Freezing temps on the mornings of September 8th and 9th set frost on windshields and gardens, such as the tomato plant above at the Broadus Community Garden. On September 9th, our office thermometer read 23 degrees. The record low temp in Broadus on that date had been 28 degrees, in 1943. The earliest recorded frost in Broadus came on August 21st, 1937. The mean annual first frost is September 19th. The low temps Monday and Tuesday night stand in sharp contrast to the 101 degree high temp last Saturday.
Frosty marigolds on a cold September morning.
August of 2020 was dry by even normal standards in Broadus, with a scant .27" of rain falling during the month. When combined with the previous dry months, 2020 has drawn ominously close to a dubious record – that of low precipitation. The current record for low precipitation from Jan 1 to Aug 31 came about in that most infamous of years: 1988. During the first eight months of 1988, 4.89" of precipitation was recorded in Broadus. This year, the total was 4.97".
1988 turned out to be the driest year on record from January to the end of December, with 7.72" of precipitation falling in total. The shot of rain we received on Monday, September 7th, helps bump 2020 up above the 1988 averages.
In August of this year, Broadus had four days where the mercury climbed to triple digits, topping out at 102 on August 17th. The thermometer dipped down to 42 on August 31st, for the low temp for the month.
The .27" of rain in August compares to a normal average of 1.13" in August.
Looking at sites around the area, the Biddle 8 miles SW station topped out at 103 on August 17th with four days at 100 or more, and dropped down to 41 on August 31st. That station recorded .36" of rain during August, compared to an average of .99".
The Moorhead 9 miles NE station topped out at 101 on August 17th, which was one of two days reaching triple digits in August at that station. The mercury dipped to 41 on August 31st for the monthly low. The station received .55" of precipitation during August, compared to an average of 1.08".
The Sonnette 7 mile SW station topped out at 100 on August 17th, the only day in August to reach triple digits. The mercury bottomed out at 44 on Aug 15th and 16th, though data was not available for August 31st, where the other stations reported their monthly lows. The Sonnette station recorded .71" of rain in August, compared to a normal average of 1.00".
The Volborg station, which only records precipitation, claimed 1.02" of rain in August, with a bountiful .59" falling on August 14th.
The Powderville 8 miles NNE station topped out at 101 on August 12th and 18th, with the thermometer also reading a 100 degree high on August 17th. The low for the month – a chilly 36 degrees, came on August 31st. That station had .60" of rain in August, compared to a normal average of 1.04".
September started out quite hot across the area, with a high of 101 in Broadus on September 5th. The record high for that day was 103, in 1978. The latest date a triple digit temp was recorded in Broadus was a 100 degree reading on September 14th, 1948.
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