Here's today's Trivia Tuesday question:
When was Baltimore's wettest September on record?
A. 2011
B. 1837
C. 2025
D. 1980
Answer: A. 2011
According to the National Weather Service, 13.32 inches of rain fell at BWI during September 2011, making it the wettest September on record for Baltimore. For perspective, Baltimore typically receives around 4.4 inches of rain during September, meaning more than three months’ worth of typical September rainfall fell in just one month.
So, why was it so wet? Tropical moisture played a major role. The region entered September with extremely wet soil following a soggy August and Hurricane Irene, which dumped 4.69 inches of rain at BWI in late August. Then, just days into September, the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee became nearly stalled to our west. A strong area of high pressure over eastern Canada helped block the system while deep tropical moisture continuously streamed north into Maryland. From September 6–9, repeated bands of torrential rain moved across the region, with rainfall rates locally reaching 2–3 inches per hour. By the end of September, Baltimore had recorded its wettest September ever — and August and September combined produced an incredible 23.70 inches of rain at BWI, which the National Weather Service said was the wettest two-month period on record there.
