Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Great Lakes Region - September 2018

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Great Lakes Region for June – August 2018.  Dated September 2018. 

The Great Lakes region experienced extreme heat and rainfall events in the summer of 2018. In late June and early July, several days of high temperatures and humidity made it feel like 38°C (100°F) with some areas reaching as high as 43°C (110°F). This prompted the issuance of Excessive Heat Warnings in the eastern portion of the basin. The lack of relief from the excessive heat led to two heat-related deaths in New York. Several heavy rain events in July and August in the eastern half of the basin caused flooding that resulted in road damage, overflown streams, and several water rescues.

NOAA’s Regional Climate Services Program created these Climate Outlooks to inform the public about recent climate impacts within their respective regions. Each regional report contains easy-to-understand language, and anyone can access them through the Drought Portal at https://www.drought.gov/drought/resources/reports.