The Seasonal Weather Review comes at you this issue with not one but two exciting summaries of the area’s weather, consisting of summer 2005 and fall 2005.  So let’s jump right in!

After a slightly cooler but much drier than normal spring in 2005, the climatological summer (June through August) saw typical drought conditions.  The region-wide average temperature for the season was 82.9°, which was 1.4° above normal, while the average rainfall of 10.96” was 4.38” below normal.  As expected, each month within the period was warmer and drier than normal. June’s average temperature was 81.6°, which was about a degree-and-a-half above normal. Temperatures got a little closer to normal in July (83.1°, which was 0.8° above normal), but reverted back to the warm side in August (84.0° or two degrees above normal). Only heavy downpours in Beaumont and Leesville in July kept the region from being below normal all three months during the period. June’s average rainfall was 2.25”, a whopping 3.23” below normal. Rainfall actually rose to above normal in July, with the average total of 5.27” being 0.14” on the wet side. But more drought-like conditions returned in August, with the average total of 3.44” being 1.30” below normal.

Like with the spring, the overall warm spot for the quarter was Lafayette, with an average temperature of 83.9°. Lafayette’s temperature of 85.0° in August was the warmest individual month during the period. Another repeat performance, the coolest location during the period was Leesville, with its 81.0° average temp. This was surely helped along by its reading of 79.0° in June, which was the coolest overall individual month. Alexandria was the closest to normal temperature-wise during the summer (0.4° above normal), while Lufkin and Lafayette tied for farthest from normal for the season (2.3° above normal).

Morgan City took the honor as wettest location, with a total rainfall for the season of 15.80”. However Beaumont saw the highest individual monthly total when 10.31” fell in July. Leesville was the one location to finish the season with above normal rainfall, with its total of 13.56” being 0.74” inches too much (the closest to normal for the period). The lowest total belonged to Lufkin (5.67”), although one could say the driest location was Lafayette.  The Hub City’s total of 9.34” was 8.35” below normal, which produces a two-season rainfall deficit (including spring and summer) of 18.85”!  Now that’s dry!!