Weather watch: September 2006

摘要

Summer's fierce heat came to an abrupt end in September, giving the nation a much-welcomed break from near record temperatures. After all, the summer of 2006 had ranked second of all time in terms of average temperature for the Lower 48 states, less than half a degree below the June-August 1936 standard. However, during September, temperatures averaged at least 4℉ below normal in a broad area across the nation's mid-section, including the central Plains. Consequently, the season's first freeze arrived early across parts of the High Plains and the Inter-mountain West.