TEMPERATURE--
Mean: 70.0F (departure: minus 2.1 deg.)
Average high: 77.6F
Average low: 62.5F
Month's high: 87F on 18th
Month's low: 57F on 22nd

PRECIPITATION--
Month's total: 4.31" (departure: plus 1.59")
Year's total: 27.79" (departure: plus 3.40")
Max. 24hr. total: 1.22 on 3rd
Days with 0.01" or more: 15
Days with 1.00" or more: 2

BAROMETER--
High: 30.33" on 12th
Low: 29.38" on 19th

MISCELLANEOUS--
Days with thunder: 3
Days with fog: 13
High wind gust: 33 mph on 13th

Tropical Storm Bertha Comments: The event of the month was no doubt Tropical Storm Bertha which passed through the area on the 13th. Trees in the area of my station greatly effected the winds I recorded. My high gust was 33mph but other wind reports from surrounding stations are a better indication of of the type of winds the area experienced. Those include a 87 mph gust at the New Bedford Hurricane Barrier, 74mph gust at Westport Harbor, 48mph gust on West Island, Fairhaven, and 47mph gust in South Dartmouth. Rains from the storm in the South Coast/Cape and Islands area were rather light as compared to other parts of Southern New England. Here at my station I had 0.80" from the storm. Other rainfall amounts include: Brewster-0.25", Eastham-0.34", East Falmouth-1.15", Acushnet-1.64", Chatham-0.43", Tiverton,RI-1.30", Martha's Vineyard -0.93", West Island, Fairhaven-0.40", and Nantucket-0.13". Low barometer reading in Fairhaven was 29.47" at 8:15 PM. Storm surge at the New Bedford Huricane Barrier was 1.7 feet.

General comments: Another cool month here, 2.1 deg. below normal. 1996 is now averaging 1.6 deg. below normal....Month's low barometer reading was not recorded during TS Bertha but about a week later when a winter type low pressure system intensified over Maine/New Brunswick....Windy month!!

Regards--Dennis