By TRAVIS CRUM
The Herald-Dispatch
(Herald-Dispatch photo by Ryan Fischer)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Huntington experienced its second-wettest year on record in 2018, joining several West Virginia cities that saw precipitation accumulations far above average annual totals.
The city’s year-to-date precipitation total was 60.25 inches on Monday, which was just shy of the record 62.44 inches set in 2011. Right behind that is 1989, which experienced 59.98 inches of precipitation, making it the third-wettest year. The average annual rainfall in Huntington is 42 inches.
A persistent southward dip in the jet stream over the central and eastern United States for much of spring and summer is one driving factor for this year’s record wetness, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report released in November. At that time, 2018 was the fifth wettest year in the United States, a ranking that may increase once year-end reports are released.
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