Warm and Wet: July by the Numbers
A dry start, then the rain returned
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July started off hot and dry, but a shift in the pattern brought wetter-than-normal conditions by mid to late month, leaving us with a warm and wet end to the month overall.
Wettest July in 4 years
July started out about as picture-perfect as any summer month — with hot days in the 90s and a stretch of dry weather perfect for lakes and poolside lounging. In the Twin Cities, five of the six 90-degree days came during the first half of the month, and Minneapolis–St. Paul saw just 0.27 inches of rain during that period.
According to climatologist Mark Seeley in his latest weather chat, July has finished drier than normal across the state in each of the past four years. This year, was the first year in awhile that ended above average.
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Statewide, the average rainfall in July was 5.5 inches. Northern locations like Ely, Orr, and Waskish recorded their wettest July on record, each picking up over 8 inches of rain. In the Twin Cities, 5.24 inches fell — 1.18 inches above average. St. Cloud measured 4.66 inches, which was 1.06 inches above normal. Duluth, meanwhile, ended up slightly below average with 3.75 inches, falling short by 0.17 inches.
Looking at measurable precipitation over the past month, parts of Minnesota, especially Kandiyohi County, saw 10 to 15 inches of rain, as indicated by the pink shading on the map. In contrast, northwestern Minnesota received very little rainfall, leaving some counties in that region still dealing with drought conditions.
Warm July
The month was slightly warmer than average, with most climate stations reporting monthly temperatures 1 to 2 degrees above normal. The Twin Cities averaged 76.1 degrees, 1.8 degrees above normal. St. Cloud came in at 72.5 degrees, 2.2 degrees above average, while Duluth stayed close to normal at 66.5 degrees, just half a degree below average.
Extremes for the month were observed on July 4th, with temperatures reaching 96 degrees in both Marshall and Georgetown. On the 18th, Ada recorded a low of just 37 degrees. The Twin Cities saw a high of 93 and a low of 52 degrees.
Along with the wet conditions, some areas in the state experienced impressive dew points, with Fergus Falls and St. James reaching 82 degrees, and Benson hitting 81 degrees.
As we head into the final month of meteorological summer, here’s hoping our drought monitor conditions still look this good come the end of August!
