Crozet Weather Almanac: August 2014

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Weather Statistics: Camilles Per Million

By Heidi Sonen & Roscoe Shaw 

August 2014
August 2014

It is generally not considered proper to ask a woman her age. However, that’s not necessary when you meet Camille Phillips, creator of delicious things and proprietor of Green House Coffee shop very near the center of the known universe in downtown Crozet.

When we first met her, as meteorologists, Heidi and I had to know. “Were you named after Hurricane Camille?” After all, we named our daughter after hurricane Isabel, which point-blank smashed Crozet back in 2003.

“Yes, I was,” Camille proudly proclaimed. Hurricane Camille hit in late August of 1969 and was one of only three category five hurricanes to hit the United States in the last century. After smashing Mississippi upon landfall, Camille saved the worst for Nelson County, where she dumped 27 inches of rain in just eight hours. Usually, it takes seven months to rain that much.

Through the miracle of the Internet, we discovered that in 1968, just 200 out of every million baby girls born were named Camille. By 1970, the number had doubled to 400 girls per million. Camille, the Hurricane, was a truly mean and nasty monster of historic proportions. Coffee shop Camille, by contrast, is as sweet as they come.

Hurricane Camille was an epic event in local history. For more on this storm, we recommend that you read Roar of the Heavens by Charlottesville resident Stefan Bechtel.

August Recap

August was another very cool month and capped off a delightful summer. We were three degrees below normal with an average high of 82 and low of 62 instead of the normal 85 and 65.  The hottest all month was just 88 and we haven’t hit 90 since mid July. Just when things were getting really dry, three inches of rain fell between the 20th and 23rd. With the cool air, the rains greened things up in a way more typical of mid-September.

And don’t even bother asking about this winter. We don’t have a clue. Neither do the Wooly Worms or the Farmer’s Almanac or the Weather Service. Anybody who says they know what winter will bring is just making that stuff up!

Rain Totals

  • Crozet Mint Springs 4.03”
  • Old Trail  3.63”
  • Ivy  4.44”
  • U.Va.  3.81”
  • Waynesboro  4.19”
  • White Hall 3.41”
  • CHO Airport  4.33”
  • Nellysford  2.55”

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