It's the home stretch now, folks. We've now made it through 3/4 of the year, a year that continues to be headlined by relatively warm air. September will come to an end with Rochester temperatures averaging ~2.5° above average. While that falls just outside the top 10 list for warmest September, it marks a continuation of our warm streak. All nine months of 2024 have been above average. Some months this year have been WAY above average, others just barely. But all nine fall in the same above average basket. We have to go back to last November to find the last month Rochester came in below average. Considering we're 9 for 9 in the warmth department, it would make sense that the entirety of the year thus far is challenging records. Through September 29th, Rochester current sits at the #1 spot for warmest year on record based on mean average temperature. These records go back to 1872. Put another way, no one alive today has experienced a warmer year (through this point) in Rochester. We have to go back to 1921 to find the 2nd warmest year on record. So, will we end up witnessing 2024 officially taking the warm crown? Your guess is as good as mine. Long range forecasts (remember, we still have 3 full months to go) aren't something I tend to put a ton of stock in. Too many variables that we simply cannot fully grasp on that timescale. But, there are methods of loosely correlating big-picture patterns. For what it's worth, the Climate Prediction Center's one-month and three-month temperature outlooks look like this: We'll see how La Nina will ultimately influences our impending winter months. One thing is for certain, we are overdue for a "real" winter. We've been spoiled for awhile now.