PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
400 PM CDT THU OCT 1 1998


...SEPTEMBER 1998 TENNESSEE VALLEY'S HOTTEST AND DRIEST...


NO ONE HAS TO TELL ANYONE LIVING IN NORTH ALABAMA THAT SEPTEMBER WAS
HOT AND DRY...BUT DATA INDICATE THAT SEPTEMBER OF 1998 WAS THE HOTTEST
AND DRIEST ON RECORD.

FOR SEPTEMBER 1998 THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY AIRPORT RECORDED A
MEAN MONTHLY TEMPERATURE OF 78.2 DEGREES...A NORMAL SEPTEMBER AVERAGES
72.2 DEGREES.  IN ADDITION, SEPTEMBER SAW ONLY 0.48 INCHES OF RAIN...
NORMALLY THERE ARE 4.08 INCHES.

HERE ARE THE NEW TOP TEN HOTTEST AND DRIEST SEPTEMBERS FOR HUNTSVILLE:

     HOTTEST                     DRIEST

     YEAR    MEAN TEMP          YEAR...PRECIP

     1998......78.2             1998....0.48
     1970......77.2             1961....0.49
     1973......76.8             1982....0.55
     1990......76.2             1984....0.76
     1980/86...75.6             1981....0.78
     1959......75.5             1963....0.97
     1965......75.0             1973....1.78
     1978......74.8             1970....1.80
     1961......74.7             1983....2.17
     1960......74.5             1990....2.34

NOW THAT SEPTEMBER IS BEHIND US...THE LONG RANGE OUTLOOK FOR FALL...
CALLS FOR NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION.