September 2022 Climate Report for Memphis, TN

Temperatures in September started above normal for the first week of the month as highs routinely reached the 90s, however, a cold front brought the mercury back down to near average into the second week of the month. Another warming trend took hold as strong high pressure built over the middle of the country starting in the middle of the month. Highs jumped back into the 90s mid-month, then climbed even higher, reaching the century mark on the 20th, then 102 degrees the next day, setting a record for the latest day to reach 100 degrees in 150 years of records. A cold front knocked down temperatures heading towards the end of the month, then the first major autumn front arrived on the 25th with lows dropping almost to 50 in the city and widespread 40s in rural areas the last couple of mornings of September.

Temperature anomalies for the month of August show near average temperatures across our region. Memphis ended up just under 2 degrees above normal by statistical methods. (PRISM temperature dta via WeatherModels)

Precipitation for the month was below average, though the month started off near normal with a few rain events during the first third of the month. After that, sprawling hot high pressure squashed rain chances for about two weeks. A cold front on the 24th brought scattered strong thunderstorms and heavy rain to parts of the metro, then the month ended with a week of cool and dry weather. Some minor wind damage occurred in Tipton County (Covington) with the storms on the 24th and a few Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were issued that evening. The MWN weather station in Bartlett ended the month with just over an inch of rain, while a little over two inches fell at Memphis International. The relief from drought conditions in August was short-lived as drought started to creep back into the metro by the end of September.

Another sign of a lack of precipitation, particularly upstream from Memphis, is a negative value on the river gauge on the Mississippi River at Memphis. At the end of September, river levels were hovering around -7.0 feet, one of the “top 10” lowest stages on record. (National Weather Service)