A Record Wet July
July precipitation ranged from less than 50% of normal to more than 300% of normal.
July precipitation ranged from less than 50% of normal in parts of West Virginia to more than 300% of normal in parts of New England. In areas that missed out on the precipitation, abnormally dry and drought conditions persisted or expanded. At the 35 major climate sites, July precipitation ranged from 57% of normal in Elkins, WV, to 360% of normal in Concord, NH, with 26 of the sites landing on the wet side of normal for July. Four sites - Concord, NH; Worcester, MA; Binghamton, NY; and Huntington, WV - had their wettest July on record, while another 19 sites ranked this July among their 20 wettest on record. In fact, this July ranked among the 20 all-time wettest months on record for 11 of the major climate sites.
Four sites had their wettest July on record, with the month also ranking among the 20 all-time wettest months for several sites.
Eleven major climate sites set/tied their record for the greatest number of July days with measurable precipitation, with Albany, NY, tying its record for all months.
Not only were monthly rainfall totals high, precipitation fell on many days of the month. Eleven major climate sites set/tied their record for the greatest number of days with measurable precipitation during July. For example, Albany, NY, recorded measurable precipitation on 21 of 31 July days, ranking as the greatest for July as well as for any month on record. The number of days with measurable precipitation this July ranked among the 10 greatest for any month on record at five additional sites.
There were several days with heavy rainfall. For instance, four major climate sites set/tied their record for greatest number of days with at least an inch of precipitation for July, with Binghamton, NY, tying its record for all months. Even more, three sites tied their record for greatest number of July days with at least 2 inches of precipitation.
Four major climate sites set/tied their record for greatest number of days with at least an inch of precipitation for July, with Binghamton, NY, tying its record for all months.
A tornado outbreak on July 29 produced at least 17 tornadoes in the region, with the strongest being a rare EF-3.
There were also many July days with severe weather or flash flooding, with several events during the first half of the month mentioned in the mid-July blog. One particularly noteworthy event during the second half of the month was a tornado outbreak on July 29 in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. Preliminary data indicates at least 17 tornadoes touched down, most in Pennsylvania. The strongest tornado, an EF-3 in Philadelphia and Bucks counties in Pennsylvania, caused substantial structural damage to buildings, destroyed cars, and left five people with minor injuries. It was the first EF-3/F3 tornado in those counties since records began in 1950. Another tornado, an EF-2 that traveled from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to Mercer County, New Jersey, led the the Philadelphia/Mt Holly National Weather Service office to issue its first-ever “particularly dangerous situation” tornado warning.
July average temperatures ranged from 4°F below normal to 2°F above normal.
July average temperatures were within 2°F of normal for a majority of the Northeast, with portions of New England and New York being cooler at 2°F to 4°F below normal. At the major climate sites, July average temperatures ranged from 3.1°F below normal in Portland, ME, to 1.9°F above normal in Baltimore, MD. Twenty-five major climate sites experienced below-normal July temperatures, with Portland, ME, and Worcester, MA, having their 20th coolest July on record. However, three of the nine warmer-than-normal sites ranked this July among their 20 warmest on record.
This July ranked among the 20 coolest Julys on record for three sites but among the 20 warmest for two sites.
There’s a tilt toward above-normal precipitation and/or above-normal temperatures during August for parts of the Northeast. Click to enlarge.
Southwestern portions of the Northeast could experience a wetter-than-normal August, according to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. Equal chances of below-, near-, or above-normal precipitation were predicted for the rest of the Northeast. There’s an increased likelihood of above-normal temperatures for August for a majority of the region, except much of West Virginia where equal chances were forecast.