / 41.7.......43.6 / 60.4...........-16.9
Jan 4...........25.2 / 51.3.......43.6 / 60.3...........-13.7
Jan 5...........36.9 / 62.8.......43.5 / 60.3...........-2.0
Jan 6...........41.7 / 65.8.......43.4 / 60.3..........+1.9
Jan 7...........46.8 / 68.9.......43.4 / 60.3..........+6.0
Jan 8...........50.0 / 71.1.......43.3 / 60.1..........+8.8
Jan 9...........52.3 / 70.2.......43.2 / 60.2..........+9.5
Jan 10.........50.5 / 68.0.......43.3 / 60.3..........+7.5
Jan 11.........53.4 / 64.9.......43.3 / 60.3..........+7.3.........0.46" rain.....29.67" (1004.7 mb)
Jan 12.........46.8 / 68.7.......43.2 / 60.3..........+6.0
Jan 13.........36.3 / 59.2.......43.0 / 60.2...........-3.8
Jan 14.........31.3 / 52.7.......42.9 / 60.2...........-9.5
Jan 15.........37.8 / 59.7.......42.7 / 60.2...........-2.7........30.50" / 1032.8 mb
Jan 16.........40.8 / 62.6.......42.6 / 60.1..........+0.3........30.55" / 1034.5 mb
Jan 17.........47.7 / 70.3.......42.6 / 60.1..........+7.6
Jan 18.........45.5 / 64.0.......42.5 / 60.1..........+3.4........0.03" rain....coldest daily average temp for year
Jan 19.........35.4 / 57.4.......42.5 / 60.1...........-4.9.......coldest daily average temp for year
Jan 20.........43.3 / 70.7.......42.6 / 60.3..........+5.5
Jan 21.........55.2 / 71.2.......42.7 / 60.2........+11.2
Jan 22.........55.0 / 63.5.......42.6 / 60.1..........+7.9
Jan 23.........54.9 / 68.7.......42.6 / 60.1........+10.4
Jan 24.........58.6 / 71.1.......42.7 / 60.2........+13.4
Jan 25.........57.7 / 70.0.......42.7 / 60.3........+12.3
Jan 26.........58.6 / 72.3.......42.7 / 60.2........+14.0
Jan 27.........49.5 / 69.3.......42.7 / 60.2.........+7.9........0.04" rain
Jan 28.........43.5 / 67.1.......42.7 / 60.3.........+3.8
Jan 29.........41.2 / 59.7.......42.8 / 60.4..........-1.1
Jan 30.........35.1 / 62.6.......42.9 / 60.5..........-2.8
Jan 31.........40.6 / 67.5.......43.0 / 60.6.........+2.2

Highs for 2012

40s..........1
50s..........4
60s..........13
70s..........13

Lows for 2012

20s..........1
30s..........6
40s..........12
50s..........11
60s..........1


Freezes: 2


On January 24 St. Simons Island tied their record warmest low temperature of 59 degrees. The record was originally set in 2002.

8 day model forecast graphic:

December, the onset of winter.

November was a little warmer than normal and, as has been typical for the past two years, a drier than normal month. The average temperature was 62.6, 0.8 degrees above normal. Rainfall was 1.15", 0.88" below normal. Rainfall was 57% of normal.

Despite that, a daily rainfall record was set on November 23, with 0.73". The old record was not much, 0.09" in 1977. That was the only record of any kind set in November.

December is usually a little wetter than November, rainfall increasing to 2.62" from 2.03", or 30%. Let's hope we have a wet December to close out the year!

December has falling temperatures through the month, but not in an intuitive way. During the first week of December average temperatures fall the fastest of the year, not in October or November as you might expect. December 4th has the greatest temperature fall of any day of the year, with a fall of 0.45 degrees. December 5th and 12th are in second place with a daily fall of 0.4 degrees. No other days have a fall of 0.4 degrees or more. There is also a pause in the temperature fall from December 15-18. On December 1, the average high is 66.5 and by December 31 the average high has fallen to 60.4, a fall of 6.1 degrees. On December 1 the average low is 49.7, which falls to 43.7 by December 31, a fall of 6.0 degrees.

On December 7, St. Simons Island tied its record high of 79. This record was originally set in 1971.

On December 7-8, at my home the temperature dropped 39.7°F from high to low. This ties the greatest temperature change in 24 hours or less since I started observations in November 2003.


The forecast discussion from the Jacksonville National Weather Service Office is linked here.


The weather observations for the last 72 hours at Malcom-McKinnon airport on St. Simons Island are here.


Date..............actual..............normal................departure.............notes

Dec 1...........37.2 / 60.6.......49.7 / 66.5............-9.2
Dec 2...........41.4 / 62.2.......49.5 / 66.3............-6.2
Dec 3...........41.9 / 63.9.......49.2 / 66.0............-4.7
Dec 4...........58.8 / 67.3.......48.6 / 65.7...........+5.9
Dec 5...........57.4 / 74.5.......48.2 / 65.3...........+9.2
Dec 6...........58.1 / 71.2.......47.9 / 65.1...........+8.1
Dec 7...........41.5 / 76.6.......47.7 / 64.8...........+2.8..............0.04" rain...sustained wind 28 mph gust to 45 mph
Dec 8...........36.9 / 55.0.......47.4 / 64.5...........-10.0.............39.7°F drop from high to low
Dec 9...........44.8 / 62.8.......47.1 / 64.2............-1.8
Dec 10.........51.4 / 56.5.......46.9 / 64.0............-1.5
Dec 11.........52.7 / 56.7.......46.6 / 63.7............-0.4
Dec 12.........46.4 / 54.7.......46.2 / 63.3............-4.2..............1.22" rain
Dec 13.........48.4 / 62.1.......45.9 / 62.9...........+0.8
Dec 14.........49.5 / 66.4.......45.7 / 62.7...........+3.7
Dec 15.........52.3 / 71.4.......45.5 / 62.6...........+7.8
Dec 16.........52.9 / 70.9.......45.5 / 62.4...........+7.9
Dec 17.........47.8 / 69.8.......45.5 / 62.4...........+4.8...............0.01" rain
Dec 18.........39.4 / 58.5.......45.6 / 62.3............-5.0
Dec 19.........45.3 / 68.0.......45.5 / 62.2...........+2.8
Dec 20.........54.5 / 71.4.......45.5 / 62.0...........+9.2
Dec 21.........59.9 / 70.9.......45.4 / 61.9..........+11.7
Dec 22.........61.0 / 72.9.......45.2 / 61.7..........+13.5
Dec 23.........61.9 / 72.3.......45.1 / 61.6..........+13.7..............0.01" rain
Dec 24.........52.9 / 64.8.......45.0 / 61.5...........+5.6
Dec 25.........56.3 / 67.5.......44.9 / 61.4...........+8.7...............0.01" rain
Dec 26.........51.6 / 60.6.......44.7 / 61.3...........+2.6
Dec 27.........47.8 / 65.7.......44.5 / 61.1...........+3.9...............0.35" rain
Dec 28.........41.0 / 58.5.......44.3 / 60.9............-2.8
Dec 29.........40.6 / 59.4.......44.1 / 60.7............-2.4
Dec 30.........41.9 / 64.2.......43.9 / 60.6...........+0.8
Dec 31.........53.8 / 70.5.......43.7 / 60.4..........+10.1

The totals for highs and lows are official readings at KSSI, not temperatures I record at home.


Highs for 2011

40s...........4
50s.........26
60s.........58
70s.........94
80s.........109
90s.........73
100s.........1

Lows for 2011

20s..........4
30s.........17
40s.........47
50s.........92
60s.........65
70s.......131
80s...........9

Freezes.....6


8 day model forecast graphic:

November, the finest month!

November has the finest weather on St. Simons Island. We like winter, and we have it to look forward to. But sometimes it is too cold, although almost never very long. But November is a mild, dry month. The driest month of the year! And almost always mild. Sometimes warm or cool, but almost never hot or cold. Some Novembers stay below 80 and never reach 40.

Temperatures continue to fall steadily through November. November 1st starts the month with an average high of 73.0 and an average low of 56.9 By November 30 the average high has fallen to 66.6 and the average low to 49.8 Rainfall is light during November, and the majority of Novembers do not have a day receiving an inch of rainfall. Snow, sleet, or ice have never been recorded.

October was a cool and dry month. Our rainfall (again) was well below normal. We received 2.25", and were 2.21" below normal. Barely 50%. An improvement from the 1/3 of normal rainfall we received in September. But still. Rainfall so far this year has been 26.78" officially, and ended October 13.55" below normal.


On October 2nd, St. Simons Island tied its record low of 51. This record was also set in 1984.

On October 15th, St. Simons Island tied its record high of 86. This record was also set in 1972.

October 19 also saw our pressure fall to 29.44" / 997.0 mb. This was our second lowest pressure reading in the past 8 years when I started keeping records.

The technical weather discussion from the Jacksonville weather office can be read here.

St. Simons Island's official weather observations for the past 72 hours can be viewed here.

Date..............actual..............normal................departure.............notes


Nov 1...........48.9 / 64.9.......56.9 / 73.0............-8.0
Nov 2...........51.3 / 69.1.......56.5 / 72.7............-4.4
Nov 3...........54.7 / 73.8.......56.3 / 72.4............-0.1
Nov 4...........49.8 / 68.0.......56.1 / 72.2............-5.3...............0.03" rain
Nov 5...........51.4 / 58.6.......55.9 / 72.1............-9.0
Nov 6...........52.7 / 63.0.......55.7 / 71.9............-5.9
Nov 7...........59.0 / 70.3.......55.5 / 71.6...........+1.1
Nov 8...........60.1 / 70.5.......55.1 / 71.4...........+2.0
Nov 9...........54.0 / 72.1.......54.9 / 71.2.............0.0
Nov 10.........48.6 / 77.0.......54.6 / 70.9............+0.0
Nov 11.........39.4 / 64.0.......54.4 / 70.7...........-10.8...............37.6 degree drop
Nov 12.........37.8 / 64.4.......54.1 / 70.5...........-11.2
Nov 13.........49.5 / 73.0.......54.0 / 70.3............-0.9
Nov 14.........56.8 / 74.5.......53.7 / 70.2...........+3.7
Nov 15.........62.4 / 76.3.......53.4 / 70.0...........+7.6...............last day of late fall
Nov 16.........64.4 / 76.1.......53.0 / 69.7...........+8.6...............first day of early winter
Nov 17.........50.2 / 74.5.......52.7 / 69.4...........+1.3...............0.21" rain
Nov 18.........48.6 / 62.2.......52.3 / 69.1............-5.3
Nov 19.........53.6 / 69.4.......52.0 / 68.8...........+1.1
Nov 20.........59.9 / 76.3.......51.6 / 68.6...........+8.0
Nov 21.........62.1 / 77.0.......51.4 / 68.4...........+9.6
Nov 22.........60.1 / 77.0.......51.2 / 68.2...........+9.0...............0.01" rain
Nov 23.........55.9 / 74.5.......50.9 / 68.0...........+5.7...............0.56" rain
Nov 24.........50.2 / 63.1.......50.7 / 67.9............-2.6
Nov 25.........49.1 / 68.0.......50.4 / 67.6............-0.4
Nov 26.........59.4 / 72.1.......50.2 / 67.4...........+6.9
Nov 27.........63.5 / 73.2.......50.1 / 67.2...........+9.7
Nov 28.........52.2 / 74.5.......50.0 / 67.0...........+4.8...............0.28" rain....last day of early winter
Nov 29.........41.7 / 56.5.......49.9 / 66.8............-9.2...............first day of mid winter
Nov 30.........38.1 / 55.2.......49.8 / 66.6...........-11.5


Highs for 2011

40s...........4
50s.........22
60s.........44
70s.........81
80s.........109
90s.........73
100s.........1

Lows for 2011

20s..........4
30s.........17
40s.........33
50s.........79
60s.........61
70s.......131
80s...........9

Freezes.......6


8 day model forecast graphic:

The Hunt for Wet October

September 2011 was warmer and drier than average. The temperature departure was not exceptional, with the average being 79.1 degrees, 1.0 degrees above normal. Despite the above average temperature for the month, two record lows were recorded on September 8 & 9, breaking the old record lows by 1 degree on both days.

Rainfall was exactly 1/3 of the average, 1.92" vs. an average of 5.76".

As was the case last year, October finds us in continuing drought. We have exceeded last year's rainfall total already, but we are more than 11" below normal for the year.

October is a pleasant month on St. Simons Island, with summer gradually losing its grip. Temperature averages are somewhat misleading, since this is the season of our "Lake Wobegon Days" when most of our days are above average. How can this be? The answer is that we are an island, and the ocean is warm. Cold snaps can bring us down 10 or 15 degrees below normal for a day or two, then the maritime influence reasserts itself, with long stretches of days 2, 3, 4 degrees above normal. About 70% of our days in October have above average temperatures!

Average daily rainfall decreases rapidly through October. October 1 averages 0.177" of rain. By October 31 this falls to less than half, with a 0.086" daily average. Average temperatures fall steadily through the month, with October 1 averaging 67.1 / 81.1, falling to 57.2 / 73.3 by October 31. These are the 1971-2000 averages, and new averages for the 1981-2010 period will be available shortly. I will begin using these new averages when they become available.

The technical weather discussion from the Jacksonville weather office can be read here.

St. Simons Island's official weather observations for the past 72 hours can be viewed here.

Date..............actual..............normal................departure.............notes

Oct 1...........57.4 / 74.5.......67.1 / 81.1............-8.1
Oct 2...........48.9 / 73.4.......66.7 / 80.8..........-12.6
Oct 3...........49.8 / 75.7.......66.4 / 80.6..........-10.7
Oct 4...........54.5 / 77.9.......66.1 / 80.3............-7.0
Oct 5...........59.7 / 78.1.......65.7 / 80.0............-3.9.................last day of early fall
Oct 6...........63.1 / 80.4.......65.3 / 79.7............-0.7.................first day of mid fall
Oct 7...........67.8 / 81.1.......64.9 / 79.4..........+2.3
Oct 8...........67.8 / 78.6.......64.6 / 79.1..........+1.3..................0.37" rain
Oct 9...........67.6 / 75.6.......64.2 / 78.9..........+0.0..................0.21" rain
Oct 10.........70.0 / 80.6.......63.9 / 78.6..........+4.0..................0.54" rain........Wind 25 Gust 43
Oct 11.........69.3 / 82.9.......63.5 / 78.3..........+5.2..................0.07" rain
Oct 12.........69.4 / 81.1.......63.2 / 78.1..........+4.6..................0.02" rain
Oct 13.........63.5 / 82.2.......62.9 / 77.8..........+2.5..................0.11" rain........29.67" (1004.7 mb)
Oct 14.........59.9 / 77.7.......62.5 / 77.6...........-1.2
Oct 15.........56.7 / 82.8.......62.1 / 77.4............0.0
Oct 16.........58.5 / 79.2.......61.9 / 77.1...........-0.6
Oct 17.........58.5 / 81.3.......61.7 / 76.8..........+0.6
Oct 18.........68.4 / 77.0.......61.4 / 76.6..........+3.7..................0.57" rain........29.58" (1001.5 mb)
Oct 19.........53.2 / 76.6.......61.2 / 76.4...........-3.9..................0.08" rain........29.44" (997.0 mb)
Oct 20.........46.2 / 64.4.......60.9 / 76.2..........-13.2
Oct 21.........44.4 / 67.1.......60.7 / 75.9..........-12.5
Oct 22.........45.1 / 67.3.......60.3 / 75.7..........-11.8
Oct 23.........49.1 / 71.1.......60.0 / 75.4............-7.6.................last day of mid fall
Oct 24.........54.1 / 72.7.......59.6 / 75.1............-3.9.................first day of late fall
Oct 25.........51.3 / 75.4.......59.2 / 74.9............-3.7
Oct 26.........58.3 / 75.7.......58.9 / 74.7...........+0.2
Oct 27.........63.9 / 79.2.......58.7 / 74.5...........+4.9
Oct 28.........64.6 / 77.0.......58.4 / 74.2...........+4.5..................0.01" rain
Oct 29.........48.9 / 68.9.......58.0 / 73.9............-7.0..................0.39" rain
Oct 30.........48.7 / 66.7.......57.6 / 73.6............-7.9
Oct 31.........55.4 / 68.5.......57.2 / 73.3............-3.3..................0.04" rain


8 day model forecast graphic:

Highs for 2011

40s...........4
50s.........20
60s.........36
70s.........61
80s.........109
90s.........73
100s.........1

Lows for 2011

20s..........4
30s.........15
40s.........30
50s.........62
60s.........53
70s.......131
80s...........9

Freezes.......6

On October 2nd, St. Simons Island tied its record low of 51. This record was also set in 1984.

On October 15th, St. Simons Island tied its record high of 86. This record was also set in 1972.

The noreaster of October 8th to the 12th, long heralded by models, was disappointing. For days the weather computer models showed us getting 6" of rain or more. Officially we got less than an inch, and 1.21" at my house. That was nice, but didn't put much of a dent in the drought.

The storm of Oct 18-19 did not bring heavy rains or destructive winds but did bring our second lowest pressure of the past 8 years, with a minimum of 29.44" (997.0 mb.)

September--the long sunburnt afternoon of summer.

August was extraordinarily hot. We had a monthly average of 85.3, our warmest August on record, breaking the record set last year. We reached 90 or more for the last 30 days of the month, the most 90 degree days ever recorded in August, and our second longest streak of 90 degrees or higher on record. We did not reach 90 on September 1st, so our record for consecutive days of 90+ is safe for the year.

September is a summer month in south GA. Warm and as humid as any month. For the first 2 weeks of September, heat continues as in August---after that some cool fronts can come and temper the heat from time to time. Rainfall begins to decrease dramatically the last week of the month.

Average high temperatures fall at a slowly accelerating rate by 5.7 degrees between August 31 and September 30. Low temperatures fall very slowly during the first 10 days of September, then speed up their fall, decreasing by 6.1 degrees between August 31 and September 30. About half of Septembers get down into the 50s, and I hope this year is one of them!

A web briefing by the JAX NWS office about the summer of 2011 can be viewed here.

The technical weather discussion from the JAX wx office can be read here.

And the official climate reports for St. Simons Island and other local stations can be viewed here.

And the weather observations for St. Simons Island for the past 72 hours can be viewed here.

Date..............actual..............normal................departure.............notes

Sep 1...........74.3 / 85.8.......73.6 / 86.7...........-0.1
Sep 2...........68.9 / 85.5.......73.6 / 86.6...........-2.9
Sep 3...........71.1 / 86.0.......73.5 / 86.5...........-1.4
Sep 4...........70.9 / 86.7.......73.5 / 86.4...........-1.1....................1.00" rain
Sep 5...........70.9 / 87.6.......73.3 / 86.2...........-0.5....................0.07" rain
Sep 6...........70.9 / 82.0.......73.3 / 86.1...........-3.2....................lowest average diurnal range.
Sep 7...........64.4 / 82.4.......73.2 / 86.0...........-6.2....................lowest average diurnal range.
Sep 8...........61.7 / 80.6.......73.0 / 85.9...........-8.3
Sep 9...........63.1 / 83.8.......72.8 / 85.8...........-5.8
Sep 10.........67.1 / 84.6.......72.7 / 85.6...........-3.3
Sep 11.........70.9 / 85.8.......72.5 / 85.4...........-0.6
Sep 12.........70.9 / 86.2.......72.3 / 85.2...........-0.2
Sep 13.........68.9 / 87.6.......72.1 / 85.1...........-0.3
Sep 14.........71.4 / 85.3.......71.9 / 84.9...........-0.0
Sep 15.........72.0 / 91.0.......71.7 / 84.7..........+3.3
Sep 16.........70.9 / 82.0.......71.6 / 84.6...........-1.6
Sep 17.........62.8 / 75.7.......71.3 / 84.4...........-8.6
Sep 18.........64.4 / 75.9.......71.1 / 84.2...........-7.5...................0.87 feet / 1,170 cfs flow in Altamaha river.
Sep 19.........66.9 / 80.4.......70.8 / 84.0...........-3.7
Sep 20.........71.2 / 82.4.......70.6 / 83.8...........-0.4...................0.41" rain
Sep 21.........72.1 / 82.6.......70.4 / 83.7..........+0.3...................0.12" rain
Sep 22.........73.0 / 86.0.......70.1 / 83.5..........+2.7...................last day of late summer
Sep 23.........72.5 / 86.0.......69.9 / 83.3..........+2.6...................first day of early fall.......0.14" rain
Sep 24.........70.9 / 85.6.......69.5 / 83.1..........+1.9
Sep 25.........70.9 / 88.0.......69.3 / 82.8..........+3.4...................0.73" rain
Sep 26.........68.7 / 85.6.......69.0 / 82.5..........+1.4...................0.55" rain
Sep 27.........69.4 / 85.1.......68.7 / 82.2..........+1.8
Sep 28.........71.8 / 87.6.......68.3 / 81.9..........+4.6
Sep 29.........68.5 / 83.1.......67.9 / 81.6..........+1.0
Sep 30.........69.6 / 86.7.......67.6 / 81.3..........+3.7

Highs for 2011

40s...........4
50s.........20
60s.........33
70s.........47
80s.........95
90s.........73
100s.........1

Lows for 2011

20s..........4
30s.........15
40s.........27
50s.........49
60s.........44
70s.......125
80s...........9

Freezes.......6

On September 8, St. Simons Island had a record low of 63, breaking the old record low of 64 set in 1972.
On September 9, St. Simons Island had a record low of 64, breaking the old record low of 65 set in 1956.

Light In August

August is a slow, sluggish month. Sometimes I think it is the longest month of the year. The days shorten steadily, yet temperatures do not respond much. Nighttime temperatures barely fall at all. Daytime highs fall nearly twice as much as nighttime lows--more than 2 degrees, vs 1.

And yet there are some changes compared to July. August is our rainiest month of the year, according to our new climate normals for 1981-2010, that honor previously belonging to September. And towards the end of the month, there is a change to the quality of light--by the end of August the sun fails to reach 70 degrees in altitude, even at solar noon. And tropical activity picks up markedly as August wears on.

August got to a good start this month, with 3.77" of rain in the home gauge before 4 a.m. Not a drought buster, but a drought denter, yes! It was our heaviest rain at home since 3.82" on August 31, 2009. Officially at KSSI there was 2.72", not a daily record.

Emily was not a factor. Irene won't be much of one besides marine influence.

Date..............actual..............normal................departure.............notes

Aug 1...........72.3 / 83.5.......75.2 / 89.3...........-4.3.....................3.77" rain
Aug 2...........74.7 / 88.0.......75.2 / 89.3...........-0.9
Aug 3...........74.5 / 90.5.......75.1 / 89.3..........+0.6
Aug 4...........77.9 / 95.4.......75.1 / 89.3..........+4.4
Aug 5...........78.3 / 90.7.......75.0 / 89.2..........+2.4
Aug 6...........78.4 / 89.1.......75.0 / 89.1..........+1.7
Aug 7...........78.3 / 94.6.......74.9 / 89.1..........+4.4
Aug 8...........77.2 / 94.5.......74.8 / 89.0..........+3.9
Aug 9...........74.5 / 94.6.......74.8 / 89.0..........+2.7.....................0.01" rain
Aug 10.........73.4 / 92.7.......74.8 / 88.9..........+1.2
Aug 11.........75.9 / 96.1.......74.7 / 88.8..........+4.2
Aug 12.........73.4 / 96.1.......74.7 / 88.7..........+3.0.....................0.03" rain
Aug 13.........71.2 / 89.6.......74.7 / 88.6...........-1.2.....................0.40" rain
Aug 14.........72.5 / 93.0.......74.7 / 88.5..........+1.1.....................0.29" rain
Aug 15..........74.3 / 92.5......74.7 / 88.4..........+1.8
Aug 16..........70.7 / 89.8......74.6 / 88.3...........-1.9
Aug 17..........72.0 / 88.0......74.6 / 88.2...........-1.4....................0.11" rain
Aug 18..........75.2 / 88.7......74.5 / 88.1..........+0.6
Aug 19..........72.1 / 87.8......74.5 / 88.0...........-1.3
Aug 20..........75.2 / 88.0......74.5 / 88.0..........+0.3
Aug 21..........76.6 / 88.9......74.4 / 87.9..........+1.6
Aug 22..........76.3 / 93.9......74.3 / 87.7..........+3.6
Aug 23..........75.6 / 87.1......74.2 / 87.6..........+0.4
Aug 24..........75.7 / 88.5......74.2 / 87.5..........+1.2
Aug 25..........72.7 / 89.2......74.1 / 87.4..........+0.2....................0.02" rain
Aug 26..........73.6 / 87.7......74.1 / 87.2..........+0.0....................0.28" rain..........29.66" (1004.5 mb)
Aug 27..........74.7 / 95.4......74.0 / 87.1..........+4.5....................29.58" (1001.7 mb)
Aug 28..........74.5 / 91.0......73.9 / 87.1..........+2.2....................29.66" (1002.9 mb)
Aug 29..........73.0 / 90.1......73.9 / 87.0..........+1.1
Aug 30..........75.2 / 88.3......73.8 / 87.0..........+1.3
Aug 31..........72.1 / 87.4......73.7 / 86.9...........-0.5....................0.32" rain

Highs

40s..........4
50s.........20
60s.........33
70s.........46
80s.........70
90s.........69
100s.........1

Lows

20s..........4
30s.........15
40s.........27
50s.........49
60s.........36
70s........104
80s...........8

Freezes.......6

A new record high was set on August 7, 98 degrees. This beat the old record of 97 set in 1984 and tied in 2008.
The record high for August 9 was tied, 97 degrees. This tied the old record of 97 set in 1972.
A new record high was set on August 11, 101 degrees. This beat the old record of 98 degrees set in 1968.
A new record high was set on August 15, 97 degrees. This beat the old record of 96 degrees set in 1948.

Since records on St. Simons Island began on August 12, 1948, this was the oldest surviving record.

A new record high was set on August 27, 99 degrees. This beat the old record of 98 degrees set in 1998. This is also the hottest day so late in the season.

We had a surprise rainshower in predawn hours of August 17 at 5:00 - 5:30 a.m. with 0.11". Not bad for 0% chance of rain! Not a droughtbuster by any means but welcome!

Also, the daily temperature norms have come out for St. Simons Island. A mild surprise was that January lows have been lowered. We have a good stretch of days with an average low of 42. The previous coldest average lows were 43. I await with interest the average temps to the tenth of a degree being released on the Southeastern Regional Climate Center website.

All other seasons of the year were revised upwards. We now have a long stretch of average lows of 76 and our highest average daily lows were previously 75, and the hottest average high of 91 has been expanded considerably.

August 19 marks the first day of being an hour or more shorter than the summer solstice. We are actually 1 hour 1 minute shorter this day. From now through the end of October our days will shorten rapidly. Temperatures will take longer to respond.


Hurricane Irene did not have much impact on St. Simons Island. At home we had 0.30" of rain on August 25-26. Breezy winds but nothing worth recording. Highest official sustained wind was 20 mph on August 25 and highest gust was 33 mph on August 26. Storm surge was 2.3 feet.

July, the summit of summer

July is heat. Not the shimmering heat of the desert, but a cloying, humid heat that soaks the skin. Shirt collars wilt by 9 in the morning. The sun beats down with a palpable presence---almost overhead at the solar noon at the beginning of the month, and not much lower at it's end. Sea breezes still bring relief, although they are weaker than in June, and slowly weaken through the month. Temperatures do not vary much, with average temperatures rising by a tenth of a degree per day during the first week, with the rise slowing asymptotically towards its peak on July 24. Then, more than a month after the solstice, average temperatures peak and afterwards begin a slow, imperceptible decline.

With the seabreeze weaker, storms are more frequent, and they provide relief. Clouds gather and grow dark, the thunder rumbles, and a fat drop of rain plops down in front of your feet. Then another. And another. Suddenly, a current of rain falls down, and the temperature drops below the morning low. Ahhhhhhh! If the storm is early enough, the sun returns bringing back steamy heat. If the storm is late, a calm drippy night lies ahead, with temperatures staying constant or slowly rising as night goes on.

Tropical systems affecting us in July are rare. They do happen on occasion, but not nearly as often as the last week of August of the first half of September. We wait for action.

Date..............actual..............normal................departure.............notes

July 1...........72.3 / 85.8.......74.1 / 89.0...........-2.5
July 2...........73.6 / 86.5.......74.1 / 89.1...........-1.5
July 3...........73.0 / 86.2.......74.2 / 89.2...........-2.1
July 4...........73.8 / 87.4.......74.3 / 89.3...........-1.2
July 5...........74.7 / 91.4.......74.4 / 89.4..........+1.1
July 6...........76.8 / 89.2.......74.5 / 89.5..........+1.0
July 7...........74.5 / 88.5.......74.6 / 89.6...........-0.6
July 8...........76.5 / 81.9.......74.6 / 89.6...........-2.9....................0.02" rain
July 9...........75.6 / 90.0.......74.8 / 89.7..........+0.5....................0.03" rain
July 10.........74.5 / 89.6.......74.8 / 89.8...........-0.2
July 11.........74.3 / 89.1.......74.9 / 89.8...........-0.6
July 12.........75.2 / 90.0.......75.0 / 89.9..........+0.1....................last day of early summer
July 13.........78.1 / 94.5.......75.0 / 90.0..........+3.8....................first day of high summer
July 14.........78.1 / 90.0.......75.1 / 90.0..........+1.5
July 15.........71.2 / 80.4.......75.1 / 90.1...........-6.8....................2.62" rain
July 16.........74.5 / 81.7.......75.1 / 90.1...........-4.5....................0.08" rain
July 17.........75.9 / 85.8.......75.2 / 90.1...........-1.8
July 18.........72.9 / 85.1.......75.2 / 90.1...........-3.6
July 19.........70.7 / 89.2.......75.2 / 90.1...........-2.7
July 20.........73.4 / 94.8.......75.3 / 90.0..........+1.4
July 21.........77.0 / 91.8.......75.3 / 90.0..........+1.7
July 22.........76.8 / 91.9.......75.3 / 90.0..........+1.7
July 23.........75.4 / 89.8.......75.3 / 90.0...........-0.0
July 24.........76.3 / 91.4.......75.4 / 90.0..........+1.1.......highest daily average temperature / last day of high summer
July 25.........75.7 / 93.0.......75.4 / 89.9..........+1.7.......first day of late summer
July 26.........71.6 / 88.5.......75.3 / 89.8...........-2.5....................1.72" rain
July 27.........73.0 / 86.9.......75.3 / 89.7...........-2.0....................0.32" rain
July 28.........71.4 / 87.6.......75.3 / 89.7...........-3.0
July 29.........75.4 / 89.4.......75.3 / 89.6...........-0.0
July 30.........75.9 / 93.9.......75.2 / 89.5..........+2.5
July 31.........77.7 / 91.8.......75.2 / 89.4..........+2.0

Highs

40s.........4
50s.........20
60s.........33
70s.........46
80s.........69
90s.........40

Lows

20s.........4
30s.........15
40s.........27
50s.........49
60s.........36
70s.........78
80s.........3

Freezes.......6

Record daily rainfall July 15, 3.22" officially. Wettest St. Swithun's day on record! Also 6th heaviest daily rainfall recorded in July, and heaviest daily rainfall in July since July 13, 1978.