MILLPORT, Ohio – The month of August wasn’t anything like it looks on paper, according to Edwin R. Copeland, U.S. weather observer, reporting from his post in southern Columbiana County.
The area went 20 days with only 0.47 inches of rain, and in that period 14 days had temperatures in the 90s.
Poor crops. “No vegetation can stand that, because July was short 3 inches of rain, and we were short from 2001,” Copeland said.
Corn fired some places 4 feet high, some died, some got only 3 feet tall, and some didn’t even set ears.
The soybeans set pods with no beans in them, he reported.
“This is the second year the farmers have had it hard on them, as they have around $100 in each acre when they first plant them,” he said.
Like 1930. Copeland recalled his father telling him about 1930, the worst year for crops:
“The farmers mowed weeds to feed their livestock in the winter. Some planted corn into the middle of July so they would have a little fodder to feed in the winter.
“When they husked the corn, they couldn’t find seed for the next year.”
Some places got little rain. At the post, 2 inches of rain were recorded Aug. 22-23, but it was too late to help the crops.
Averages. The month’s high was 98 degrees Aug. 1. There have been 16 days of 90-degree weather recorded since July.
The low night temperature was 45 degrees, recorded Aug. 8. The day temperature at the Lisbon Fair averaged 94 degrees every day.
The 110-year averages for August are: 69 degrees, 2.83 inches of rain and 65 percent sunshine.
Averages for August 2002 are: 74 degrees, 3.09 inches of rain and 70 percent sunshine.
