2021 Weather In Review: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

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 2021 weather conditions in Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.

This brief provides county-scale weather data for Appomattox County, VA, including data from 1895–2021 (i.e. period of record). Data and analyses herein are courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate at a Glance Program.

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 2021 weather placed in the context of long-term climate (i.e. how did 2021 compare to a "normal" year?).

2021 Summary

In all, 2021 was much warmer and drier than average. Of particular note, it was the 5th warmest year ever recorded in Appomattox County, VA. It was also the 21st driest year on record. Data indicate that over the long term, annual average temperature and annual total precipitation have both increased (+0.12 °F per decade and +0.31 inches per decade, respectively).

Temperature

In total, 2021 was the 5th warmest year at the park since 1895 with a particularly warm summer and fall (Figure 1). Nine months had higher than normal temperatures with March, August, October, and December all being at least 3 °F above long-term averages (Table 1).

Figure 1. Seasonal and annual temperature rankings for Appomattox 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. Average monthly, average annual, and departures from long-term average temperatures. Departures from average are based on a comparison of 2021 temperatures to relevant averages from 1895-2020.

| Month/Year | Average temperature (°F) | Departure from
long-term average (°F) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | 37.4 | +1.9 |
| February | 36.9 | -0.5 |
| March | 48.9 | +3.4 |
| April | 56.9 | +1.9 |
| May | 63.7 | -0.2 |
| June | 72.4 | +0.7 |
| July | 77.0 | +1.5 |
| August | 77.1 | +3.0 |
| September | 69.6 | +1.9 |
| October | 62.9 | +6.3 |
| November | 45.3 | -0.8 |
| December | 46.6 | +9.1 |
| 2021 | 57.9 | +2.3 |

Precipitation

It was the 21st driest year recorded in Appomattox County, though seasonal precipitation varied (Figure 2). In total, 35.8 inches of precipitation fell, almost 7 inches less than normal (Table 2).

Figure 2. Seasonal and annual precipitation rankings for Appomattox 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 are based on a comparison of 2021 precipitation to relevant averages from 1895–2020.

| Month/Year | Total Precipitation (in.) | Departure from
long-term average (in.) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | 3.41 | +0.11 |
| February | 4.92 | +1.91 |
| March | 2.74 | -0.93 |
| April | 3.20 | -0.19 |
| May | 1.73 | -2.16 |
| June | 4.52 | +0.81 |
| July | 3.65 | -0.60 |
| August | 4.50 | +0.38 |
| September | 2.58 | -1.05 |
| October | 2.64 | -0.68 |
| November | 0.72 | -2.27 |
| December | 1.23 | -2.05 |
| 2021 | 35.84 | -6.72 |

Temperature and Precipitation Trends

(1895-2021)

Data for Appomattox County, VA indicate that annual average temperature has increased approximately +0.12 °F per decade and annual total precipitation has increased approximately +0.31 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 2.9–8.6 °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 Appomattox County, VA from 1895–2021. 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. Go to the NPS Climate Change site 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.

A summary of the Mid-Atlantic Network's Weather and Climate monitoring program can be found here. For more information, contact Mid-Atlantic Network Biologist, Jeb Wofford.

Click here to download a printable version (pdf) of this article.

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