We think of August as a fairly uniform time of languid days, warm sun, gentle breezes, and singing cicadas and katydids. In 1995 the Hudson Valley had its driest August ever 26 days without rain. The river seemed to percolate like a giant soup cauldron. In 1996, more moderate August weather resulted in water temperatures at least 7 degrees Fahrenheit cooler, on average, than the previous year s. This summer, cool, damp weather once again has the river 4-6 degree Fahrenheit cooler than the previous August.
Salt is barely detectable north of the Hudson Highlands.
Summertime water temperatures and precipitation are both key factors in the growth and distribution of Hudson River fauna. However, time is a great equalizer. By October the blue crabs, shad, herring, and bass should reach their usual autumn proportions. These were the first official records of a sea turtle in the Hudson River. Both summers were dry, and the river became increasingly brackish by August, factors that produced an abundance of the jellyfish lion's mane and moon jellyfish that are the prime food of sea turtles.