Saturday, July 25, 2015

Rain? In July? Sometimes.

We shouldn't complain after that toasty warm and desert dry episode we called June, 2015. But I awoke this morning to the sound of raindrops for the second time this month. July on average is our driest month with a typical rain gauge reading of about 0.50 to .075 inches for the whole month.

I think we will blow that up this month. Generally I always tell people you can count on July and August being pretty dry and that has held up even this year.

For now I am sitting at my computer, looking out the window at a stand of towering fir trees in the neighborhood as the soothing drips of a cool summer shower soothe the soul. Go ahead, take a walk and soak it up my friends, soak it up.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

June was... Well... July-ish

The month of June is in the books and there is no other way to say it... It was VERY WARM. Although I never saw the realization of triple-digit heat like the NWS was suggesting, It was warm in general across the whole of the month.

Just so we are clear, prior to entering the data for June 2015, my 13 year average high for the month was 70.68 degrees. After entering this year's data that number jumped to a 14 year average of 71.52. That is nearly a full degree just from one month's data. The average daily high for June, 2015 was an warm 80.48 degrees and that is TEN degrees warmer than the previous 13 year average for the month.

June is a spring-summer transitional month weather wise. Generally we have a mix of cooler spring weather and some warm summer weather. This June was bone dry and very warm. How about 26 sunny days! That is about three June's worth of sunshine my friends.

As wonderfully warm June was, it was woefully dry in a year that has already been arid over all. My location is 10 inches drier than average through the first 6 months with a paltry 15.91 inches of precipitation. The NWS is suggesting July may end up without any precipitation. We could sure use some wet stuff.

Here is how everything played out. 26 sunny days and just 3 with rainfall. the month of June had 17 days with 80 or more degrees on the mercury. The aforementioned average high of 80.48 was nearly ten degrees over the normal with an average low that was just over 55 degrees; that's about 3 over my established norm. The hottest day came on the 26th with a mark of 94.6 degrees, The balmiest overnight low followed the hottest high with a mark of 68.1 on the morning of the 27th. The coldest daytime high came early in the month during some squalls. The 2nd was the only day in June that failed to reach the 60s with an "almost there", 59.3 degrees. The coolest overnight low was a chilly 45.6 on the 13th.

We had 3 days at 90 plus and 5 with overnight lows in the 60s. We also had some contrast with 4 nights in the chilly 40s.

Here is the real shocker. My location only recorded a measly 0.53 inches of rain. That is July dry and well under my normal of 2.47 inches. Get ready my friends for a warm summer filled with sunshine and smiley faces. Then prepare for the typical angry winter that follows such frolicky summers. Ah, go ahead in soak it up my friends; soak it up!