A bit of rain on September 30 was not enough to prevent the month from being among the driest Septembers on record in Southern New England. It was particularly dry in Rhode Island and Eastern Massachusetts. Less than 0.75″ of rain fell in Providence during the month. It was the second driest September on record, trailing only 1914 when there was only 0.48″ of rain. Records have been kept in the Providence area since 1904. While not in the top-10 driest in Boston, it was the driest since 1959 with just 0.7″ of rain. Blue Hill Observatory recorded 0.41″ of precipitation – the lowest September total since record keeping began in 1885.
A rainstorm on October 1 will deliver more rain than fell in all of September to parts of RI and SE MA. The rain is a welcome sight as a moderate drought has developed during the dry stretch since mid-August.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1024 AM EDT WED OCT 1 2014
...HOW DRY WAS SEPTEMBER?...
...CORRECTION FOR BLUE HILL OBSERVATORY LCD AND COOP DATA STREAMS...
THE FOLLOWING IS A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE
MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. TIMES IN WHICH MONTHLY RAINFALL TOTALS CONCLUDED
ARE PROVIDED WITH RESPECT TO THE STATIONS. RANKING WITH RESPECT TO
DRIEST SEPTEMBERS ON RECORD /WITH 1 BEING THE DRIEST/ ARE PROVIDED.
LOWEST RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER ARE ALSO PROVIDED.
ALL DATA PRESENTED HEREIN IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO REVISION.
________________________________________________________________
AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING STATIONS ENDING MIDNIGHT OCTOBER 1ST.
* RECORDS WITH 50-YEARS OR MORE OF DATA.
MONTHLY RECORD RECORDS
ID LOCATION TOTAL RANK LOWEST BEGIN
-- -------- ------- ---- ------ -------
EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
BED BEDFORD 0.92 2 0.67 1957 1949*
BVY BEVERLY 1.23 1 --------- 1999
BOS BOSTON 0.70 11 0.21 1914 1872*
MQE BLUE HILL LCD 0.41 1 --------- 1885*
LWM LAWRENCE 1.49 2 1.23 2005 1998
EWB NEW BEDFORD 0.86 1 --------- 1998
OWD NORWOOD 0.55 1 --------- 1998
PYM PLYMOUTH 0.75 1 --------- 1998
TAN TAUNTON 1.25 1 --------- 1998
CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS...
CQX CHATHAM 1.23 2 0.72 2001 1998
HYA HYANNIS 0.98 1 --------- 1998
MVY MARTHAS VINEYARD 1.27 2 0.42 2013 1998
ACK NANTUCKET 2.37 17 0.07 1971 1948*
CENTRAL AND WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
FIT FITCHBURG 1.64 2 1.19 2009 1998
ORE ORANGE 1.63 2 1.48 2009 1998
CEF SPRINGFIELD 1.09 2 0.82 1953 1942*
ORH WORCESTER 2.72 53 0.21 1914 1892*
RHODE ISLAND...
UUU NEWPORT 0.57 1 --------- 1998
PVD PROVIDENCE 0.74 2 0.48 1914 1904*
WST WESTERLY 0.79 1 --------- 1998
NORTHERN CONNECTICUT...
BDL BRADLEY INTL 1.62 24 0.20 1914 1905*
HFD HARTFORD 1.21 10 0.55 1997 1920*
IJD WILLIMANTIC 1.72 3 1.37 2005 1998
SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE...
AFN JAFFREY 1.24 1 --------- 1998
________________________________________________________________
COOPERATIVE OBSERVING STATIONS ENDING 7 AM SEPTEMBER 30TH.
* RECORDS WITH 50-YEARS OR MORE OF DATA.
MONTHLY RECORD RECORDS
ID LOCATION TOTAL RANK LOWEST BEGIN
-- -------- ------- ---- ------ -------
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
INCLUDING FRANKLIN...HAMPSHIRE...HAMPDEN COUNTIES
AMHERST 1.34 9 0.52 1914 1893*
GREENFIELD 1.60 2 1.55 2009 2000
SUNDERLAND 0.98 2 0.82 1984 1978*
WARE 2.74 35 1.00 2009 1937*
WESTFIELD 1.76 1 --------- 2007
WORTHINGTON 1.53 1 1.53 2014 1994
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...
INCLUDING WORCESTER COUNTY
ASHBURNHAM 2.59 25 0.47 1948 1942*
BARRE FALLS DAM 3.32 28 0.99 1984 1959*
BIRCH HILL DAM 1.55 12 0.64 1964 1948*
BUFFUMVILLE LAKE 1.34 5 0.77 1959 1959*
EAST BRIMFIELD LK 1.69 12 0.62 1986 1962*
HARDWICK 4.03 6 1.11 2009 2007
MILFORD 0.77 6 0.42 1941 1931*
NORTHBRIDGE 0.62 1 --------- 1964*
SOUTHBRIDGE 1.39 12 0.29 1948 1926*
TULLY LAKE 2.44 18 0.79 1964 1949*
NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS...
INCLUDING MIDDLESEX...ESSEX...SUFFOLK COUNTIES
BEVERLY 1.78 5 1.45 1998 1996
LOWELL 2.12 38 0.13 1914 1892*
MARBLEHEAD 1.25 2 1.19 1997 1984
MAYNARD 2.00 11 1.03 1990 1963*
NEWBURYPORT 2.09 24 0.51 1941 1931*
SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS...
INCLUDING BRISTOL...NORFOLK...PLYMOUTH...BARNSTABLE...DUKES COUNTIES
BLUE HILL COOP 0.36 1 --------- 1885*
BRIDGEWATER 1.17 2 1.15 2003 2003
CHATHAM 1.73 6 0.68 2001 1972
EAST SANDWICH 1.45 1 --------- 2010
EAST WAREHAM 1.52 19 0.36 1930 1912*
EDGARTOWN 1.68 15 0.31 2013 1946*
FRANKLIN 0.65 3 0.26 1941 1926*
MIDDLEBORO 0.75 4 0.14 1941 1893*
ROCHESTER 0.63 2 0.48 1957 1952*
TAUNTON NWS 0.74 1 --------- 1997
WOODS HOLE 2.13 1 --------- 2010
SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE...
INCLUDING CHESHIRE COUNTY
FITZWILLIAM 1.96 15 0.23 1948 1931*
JAFFREY SILVERRANCH 1.25 1 --------- 2011
KEENE 1.78 17 0.20 1948 1893*
OTTER BROOK 1.81 10 0.31 1964 1958*
SURRY MOUNTAIN 1.55 9 0.14 1948 1948*
SOUTH CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE...
INCLUDING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
EAST MILFORD 1.61 2 1.20 2010 2008
GREENVILLE 1.66 5 1.28 1998 1988
HUDSON 2.08 8 0.94 2009 1986
NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST CONNECTICUT...
INCLUDING HARTFORD...TOLLAND...WINDHAM...AND EASTERN LITCHFIELD COUNTIES
BARKHAMSTEAD 0.92 3 0.63 1948 1932*
BURLINGTON 1.68 9 0.24 1948 1932*
HAMPTON 1.71 3 1.39 2009 2004
STAFFORDVILLE 2.00 4 1.11 2010 2002
STORRS 1.53 21 0.45 1914 1888*
WEST THOMPSON LK 1.50 6 0.65 1986 1963*
RHODE ISLAND...
INCLUDING PROVIDENCE AND KENT COUNTIES
COVENTRY 1.00 1 --------- 2011
NORTH FOSTER 0.74 1 --------- 1975
WOONSOCKET 0.62 1 --------- 1948*
$$