Boise Weather Wrap Up For AUGUST

AUGUST CONTINUED WHERE JULY LEFT OFF WITH VERY WARM TO HOT AND VERY DRY CONDITIONS. THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE WAS 78.5 DEGREES WHICH WAS ALMOST 4 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE MONTH FEATURED AN EXCEPTIONAL RUN OF CONSECUTIVE HOT DAYS BETWEEN THE 5TH AND 15TH OF WHICH THREE OF THESE REACHED THE CENTURY MARK OR HIGHER. THE 106 DEGREE READING ON THE 7TH TIED A RECORD FOR THE DATE. OVERALL...THERE WAS AN INCREDIBLE 26 DAYS IN THE 90S OR HIGHER AND ONLY 5 IN THE 80S.

IN ADDITION TO THE AUGUST HEAT...THE MONTH WAS ALSO BONE DRY WITH ONLY A TRACE OF PRECIPITATION RECORDED AT THE AIRPORT. EVEN THOUGH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED AROUND THE REGION THROUGH THE MONTH...BOISE AND THE TREASURE VALLEY ESCAPED MOST OF THIS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. EARLIER IN THE MONTH...A COUPLE OF LIGHTNING EVENTS OVER THE IDAHO CENTRAL MOUNTAINS STARTED FOREST FIRES WHICH GREW INTO SEVERAL LARGE WILDFIRE COMPLEXES. ONE SUCH FIRE WAS THE TRINITY RIDGE FIRE ABOVE 50 MILES EAST OF BOISE NEAR FEATHERVILLE...BROUGHT EXTENSIVE SMOKE INTO THE TREASURE VALLEY DURING A LARGE PART OF THE MONTH. IN FACT...OFFICIALLY THERE WERE 17 DAYS DAYS CLASSIFIED AS SMOKY DURING AUGUST. NEEDLESS TO SAY...AIR QUALITY IN AUGUST WAS POOR OVERALL AND VISIBILITY ON MANY MORNINGS WAS REDUCED TO 2 OR 3 MILES IN SMOKE.

OF COURSE THE BIGGEST WEATHER STORY DURING AUGUST 2012 WAS NEARBY FIRE ACTIVITY AND THE SMOKE THAT IT BROUGHT INTO THE VALLEY. WHEN COMBINED WITH THE INTENSE HEAT AND DRYNESS OF THE MONTH...MANY FOLKS WOULD LABEL THE MONTH UNCOMFORTABLE. THE AUGUST BLUE MOON CAME ON THE 31ST NOT TO BE SEEN AGAIN UNTIL 2015. FINALLY AT MONTH`S END...AIR QUALITY IMPROVED AS COOLER WEST WINDS SPREAD ACROSS SOUTHWEST IDAHO AND IMPROVING VISIBILITY. THE SUMMER OF 2012 IN BOISE WHEN CONSIDERING JUNE...JULY AND AUGUST TOGETHER WILL ENTER THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE DRIEST AT THE BOISE AIRPORT SINCE THE SUMMER OF 1957.