Less than eight months into 2013, the Chattanooga area already has received just a smidgen less rainfall than it typically gets in an entire year, according to the National Weather Service.
That makes this third highest year for precipitation through Aug. 26 in close to 100 years, NWS data indicates.
Further, statistics show that temperatures have been unusually cool. So far this year, Chattanooga has had only 18 days at or above 90 degrees, tying it for the 17th least amount of days when the mercury reached 90 degrees or above.
“Chattanooga rainfall so far this year was 54.16 inches,” meteorologist Anthony Cavalucci of the NWS in Morristown noted. “Compared to other years, this was third. (The year) 1920 had 56.02 inches and in 1994 there was 57.99 inches through 8/26.
“Annual average (through 8/26) is 52.48,” he added.
And if history is any indication, there’s a good chance the coming winter will also be unusually wet, according to the meteorologist.
Average winter precipitation here is 14.65 inches of precipitation, Mr. Cavalucci said, with 3.9 inches of that falling as snow.
But the winter of 1994-95, coming on the heels of the wettest year on record, brought 15.66 inches of precipitation – and during December-February 1920-21
Chattanooga received 19.91 inches, with more than 11 inches of that falling as snow.
Still, Chattanoogans have gotten off easy, NWS data show, compared to some Southeast Tennessee/North Georgia communities.
Monteagle, with 60.05 inches – six inches more than fell at the airport in Chattanooga – has been hit the hardest. Lafayette comes in a close second with 59.96 inches, NWS tallies indicate.
Other communities, however, have had a much drier year.
In Pikeville, for example, rainfall so far this year totaled just 27.57 inches.
And in Jasper – just a few miles away from Whitwell, which has been pounded by more than 57 inches of rainfall – the NWS data shows precipitation this year has totaled just 32.63 inches.
2013
Most Inches of Rainfall
60.05 – MONTEAGLE
59.96 – LAFAYETTE (5 MILES SW)
58.84 – SPRING CITY
58.43 – DAYTON (2 MILES SE)
57.62 – WHITWELL (8.4 MILES S)
57.10 – CLEVELAND FLTR PLT
56.86– WHITWELL (SEQUATCHIE VLY)
56.36 – CHICKAMAUGA PK LARC
54.16 – CHATTANOOGA (LOVELL FIELD)
54.11 – DECATUR (7 MILES NE)
2013
Fewest Inches of Rainfall
27.57 – PIKEVILLE (8.9 MILES N)
32.63 – JASPER (1.7 MILES N)
33.42 – ETOWAH (0.7 MILES NNW)
36.36 – CLEVELAND (4.6 MILES S)
37.04 – DAYTON 1.0 SSE
37.42 – RINGGOLD (2.8 MILES SW)
38.27 – CHATTANOOGA (9.4 MILES ESE)
40.61 – DUNLAP 4.8 NNE
41.95 – TRENTON (5.8 MILES S)
42.78 – LAFAYETTE (2.9 MILES NE)