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Temperature Above Normal in July
U.S. Temperature Above Normal in July
August 8, 2008
 July
2008 was the 30th warmest July for the contiguous United States,
based on records dating back to 1895, according to an analysis
by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville,
N.C. The average July temperature — 74.9 degrees F —
was 0.7 degrees above the 20th century mean, based on preliminary
data.
U.S.
Temperature Above Normal in July
July temperatures
were generally higher than average across the West and
Northeast and below average in the Midwest.
Five states
(Conn., Mass., N.J., R.I. and Utah) were much warmer than
average. Rhode Island had its sixth warmest July, and
Massachusetts and Utah both had their eighth warmest July,
based on statewide data going back to 1895. Six states
(Ill., Ind., Ky., Mo., N.M. and W.Va.) were cooler than
average.
Based on NOAA's
Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index, contiguous
U.S. temperature-related energy demand was approximately
three percent above average in July.
U.S. Precipitation Highlights
An
average of 2.90 inches of precipitation fell across the
contiguous United States in July, which is near the 20th
century average of 2.76 inches.
Seven
states (Ill., Mass., Mo., N.H., N.Y., R.I. and Vt.) were
much wetter than average, with Vermont having its third
wettest July on record. Massachusetts and New Hampshire
had their fifth wettest July.
Idaho
and Louisiana were much drier than average, with Idaho
having its sixth driest July on record and Louisiana its
seventh driest July.
The
lack of significant rainfall across the Southeast had
little impact on drought conditions. At the end of July,
59 percent of the region was classified in moderate-to-exceptional
drought, based on the U.S. Drought Monitor. For the contiguous
U.S., about 28 percent of the nation was in moderate to
exceptional drought.
Midwest Flooding
Heavy rains
fell across parts of the Midwest again in July, continuing
a trend that began last October. An area from central
Iowa through northeastern Missouri and western Illinois
accumulated more than twice the normal July rainfall.
At Long Branch Reservoir in north central Missouri, 18.64
inches fell - more than three times the normal amount.
The heavy rains triggered widespread flash flooding in
Missouri and Iowa. Mark Twain Lake in Missouri reached
a record of 640.36 feet above mean sea level on July 30.
Illinois and Missouri had their wettest January to July
on record.
Wildfires
Continued
dry conditions in July across northern and central California
hindered efforts to contain a dozen large wildfires. Large
fires also developed last month in other states, including
Texas, Oklahoma, and North Carolina. From January 1st
to July 31st, 53,796 wildfires have burned more than 3.5
million acres of the United States, according to statistics
from the National Interagency Fire Center. This activity
is close to the 1999-2008 average and well below the year-to-date
extent of the past two years.
Other Events
A rare EF-2
tornado struck in New Hampshire on July 24 and claimed
one life and injured several others.
Hurricane
Bertha formed in the tropical Atlantic on July 3, and
while not making landfall, was the longest-lived, pre-August
Atlantic tropical cyclone on record. It became extratropical
on July 20. The same day, Hurricane Dolly developed in
the Caribbean Sea and made landfall as
a Category 2 hurricane at South Padre Island, Texas on
July 22. Dolly is the most intense tropical cyclone to
make U.S. landfall since Hurricane Wilma
in 2005.
Heavy rain
from Tropical Storm Dolly brought relief from drought
across parts of the Southwest and in southern Texas. However,
up to eight inches of rain fell within 36 hours over parts
of southern New Mexico, resulting in many flash floods,
which claimed one life, and brought total property damage
estimates of around $1.5 billion.
NOAA
understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment,
from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and
conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.
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