Image: Using data from the National Centers for Environmental Information’s Global Surface Summary of the Day, Coolwx.com provides changing hourly temperature maps showing the past week’s and month’s low and high records set. Above is a single screen capture.
National Weather Service data show that dozens of cities and towns across the eastern United States neared, tied, or broke, August cold temperature records in late-August, as reported by Electroverse.
A cool air mass out of Canada delivered unseasonably cool temperatures across the eastern United States, with lows setting records and daytime highs well below average for the season.
In Virginia and West Virginia record tying and record setting temperatures for August 21st were common, with one location even setting a new record low for the entire month of August.
In Virginia:
- Burke’s Garden in Tazewell County saw its temperatures drop to 38℉, “matching the low from Aug 7, 2004.”
- With a temperature of 52℉, Lynchburg, tied its record low, previously recorded in 1918, 1922, and 1998.
- Wytheville and Abingdon, with temperatures of saw 43℉with noting to 47℉ respectively, experienced the coldest August temperatures in these regions for 20 years.
- Roanoke, despite notable growth and a larger urban heat island effect, recorded a low of 50℉, the coldest temperature recorded for the entire month of August, since 47℉ was registered on August 31, 1999.
- Reagan National Airport saw its August 21 temperature drop to 59℉, the first time the temperature dropped below 60℉ in August since 2004.
In West Virginia, Electroverse reports:
- Canaan Valley posted a freezing low of 32℉.
- Parkersburg, WV, saw 45℉, smashing the previous record of 51℉ set in 1940.
- Clarksburg, WV, also experienced 45℉, surpassing its old record of 46℉ also from 1940.
- Charleston, WV, reached 48℉, breaking [its previous record low of] 50℉ from 1953.
With a recorded temperature of 49℉, four degrees below its previous low measured temperature, the Tri-City Airport in Blountville, Tennessee was among the dozens of other locations across the eastern U.S. nearing, tying, or setting a new record lows for temperatures for August 21. (See the feature graphic above)