2020 Weather In Review: Booker T. Washington National Monument

"Farmland on a rainy day" by Donny Nunley (Flickr / CC by 2.0)

In order to better understand ecosystem health in national parks, the Mid-Atlantic Inventory and Monitoring Networkmeasures ecosystem "vital signs" across the Mid-Atlantic region. One of those vital signs is weather and climate. Below is a summary of 2020 weather conditions in Booker T. Washington National Monument.

This brief provides county-scale weather data for Franklin County, Virginia. Individual weather station data may vary from what is reported here. Data are available from the National Climate Data Center.

Weather vs. Climate

First of all, what is the difference between weather and climate? Weather consists of the short-term (minutes to months) changes in the atmosphere. Weather is what is happening outside at this very moment, be it rain, snow, or just a warm sunny day. Climate is what you expect to see based on long-term patterns of over 30 years or more. An easy way to remember the difference is that climate is what you might expect, like a hot summer, and weather is what you get, like a warm rainy day.

The following information includes a discussion of 2020 weather placed in the context of long-term climate (i.e. how did 2020 compare to a "normal" year?).

2020 Summary

In all, 2020 was a record-setting year. Not only was it the wettest year ever recorded in Franklin County (since 1895), but it was also the 7th warmest year on record. Weather data collected from surrounding areas indicate that annual average temperature and annual total precipitation have both increased over the last century (+0.10 °F per decade and +0.35 inches per decade, respectively).

Temperature

In total, 2020 was the 7th warmest year at the park since 1895 with a very warm winter and a very cold spring (Figure 1). Eight months had higher than normal temperatures with February, March and November all being more than 5.0 °F above long-term averages (Table 1).

Figure 1. Seasonal and annual temperature rankings for Franklin County, VA. An arrow at the top of the figure would represent the warmest year/season on record (since 1895); at the bottom, the coldest year/season on record.

Table 1. Monthly and annual average temperature and departure from long-term averages. Departures from average show how different 2020 was compared to relevant averages from 1895-2019.

| Month/Year | Average temperature (°F) | Departure from
long-term average (°F) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | 40.4 | +4.9 |
| February | 42.8 | +5.2 |
| March | 53.0 | +7.4 |
| April | 53.9 | -1.2 |
| May | 60.4 | -3.5 |
| June | 71.0 | -0.3 |
| July | 78.6 | +3.8 |
| August | 75.4 | +1.9 |
| September | 65.8 | -1.6 |
| October | 58.8 | +2.4 |
| November | 51.1 | +5.1 |
| December | 38.3 | +0.5 |
| 2020 | 57.5 | +2.0 |

Precipitation

It was a record-setting year in Franklin County as 2020 was the wettest year ever recorded (Figure 2). In total, 72.3 inches of precipitation fell, over 28 inches more than the long-term average (Table 2).

Figure 2. Seasonal and annual precipitation rankings for Franklin County, VA. An arrow at the top of the figure would represent the wettest year/season on record (since 1895); at the bottom, the driest year/season on record.

Table 2. Monthly and annual total precipitation and departure from long-term averages. Departures from average show how different 2020 was compared to relevant averages from 1895-2019.

| Month/Year | Total precipitation (in.) | Departure from
long-term average (in.) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | 3.5 | +0.2 |
| February | 5.6 | +2.5 |
| March | 2.5 | -1.3 |
| April | 7.6 | +4.2 |
| May | 10.9 | +6.9 |
| June | 6.6 | +2.5 |
| July | 2.6 | -1.8 |
| August | 7.4 | +3.3 |
| September | 6.7 | +2.8 |
| October | 6.1 | +2.5 |
| November | 8.0 | +5.0 |
| December | 4.8 | +1.5 |
| 2020 | 72.3 | +28.3 |

Temperature and Precipitation Trends

(1895-2020)

Data for Franklin County, VA indicate that annual average temperature has increased approximately +0.10 °F per decade and annual total precipitation has increased approximately +0.35 inches per decade since 1895 (Figure 3).

National Park Service scientists have forecast future changes in climate too. Models estimate that by 2100, annual average temperature at the park will increase by 2.9–8.5 °F (from a best-case to worst-case scenario, respectively). Annual total precipitation is expected to increase by 8–14% (see Gonzalez et al., 2018 for details).

Figure 3. Annual average temperature (°F) and annual total precipitation (in.) for Franklin County, VA, from 1895–2020. Dashed lines represent linear estimates of change.

Climate Change

Today's rapid climate change challenges national parks in ways we've never seen before. Wildlife migrations are altered, increasingly destructive storms threaten cultural resources and park facilities, habitat is disrupted—the list goes on. Click here to discover how climate change is affecting our nation's treasures, what the National Park Service is doing about it, and how you can help.

The Mid-Atlantic Network's Weather and Climate monitoring program can be found here.

For more information, contact Mid-Atlantic Network Biologist, Jeb Wofford or Booker T. Washington National Monument Chief of Resources, Timbo Sims.

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