‘For every fog in August, there will be a snowfall in winter’
By Carl Quintrell, weather correspondent
STANLEY — Rainfall for the month of August was 5.63 inches, or 1.96 inches above the August average of 3.67 inches. Measurable rain fell on 17 days of the month. The average is 10 days. Total rainfall year-to-date is 27.79 inches, or 0.55 inch above average for the year.
The driest August dates back to 1976, with only 1.05 inches of rain recorded. The wettest August was 2020, with 11.36 inches of rain.
Temperatures for August were slightly above average. The average afternoon high temperature for the month was 86.1 degrees, or 0.9 degree above the average high of 85.2 degrees. High temperatures for August climbed into the 90s on six days and in the 80s on 25 days during the month. The high for the month was 93 degrees on Aug. 6.
The warmest August on record was in 1988, where the average afternoon high was 89.4 degrees with 20 days reaching the 90-degree mark or higher. The coolest August was in 2025, where the average afternoon high was only 79.9 degrees, with only one day reaching the 90–degree mark.
The average daily low temperature for the month was 65.9 degrees, or 2.6 degrees above the average low of 63.3 degrees. Low temperatures for the month were down into the 50s on three days, the 60s on 21 days and only in the 70s on seven days during the month. The low for the month was 53 degrees on Aug. 25.
Winter Weather Folklore states: “For every fog in August, there will be a snowfall in winter.” August 2026 left us with SIX foggy mornings, does that mean we will see only SIX snowy days this winter? This weather folklore has only been correct four times in the past 58 years.
- Winter of 1984-85: 13 August fog days and 13 snow days; total snow 8.25 inches.
- Winter of 1987-88: 7 August fog days and 7 snow days; total snow 16.75 inches.
- Winter of 1991-92: 2 August fog days and 2 snow days; total snow 1.75 inches.
- Winter of 2022-23: 4 August fog days and 4 snow days; total snow 2.75 inches.
The times the lore was found to be true, we had well below normal snowfall for the winter season. Yearly average snowfall is 22.3 inches. The winter of 2009-10 yielded 16 snow days with a season snow total of 61.4 inches. There was only ONE foggy August day that year.
The peak wind gust for the month was 47 mph during a thunderstorm on Aug. 10.
No records were broken during August 2026.
Other statistics for the month include:
- Six days 90 degrees or above (eight average)
- 17 days with rain (10 average)
- 22 clear to partly cloudy days (22 avg.)
- Nine cloudy to mostly cloudy days (nine avg.)
- 24 days with dew (24 avg.)
- Six days with fog (five avg.)
- Seven days with a thundershower (four avg.)
For more local weather information,
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