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June 2020 National Weather Summary

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jgmun...@gmail.com

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Jul 15, 2020, 4:45:32 PM7/15/20
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NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY
JUNE 2020

1-6: Hot and dry weather reduced topsoil reserves across portions of the central and southern Plains. Hot, dry weather also prevailed in much of California and the Southwest. In fact, near- or above-normal temperatures covered the nation, except for lingering cool conditions (as much as 5°F below normal) in northern New England and environs. Summer-like heat was particularly impressive from the Intermountain West into the western Corn Belt, where temperatures averaged at least 10°F above normal in many locations.

By late in the weekend, the Sawtooth Fire near Superior, AZ, had charred nearly 25,000 acres of brush and grass, while the Bighorn Fire near Tucson, AZ, had burned through more than 2,500 acres of vegetation. Chilly weather lingered early in the week from the Great Lakes region into the Northeast.

The first day of June featured daily record lows of 32°F in Mount Pocono, PA, and 35°F in Bangor, ME. Consecutive daily-record lows occurred on June 1-2 in Hartford, CT (37 and 42°F), and Houlton, ME (30 and 26°F). Hartford’s minimum of 37°F tied a monthly record most recently set on June 3, 1986, while Houlton’s low of 26°F set a monthly record (previously, 28°F on June 6, 1971). Meanwhile, hot weather covered most other areas of the country. On May 31 – June 1, consecutive daily-record highs of 91°F were noted in Casper, WY. Daily-record highs were reported on June 1 in locations such as Scottsbluff, NE (99°F); Sioux City, IA (97°F); and Sioux Falls, SD (96°F). Sioux City notched another daily record high on June 2, attaining 99°F. Other Midwestern daily record highs on June 2 included 96°F in La Crosse, WI, and 95°F in Preston, MN. Heat further expanded by June 3, when record setting highs in California soared to 120°F in Death Valley; 115°F in Thermal; and 89°F at the San Francisco Airport. On June 3-4, consecutive daily-record highs (101 and 105°F, respectively) were observed in Borger, TX. Other triple-digit, daily-record highs on June 4 rose to 106°F in Fresno, CA, and 101°F in Winslow, AZ. In Colorado, daily-record highs for June 5 attained the 100-degree mark in locations such as Pueblo (101°F), Grand Junction (100°F), and Burlington (100°F). Goodland, KS, and Salt Lake City, UT, also reported daily record highs of 100°F on June 5. The week ended on June 6 with another daily-record high (102°F) in Borger, TX—the fourth consecutive triple-digit reading in that location.

7-13: The Northwest, experienced dry weather. In fact, little or no rain fell from California to the southern Plains, as well as a broad area centered on the Ohio Valley. In the latter region, moisture remained mostly adequate. Drought continued to expand and intensify across much of the nation’s southwestern quadrant. Hot weather across the nation’s mid-section promoted a rapid pace of crop development but reduced topsoil moisture. Heat was generally beneficial across the northern Plains, which earlier had experienced some planting delays and subsequently slow emergence and growth. Weekly temperatures averaged at least 5°F above normal in the upper Midwest and were slightly above normal across many other areas of the central and eastern U.S. In contrast, cool conditions prevailed throughout the West, except in coastal southern California, and lingered across northern New England. Temperatures averaged more than 5°F below normal in parts of the Great Basin and environs. Early-week heat affected the northern Plains, where daily-record highs for June 7 soared to 99°F in Sisseton, SD, and Fargo, ND. The following day, lingering heat was focused across the southern Plains. In Texas, daily-record, triple-digit highs for June 8 included 107°F in Del Rio; 106°F in Borger and San Angelo; and 105°F in Midland. Hot weather also developed in coastal southern California, where consecutive daily-record highs (84 and 93°F, respectively) were established on June 8-9 at Los Angeles (LAX Airport). Anaheim, CA, collected a daily-record high of 103°F on June 9. Meanwhile, heat shifted eastward across the Great Lakes and Northeastern States. June 8 featured daily-record highs in locations such as Brainerd, MN (96°F), and Ashland, WI (93°F). Record-setting highs for June 9 surged to 97°F in Toledo, OH, and Muskegon, MI. Meanwhile, cool air settled across much of the West. On June 9, daily-record lows dipped to 24°F in Ely, NV, and at Utah’s Bryce Canyon Airport. Elsewhere in Utah, Alta reported daily-record lows of 22°F on June 9 and 10. Other daily-record lows for June 9 included 30°F in Cedar City, UT, and 37°F in Grand Junction, CO. San Angelo, TX, registered a daily-record low of 52°F on June 10, just 2 days after the previously mentioned high of 106°F. Toward week’s end, heat returned across the Northwest, while cool air arrived in the Great Lakes region. On June 13, daily record highs in Wyoming rose to 99°F in Greybull and 98°F in Sheridan, while Pellston, MI, posted a daily-record low of 32°F. The brief Western cool spell was accompanied in some locations by late-season snow. In a 24-hour period on June 7-8, Alta, UT, received 12.5 inches of snow and reported a maximum temperature of 29°F.

14-20: Across the nation’s mid-section, hot weather was followed by an increase in rainfall. The central and southern Plains greatly benefited from the boost in topsoil moisture. Meanwhile, separate disturbances produced unusually heavy precipitation in the mid-Atlantic and Northwest, respectively.
Mostly dry weather dominated the eastern Corn Belt, the Northeast, and an area stretching from California into the Southwest. Parts of the South also experienced little or no rainfall. Heat across the nation’s mid-section boosted weekly temperatures as much as 5 to 10°F above normal, especially from the central Plains into the upper Midwest. Unusual warmth also covered northern New England. Near- or below-normal temperatures prevailed across the remainder of the country. Some of the coolest weather, relative to normal, stretched from the northern Great Basin to the northern Rockies, where temperatures averaged 5 to 10°F below normal. Readings also averaged at least 5 to 10°F below normal from Georgia to Virginia. Cool weather lingered through mid-June in the Northeast, where daily-record lows in New York for June 14 dipped to 35°F in Watertown, 37°F in Glens Falls, and 39°F in Binghamton. The only later spring reading below the 40- degree mark in Binghamton occurred on June 15, 1958, with a low of 39°F. Meanwhile in Michigan, record-setting lows for June 15 included 31°F in Pellston and 35°F in Gaylord. Later, heat arrived across the Great Plains. In Nebraska, daily-record highs for June 16 soared to 101°F in Scottsbluff and 100°F in Sidney. Burlington, CO, collected a daily record-tying high (100°F) for June 17. Heat extended across the upper Midwest, where Grand Forks, ND, registered a daily-record high of 97°F on June 16. From June 18-20, a rare heatwave affected Maine, where Caribou (95, 96, and 93°F) and Houlton (93, 95, and 94°F) tallied a trio of daily-record highs. Caribou’s high of 96°F on the 19th tied all-time records previously set on June 29, 1944, and May 22, 1977. Farther south, however, June 17 featured daily-record lows in Georgia locations such as Athens (53°F) and Macon (56°F). Cool air also arrived in the West, where daily-record lows for June 18 fell to 31°F in Casper, WY, and 36°F in Logan, UT. The following day, Miles City, MT (41°F), notched a daily record low for June 19.

21-27: Scattered to widespread showers in most areas from the Plains to the East Coast contrasted with mostly dry weather in the West. Midwestern showers were heaviest across the central and eastern Corn Belt, benefiting summer crops that had begun to experience stress due to declining soil moisture. Showers also dotted the nation’s mid-section, but drought-affected rangeland, pastures, and rain-fed summer crops across the central and southern High Plains experienced only limited and localized improvement due to uneven rainfall coverage, building heat, and high evaporation rates. . Rainfall was even more scarce in several areas, including New England, the southern Atlantic region, and the upper Midwest. Elsewhere, hot, dry weather in the West favored fieldwork and winter wheat maturation, but further reduced soil moisture reserves and increased stress on rangeland and pastures. In fact, weekly temperatures averaged at least 10°F above normal at several locations across northern California, the northern Great Basin, and the Northwest, while near- or slightly below-normal temperatures dominated the eastern half of the country. Notable exceptions included southern Florida and the Northeast. In New England, mostly dry weather and temperatures averaging at least 5°F above normal in many locations led to further drought development and intensification.

A major Saharan Air Layer (SAL) dust event engulfed the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, resulting in suppressed rainfall, low visibilities, and poor air quality. In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the SAL dust concentration generally peaked from June 20-24. Despite the dust and haze, Rohlsen Airport (on Saint Croix, VI) remained on track to experience its hottest June on record, with an average temperature of 85.7°F through the 29th. Rohlsen Airport’s highest June average temperature of 85.6°F was established in 1980. Saharan dust reached the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. mainland late in the week, producing hazy conditions. Farther north, impressive heat engulfed the Northeast. From June 16-28, Caribou, ME, reported an all-time-record 13 consecutive days with a high of 80°F or greater (previously, 10 days in a row from August 14-23, 2015). Caribou also achieved a June record with 14 days of 80-degree warmth (previously, 13 days in 1976). Elsewhere in northern New England, Burlington, VT, posted consecutive daily-record highs of 96°F on June 22-23. On those dates, Massena, NY, also collected consecutive daily-record highs (93 and 92°F, respectively). Meanwhile, heat developed across much of the West. On June 22, Redding, CA, reported a daily-record high of 109°F, topping that value 4 days later with a reading of 112°F. Other Western daily-record highs included 104°F (on June 24) in Winslow, AZ; 99°F (on June 23) in Reno, NV; and 97°F (on June 23) in Roseburg, OR. Florida’s peninsula also remained hot, with Leesburg notching consecutive daily-record highs (98 and 99°F, respectively) on June 26-27. Tampa, FL, tied a monthly and all-time-record high with a reading of 99°F on June 26—previously attained on June 5, 1985.
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