It was a year that started dry but ended wet with a record-breaking month of rainfall. Deadly tornadoes struck in April.
The year started with three months of below-normal rainfall, creating a deficit of about 4 inches. According to National Weather Service records, 3 inches of above-normal rainfall fell in April and May, but deficits returned until October, when nearly 2 inches of above-normal precipitation fell.
November's rain was about 3 inches above normal, and December had 5 inches of above-normal precipitation, making it the wettest December on record for Augusta.
The area received more than 50 inches of rain in 2009, about 6 inches above the yearly average.
"December pretty much put us over the top," said Chris Liscinsky, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in West Columbia, S.C. He said the Augusta area "started off the year dry and ended the year with a bang."
On April 10, a line of powerful storms packing tornadoes swept through the area. Among the hardest-hit areas were Petticoat Junction in Aiken County and around Barton Chapel Road in Richmond County. One person died, and the storm caused millions in property damage.
The hurricane season that followed proved to be a mild one, but the area received some heavy rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Ida in November. An active El Niño resulted in much of the extra rain the past few months, Mr. Liscinsky said.
The year's overall temperature in Augusta was pretty close to normal. Mr. Liscinsky said the average of all high- and low-temperatures for Augusta in 2009 was 64.1, just half a degree above normal.
He said the area hit 100 twice -- on June 27 and July 1. The year's coldest day, with a low of 14, occurred Feb. 5.
Reach Preston Sparks at (706) 828-3851 or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.
AUGUSTA'S MONTHLY AVERAGES FOR 2009
January: average high, 58.6; normal high, 56.5; average low, 34.6; normal low 33.1; precipitation, which included a trace of snow, 1.52 inches, normal, 4.5 inches
February: average high, 62.2; normal high, 61.3; average low, 32.6; normal low, 35.5; precipitation, 3.21 inches, normal, 4.11 inches
March: average high, 68.8; normal high, 69.2; average low, 42.3; normal low 42.5; precipitation, 4.38 inches, normal, 4.61 inches
April: average high, 75.6; normal high, 76.1; average low, 48.5; normal low, 48.1; precipitation, 4.33 inches, normal, 2.94 inches
May: average high, 82.5; normal high, 83.9; average low, 62; normal low, 57.2; precipitation, 4.38 inches, normal, 3.07 inches
June: average high, 92.6; normal high, 89.6; average low, 68; normal low, 65.4; precipitation, 3.78 inches, normal precipitation, 4.19 inches
July: average high, 92.7; normal high, 92; average low, 67; normal low, 69.6; precipitation, 3.29 inches, normal precipitation, 4.07 inches
August: average high, 91.6; normal high, 90.2; average low, 69; normal low, 68.4; precipitation, 2.38 inches, normal, 4.48 inches
September: average high, 86.4; normal high, 85.3; average low, 63.8; normal low, 62.4; precipitation, 3.63 inches, normal, 3.59 inches
October: average high, 74.4; normal high, 76.5; average low, 52; normal low, 49.6; precipitation, 5.10 inches, normal, 3.2 inches
November: average high, 68.0; normal high, 67.8; average low, 43.3; normal low, 40.9; precipitation, 5.61 inches, normal, 2.68 inches
December (through Dec. 28): average high, 56.3: normal high, 59.1: average low, 35.8; normal low, 34.7; precipitation, 8.69 inches, normal, 3.14 inches
Source: Chris Liscinsky, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in West Columbia, S.C.
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