Year ending on rainy note

 

Thought this year was wetter than normal? You’re right.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Andrew Beavers said as of 12 a.m. Tuesday, the Tri-State collected 61.3 inches of rain for 2011. This beats 1989’s 59.98 inches of precipitation and is 50 percent above average for this area.

“It was just one of those things,” Beavers said. “It seemed like we had a lot of storms from the Gulf area that seemed to ride up along the Ohio River.”

Beavers said the wettest months were April and May. April posted more than 8 inches of rainfall. The norm for that month is only 3.3 inches. May followed with 7.31 inches of precipitation— the average rainfall for May is 4.4 inches. Beavers said July posted 6.91 inches of precipitation. The normal amount of rainfall for July is 4.46 inches. November was wet, too. The average rainfall for November is 3.32 inches, but last month the Tri-State weathered 5.77 inches of rain.

Beavers said as of 12 a.m. Tuesday morning, the Tri-State rainfall accumulation was 2.17 inches, which is actually below normal for this time of year. However, he speculated the rainfall collected Tuesday and today would drive that figure closer, if not over, the December norm of 2.8 inches.