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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend October 4, 2006 Historically dry September had fair share of hot temperatures By Bill kettler Mail Tribune Summer just couldn't bring itself to leave in September. The ninth month of 2006 began with triple-digit heat and wound down with a string of 90-degree days. There were 13 days when the high temperature reached or exceeded 90 degrees, and only three days when the high temperature failed to reach at least 70 degrees. Rain is almost always rare in September in Southern Oregon, and this year proved the rule. Just .06 inches of precipitation fell at the Medford airport for the entire month, and the moisture was scattered across three separate days. There have been just three years when September precipitation measured at least 2 inches. (1986, 1977 and 1939). For the calendar year through Sept. 30, however, Medford's precipitation total (12.89 inches) is still 1.66 inches above normal September 2006 made a sharp contrast with the same month in 2005, when there was only one 90-degree day. All the heat pushed September's average high temperature up to 84.9 degrees, 1.4 degrees above normal. Advertisement A spell of days right around the fall equinox at least provided a taste of the changing seasons and high temperatures stayed in the 60s and 70s. The overnight temperature fell to 40 degrees in Medford on Sept. 22, and some higher-elevation areas got their first hint of frost. As fall begins, there's always speculation about what lies in store for the rainy season. George Taylor, Oregon's state climatologist, is predicting average temperatures and above-average precipitation for the three-month period including October, November and December, and above-average temperatures with average precipitation for January, February and March. Taylor prepares his forecasts by analyzing conditions from prior years and looking for "analog years" that resemble what has occurred during the past year. Those conditions include a number of weather phenomena, including hurricane activity, sea surface temperatures in various parts of the Pacific Ocean, and climate cycles. Data indicates Oregon has experienced 20- to 25-year cycles when the climate was generally warm and dry or cool and wet. During each phase, about 75 percent of all years have been above (wet phase) or below (dry phase) average for precipitation. In a discussion of his forecast on the Oregon Climate Service Web site, Taylor contends that the last wet phase was from the late 1940s until the mid-1970s. He believes Oregon re-entered a wet phase in the mid-1990s, which makes a relatively wetter winter much more likely than a dry one. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492 or e-mail [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing UK Homeowner Loans GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com