A Record Hot, Record Dry Start to July

July 1-15 average temperatures were up to 8°F hotter than normal.

The first half of July was hotter than normal by as much as 8°F in the Northeast, driven by an extreme heat event early in the month. The greatest departures above normal for the period were generally found in interior areas from West Virginia to New York. At the Northeast’s 35 major sites, July 1-15 average temperatures ranged from 1.2°F above normal in Central Park, NY, to 5.9°F above normal in Williamsport, PA. This July 1-15 period was record hot for Elkins, WV, and Atlantic City, NJ, and ranked among the 20 hottest such periods for another 32 of the sites.

This first half of July was record hot for two major sites and among the 20 hottest for another 32 of the sites.

July 1-15 precipitation ranged from less than 25% of normal to over 200% of normal.

Rainfall during July was hit-or-miss, with some locations such as northern Maine and western New York seeing less than 25% of normal and other locations like southern Connecticut and New York’s Long Island seeing over 200% of normal. July precipitation at the Northeast’s major sites ranged from 1% of normal in Portland, ME, to 355% of normal in Bridgeport, CT, with 19 sites being drier than normal and 15 being wetter than normal. This July 1-15 period was record dry for Portland and ranked among the 20 driest such periods for another five major sites. Conversely, the period was among the 20 wettest for nine major sites. This locally heavy rainfall helped chip away at drought conditions in some locations.

This first half of July was record dry for Portland, ME, and among the 20 driest for another five major sites but was among the 20 wettest for nine other major sites.

For August, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center favors drier-than-normal conditions for portions of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, with equal chances of below-, near-, or above-normal precipitation in the rest of the Northeast. August is expected to average out to be hotter than normal across the Northeast.

Areas shaded tan are expected to be drier than normal during August.

For August, the Northeast is favored to be hotter than normal.