The average daily temperature each of the first 18 days last month was above normal. Five of the days posted an average temperature at least nine degrees above normal. There were two streaks of four days each with cooler-than-normal temperatures, including July 19 through 23 and July 28 through 31. The warmest temperature last month was 95 degrees on July 18, while the coolest temperature was 61 degrees on July 22. The mercury never dropped below 60 degrees throughout the entire month.
There were nine days last month with a high temperature of 90 degrees or more, including three of the first seven days of July. A heat wave happened July 16 through July 18 with afternoon high temperatures of 91, 93, and 95, respectively. We missed a heat wave by one degree from July 5 through July 7 when the mercury topped 91, 89, and 93 degrees, respectively. Following the heat wave, the temperature eclipsed 90 degrees just once more when a high of 93 degrees happened on July 24.
July also featured more than four inches (4.35") of rain, which was nearly an inch (0.89") above normal. Although there were only eight days with measured rain, nearly two inches (1.97") fell during the monsoon of Saturday, July 28, and nearly an inch (0.94") fell on July 15. Just one of the first 13 days delivered measured rain to the region, but seven of 15 days from July 14 through July 28 featured measured rain and two more days offered a trace rain.
The heat and humidity will build over the next couple of days with nothing more than an isolated shower or thunderstorm through Saturday. Daytime high temperatures will reach well into the 80s to close to 90 degrees inland today and tomorrow. A cold front approaches later Sunday, bringing a better threat of stronger thunderstorms. Any leftover shower or thunder move away Monday, and drier air arrives for the middle of next week.
Paul
