August, like July, ended up being average for temperature but very wet. Since the last few days of June, the Valley has received at least 400 millimetres of rain (five inches), which is more than twice the normal for this period.
Rainfall for August totalled 127 mm at the farm in Ormstown, which is 50 per cent above normal. Some localities have received much more from the numerous thunderstorms that have been rolling through, not to speak of vicious downbursts and hail that have afflicted numerous places along the Covey Hill.
Temperatures gradually cooled through August such that the month was very close to normal by the end. The average temperature was 20.4 degrees Celsius compared to the ten-year average of 20.2 C.
The corn heat unit (CHU) count continued to climb with 726 CHU for the month, which is slightly above the normal for August of 768 CHU. The total so far for the season (since May 16) is now 2609 CHU, which is just a shade below the ten-year average of 2630 CHU.
So far in 2026, the average temperature is only 0.2 C above average and precipitation is only 10 per cent higher than normal (91 mm vsersus 83 mm average per month). Remember, despite a wet summer, January, February and May were all below average.
September 1-5, 2026
September has continued wet with 34 mm in the first five days, which, on a prorated basis, is 250 per cent of normal – ooof!
Temperatures were warm compared to the normal for the month (16.2 C) with an average of 20.4 C. This was reflected in the heat unit count of 126 CHU, which is considerably higher than the prorated normal for the same period of 93 CHU. Normal heat unit count for all of September is 559 CHU.
The forecast for the remainder of the month is dryer, although there will be a bout of rain and showers midmonth. Daytime temperatures will be slightly lower than normal, while nighttime lows will be above average for most nights of the month.