September 2006 Highlights

..Warm and dry first half.. seasonable second half..

The dryness that characterized the summer of 2006 continued into the first half of September with no rain recorded for the first 15 days of the month. The dryness was also accompanied by some summerlike heat at times with temperatures near or above 30 degrees on several days, peaking at 31C on the 15th. Rain finally arrived on the weekend of Sept 16-17 with 25 to 45 mm of much needed rain in the Winnipeg area. The rest of the month was generally characterized by seasonably pleasant fall like weather with temperatures in the teens and some minor rainfalls. The growing season officially ended on the 8^th at Winnipeg airport with a low of -1.3C although at my location in Charleswood the growing season didn’t end until the 28^th with a low of -2.1C Overall, the month ended about a degree and a half above normal at 13.8C (normal 12.3C), the 7^th consecutive month with above normal temperatures at my location. Precipitation wise, the month was again drier than normal with only 38 mm of rain during September at my location (43 mm at Winnipeg airport) compared to the normal September rainfall of 53 mm. September marks the 6^th consecutive month of below normal precipitation in Winnipeg, with a precipitation deficit of 205 mm since April 1^st at my location, a growing concern for agricultural interests especially if the upcoming winter snowfall is lower than normal.