• July 2020 National Weather Summary

    From jgmunley55@gmail.com@21:1/5 to All on Mon Aug 10 16:06:15 2020
    NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY
    JULY 2020

    1-4: Very warm, mostly dry weather sharply reduced topsoil moisture in the lower Great Lakes region, while rain provided some drought relief in New England. mostly dry weather stretched from California into the Southwest, as rainfall associated with the
    monsoon circulation remained well to the south, over Mexico. Despite dry weather covering much of the West, cooler-than-normal conditions prevailed. Large sections of the interior West reported weekly temperatures averaging 5 to 10°F below normal. In
    contrast, near- or above-normal temperatures dominated the central and eastern U.S. Temperatures averaged 5 to 10°F above normal from the Dakotas into the upper Great Lakes region and were also at least 5°F above normal across portions of the southern
    Plains and the Northeast. Early in the week, cooler air swept into the West on gusty winds. On June 28, a wind gust to 55 mph was reported at the Mojave Airport in California. Subsequently, daily-record lows for June 29 were noted in Utah locations such
    as Tooele (42°F) and Spanish Fork (45°F). A few days later, on July 2, additional record lows in Utah included 32°F at the Bryce Canyon Airport and 38°F in Altamont. Meanwhile in Colorado, Alamosa set a monthly record with a low of 28°F on July 1 (
    previously, 30°F on July 2, 1997). In contrast, heat returned across the nation’s mid-section. In Texas, daily-record highs soared to 107°F in Borger (on June 29) and Childress (on June 30). Another area of unusual heat developed across the Great
    Lakes region, where Muskegon, MI, posted a daily-record high (92°F) for June 30. In Duluth, MN, consecutive daily-record highs (93°F both days) occurred on July 2-3. Similarly, International Falls, MN, logged a pair of daily-record highs (92 and 90°F,
    respectively) on July 3-4. Elsewhere, hot, humid weather prevailed in Florida. During the 12-day span from June 22 – July 3, minimum temperatures in Key West, FL, ranged from 84 to 86°F, tying or breaking a daily record each time.

    5-11: Unfavorable dryness persisted in parts of the eastern Corn Belt, while dry weather prevailed throughout the week in the middle Mississippi Valley area. Temperatures averaged at least 5°F above normal from southeastern Arizona to western Texas,
    with heat building to record levels late in the week. Anomalously hot weather also covered the Great Lakes region (temperatures 5 to 10°F above normal), although heat was more consistent than extreme. Widespread rain and near-normal temperatures
    maintained mostly favorable growing conditions in the Southeast, while dry weather covered much of the West.

    Cool conditions (as much as 5°F below normal) dominated the Northwest, while the Four Corners States awaited the seasonal development of monsoon-related rainfall. Del Rio, TX, posted highs greater than 100°F on each of the first 11 days of the month (
    and counting), with temperatures peaking at 109°F on July 5 and 11. Hot weather also prevailed early in the week in the East, resulting in scattered daily-record highs. For example, recordsetting highs for July 5 included 95°F in Clarksburg, WV, and 90Â
    °F in Dubois, PA. From July 3-10, Buffalo, NY, registered 8 consecutive days of 90-degree heat, breaking (by a single day) a record originally established from July 4-10, 1988. With a reading of 98°F on July 9, Buffalo set a monthly record (previously,
    97°F on July 6, 1988, and July 15, 1995) and came within 1°F of an all-timerecord high (99°F on August 27, 1948). It was Buffalo’s hottest day since September 3, 1953. Elsewhere in New York, Massena (99°F on July 10) also set a monthly record (
    previously, 96°F on July 10, 1988, and earlier dates) and narrowly missed an all-time-record high (100°F on August 1, 1975). Late in the week, heat intensified across the nation’s southwestern quadrant, while cool air covered the Intermountain West.
    At Utah’s Bryce Canyon Airport, a daily record low of 31°F was reported on July 10. On the same date, Alamosa, CO, notched a daily-record low (37°F) and a daily-record high (92°F). Alamosa also achieved a daily-record high (93°F) the following day,
    on July 11. Consecutive daily-record highs occurred on July 11-12 in locations such as Roswell, NM (110 and 111°F), and Ramona, CA (102 and 100°F). Late-week heat extended eastward along the Gulf Coast, where record-setting highs for July 11 rose to 99Â
    °F in New Orleans, LA, and 98°F in Apalachicola, FL. However, some of the most impressive heat occurred across Texas’ northern panhandle, where Borger set an all-time-record temperature with a high of 116°F on July 11 (previously, 113°F on June 26,
    2011). Borger’s monthly record had been 110°F on July 11, 2016. With a July 11 high of 109°F, Amarillo, TX, also broke a monthly record (previously, 108°F on July 11, 2016).

    12-18: Rainfall was patchy across the Corn Belt but heaviest across portions of the middle and upper Mississippi Valley. However, parts of the eastern Corn Belt, including large sections of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, remained unfavorably dry. ,
    beneficial rain fell across the central Plains, extending as far south as the northwestern corner of Texas. Generally favorable growing conditions (scattered showers and near- or below-normal temperatures) across the northern Plains contrasted with the
    southern Plains’ intense heat and worsening drought. In fact, blazing heat (weekly temperatures averaging 5 to 10°F above normal) continued to bake southern sections of the Rockies and High Plains. Extreme heat also extended into the Southwest,
    despite a gradual increase in shower activity related to the monsoon circulation. Mostly dry weather dominated the remainder of the West. As the week progressed, increasingly hot, humid weather affected much of the southern and eastern U.S. With the
    intensification of heat and humidity, stressful conditions for livestock developed in several areas, including the western and central Gulf Coast States. Late in the period, heat and humidity briefly overspread the Midwest, although weekly temperatures
    averaged close to normal. Persistently cool conditions were confined to the northern High Plains and the Northwest, where temperatures averaged as much as 5°F below normal. Elsewhere, Northeastern showers provided some relief from previously dry
    conditions, while Southern rainfall was heaviest along and near the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida. Scorching heat across the southern Plains sent early-week temperatures to 110°F or higher in several locations across Texas and southwestern
    Oklahoma. On July 13 in Texas, an all-time-record high temperature of 112°F was tied in Del Rio, while monthly records were broken in locations such as Amarillo (110°F) and San Antonio (107°F). Midland, TX, reported a high temperature of 100°F or
    greater each day from July 8-18, headlined by a reading of 111°F on the 14th. Similarly, Roswell, NM, recorded triple-digit readings on 12 consecutive days from July 7-18. Roswell’s highest readings, 111°F on July 9, 10, 11, and 13, tied a monthly
    record originally set on July 27, 1995. Early-week heat extended westward nearly to the Pacific Coast, resulting in daily-record highs for July 12 in locations such as Palm Springs, CA (121°F); Phoenix, AZ (116°F); and Cedar City, UT (100°F). Hot
    weather also lingered across Florida, where daily-record highs reached 98°F (on July 16) in Sarasota Bradenton and 97°F (on July 14) in Miami. Sarasota-Bradenton also set a record with 6 consecutive days (July 8-13) featuring highs of 80°F or greater (
    previously, 5 days from September 2-6, 2019). Meanwhile, temperatures remained mostly below 95°F in the Midwest, limiting heat stress on reproductive corn and soybeans. For several days, unusually cool air settled across the northern High Plains and the
    Northwest. Livingston, MT, collected consecutive daily-record lows (38 and 37°F, respectively) on July 14-15. Enough cool air overspread Mason City, IA, on July 16 to result in a daily record-tying low of 44°F. At week’s end, however, heat briefly
    surged across the Plains, where Denver, CO, notched a daily-record high of 99°F. For much of the week, showers were spotty but occasionally heavy. On July 14, when thunderstorms swept across portions of the Great Lakes and Northeastern States, daily-
    record totals reached 3.18 inches in Rhinelander, WI, and 1.82 inches in Saint Johnsbury, VT. Heavy showers also dotted the central Plains, where Goodland, KS, collected a record-setting total (1.96 inches) for July 13. Elsewhere in Kansas, weekly
    rainfall in Dodge City totaled 4.89 inches, with at least an inch falling on July 12, 14, and 17. Meanwhile, eastern parts of Florida’s peninsula remained wet, with Daytona Beach netting a daily-record amount (2.35 inches) for July 14. Mid-week showers
    became heavy in parts of the Midwest, where daily-record totals for July 15 included 1.52 inches in Gaylord, MI, and 1.34 inches in Saint Louis, MO. Elsewhere on the 15th, Peoria, IL, experienced its wettest July day on record. Peoria, with a 5.19-inch
    daily total, also reported its second-wettest day on record behind 5.52 inches on May 18, 1927. The wettest July day in Peoria had been July 17, 1895, when 4.09 inches fell. In contrast, July 1-18 rainfall totaled just 0.53 inch (10 percent of normal) in
    Fort Myers, FL; 0.36 inch (15 percent) in Charlottesville, VA; and 0.12 inch (5 percent) in Springfield, MO. In Texas, no measurable rain fell from July 1-18 in Austin and San Antonio.

    26-31: As the week progressed, cooler air trailing the front overspread the Plains and Midwest. In fact, weekly temperatures averaged as much as 5°F below normal in Kansas and Oklahoma. Upper Midwestern temperatures remained below 90°F throughout the
    week.

    North of the front, precipitation from the northern Plains into the Northeast was mostly light. Still, enough rain fell in the eastern Corn Belt to ease drought concerns. However, a notable pocket of drought persisted from northeastern Nebraska into
    central Iowa. Elsewhere, shower activity related to the Southwestern monsoon diminished early in the week, allowing temperatures to soar. In fact, hot, dry weather dominated the West for much of the week, favoring small grain harvesting but reducing soil
    moisture and increasing stress on rangeland and pastures. Temperatures ranged from 5 to 10°F above normal in parts of Washington and Oregon. Readings also averaged at least 5°F above normal in many locations from the middle Atlantic States into New
    England. Early in the week, triple-digit heat spread as far north as the Mid-Atlantic and Pacific Northwest. On July 26, daily-record highs soared to 100°F in Portland, OR, and Vancouver, WA. It was Portland’s hottest day since July 15, 2018, when it
    was also 100°F. The following day, Williamsport, PA, collected a daily-record high (100°F) for July 27. Williamsport had not attained a triple-digit reading since July 22, 2011, when the high reached 103°F. By July 28, Eastern daily-record highs
    included 102°F in Norfolk, VA, and 100°F in Providence, RI. Like Williamsport, Providence had last noted a triple-digit reading on July 22, 2011. Meanwhile, Norfolk set a monthly record with 5 days of triple-digit heat during July; the previous mark
    had been 3 days in July 2019 and several earlier months. In addition, Norfolk tied a 1952 annual record with 5 days of 100-degree heat. Mid-Atlantic locations such as Roanoke, VA, and Washington, DC, set records for the greatest number of 90-degree days
    in a month—30 days in Roanoke (previously, 26 days in July 1930) and 28 days in Washington (previously, 25 days in July 2011). The late-month heat wave capped the hottest month on record in many Eastern locations, including Miami, FL (average
    temperature of 85.9°F); Harrisburg, PA (82.2°F); and Clarksburg, WV (78.7°F). Clarksburg’s former record of 77.6°F had stood since 1934. Monthly heat records in New York cities such as Buffalo (77.6°F), Syracuse (77.1°F), and Watertown (74.4°F)
    had survived since July 1921 or 1955. Record-setting July heat extended to other parts of the country, including the Southwest. For example, July 2020 was the hottest month on record in Phoenix, AZ (98.9°F); Del Rio, TX (92.0°F); Tucson, AZ (91.5°F);
    and Roswell, NM (87.6°F). Phoenix also closed the month with a trio of daily-record highs (115, 118, and 116°F) from July 29-31. In southern California, daily-record highs on the last day of July surged to 125°F in Death Valley; 122°F in Palm Springs;
    121°F in Needles; and 120°F in Thermal. Extreme heat extended into the Northwest, where Richland, WA, registered 113°F on July 30—tying an all-time record first achieved on August 5, 1961. Pocatello, ID (104°F on July 31), tied a station record
    previously achieved on August 2, 1969; August 8, 1990; and July 22, 2000.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)