Fall in Alabama typically brings drier conditions, a welcome change for farmers and gardeners who depend on the drier weather to harvest their crops. However, the 2024 fall season started abnormally wet, with September recording 6.42 inches of rainfall statewide—over 2 inches more than the long-term average of 3.78inches. The majority of the rainfall was due to Hurricanes Francine and Helene.

In contrast to August’s predominantly dry conditions, September experienced a mixed bag of wetter and drier than normal conditions across the state. Regions from northwest to southeast Alabama benefited most from the tropical rains, while the rest of the state remained drier than normal, as shown in Figure 1. Notably, the Eufaula Weedon Field Airport station in southeast Alabama recorded the most rainfall of the month at 22.8 inches—setting a new all-time monthly record for the station since observations began in 2006. Conversely, the Douglas 6.8 NW station recorded the least amount rainfall with only 2.42 inches of rainfall and no missing observations.

Temperature-wise, the statewide average temperature was 0.8°F warmer than the 20th-century mean of 74.7°F, driven primarily by warmer-than-average low temperatures (2.9°F warmer than normal). This above-average nighttime warmth can be partly attributed to the increased cloudiness from the tropical systems that impacted Alabama. While the cloudiness generally suppressed daytime high temperatures, there were still a few exceptionally hot days, with the Dothan Regional Airport station recording the hottest temperature of the month at 101°F on the 2nd. On the cooler side, the Russellville 4 SSE station observed the lowest temperature of the month at 43°F on the 8th.

After record dryness in August, the State saw widespread severe drought (D-2) and reaching extreme drought (D3) in the North. Drought conditions across the state improved significantly with the arrival of Francine and Helene. By the end of September, only 30% of the state was in moderate drought. Though Francine and Helene brought record levels of rainfall, it did not erase the all dryness, as there is still memory of record dryness in June/July and August. Nearly 90% of the state is still considered abnormally dry for this time of year.

September also marked the end of the 2024 water year (October 2023 – September 2024). Statewide, Alabama received 54.77 inches of precipitation, close to the long-term average of 55.27 inches, just a touch drier than normal. Regionally, however, southeast Alabama saw wetter-than-normal conditions, while the remainder of the state was generally drier, as depicted in Figure 2.

Monthly summaries are provided by Dr. Rob Junod, Lee Ellenburg and Dr. John Christy.