After a wet spring, the Quad Cities area had a dry summer. Meteorologist David Sheets, from the National Weather Service in Davenport, says August was slightly cooler on average, and it rained slightly less than usual.
But for June through August, he says it was drier than normal. He and his co-workers are relieved no flood warnings are currently in effect for local rivers. Instead, they've been discussing Hurricane Dorian.
Sheets says the Quad Cities office usually sends up a weather balloon twice a day to take measurements.
But to help hurricane forecasters, two more launches, at noon and midnight, have been added.
The data will added to forecast models and gives a more complete picture of what the weather system may do and where it may go.
This fall, Sheets expects the weather to be closer to normal.
Temperatures in September, October, and November should be near normal to above normal.
And precipitation should be near normal.