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61 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, September 19, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 4, 2004 A cyclist rides on the walkway along Jackson Street beneath Interstate 5 Tuesday, the last day of August. The month began hot but cooled toward the end, just in time for the peak of fire season. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven August temps swing Up, down and all around, the eighth month had scathing heat and even a nice cool-down By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune Rogue Valley residents who went into August expecting heat got what they were asking for. They also got a surprising taste of fall before the eighth month slipped away. There were seven consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures and two days of record-making heat Aug. 8-14. A blanket of cool, wet weather settled over the region for five days toward the end of the month, easing forest-fire danger at the peak of fire season. Seven straight days of 100-degree weather would be the stuff of legend in some parts of the country, but not here. There have been three other seven-day spells; two of eight days; and one of nine. Advertisement They all fall short of the record. In August 1967 and July 1962, Southern Oregon sizzled under 100-degree weather for 10 consecutive days. Daily temperatures during this hot spell mostly failed to qualify for the record book. Record-making high temperatures came only on Aug. 11 and 13, when the temperature rose to 103 degrees. This year’s hot spell fell short by several other measures as well. The National Weather Service collects data that records the average daily high temperature during warm weather. During this August heat wave, the average daily high temperature was a mere 101.7 degrees, more than 7 degrees short of the 108.4 degree-average during a seven-day heat wave in August 1981. Those blazing days saw two of 111 degrees and one of 114, Medford’s second-hottest day ever. For the month overall, there were 20 days when the high temperature reached at least 90 degrees. Seven of those came in succession after the weeklong spell of hundred-degree days. After so much heat, the wet spell brought a welcome change of pace. A Pacific front settled in on Aug. 22, bringing more than a quarter-inch of rain to the Medford airport and much more in areas that typically get more rain. Temperatures dropped 20 degrees overnight, and the mercury stayed in the 70s for five days. The average temperature for the month, 75.6 degrees, averaged 3.1 degrees above normal, driven more by warm nights than hot days. Overnight temperatures were 4.9 degrees above the normal average for August, and there were two nights (Aug. 13 and 14) when the overnight low (67 and 69 degrees, respectively) set new high marks. By the time the front passed through, the rain gauge at the Medford airport had collected .52 inches of moisture — the exact average precipitation total for the month of August. Medford ended the water year (the 12 months from September to August) with 18.28 inches of total moisture, .14 inches below the average of 18.42 inches. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities