South-central U.S. Drought Concern
08/07/2024, 5:01 pm EDT
Overachieving Cold Event into Southern Brazil Coffee Areas
08/11/2024, 10:37 am EDT
Discussion: The hottest July on record was observed in California (Fig. 1). An upper-level ridge in-between a low-pressure area in the central Great Plains and south of Alaska enhanced by the influence of a marine heat wave shifting into the northeast Pacific were catalysts to the record heat. Additionally, New Hampshire observed the hottest July on record thanks to another buoyant high-pressure ridge located over Nova Scotia. Nationally, the U.S. observed the 11th hottest July in the 130-year climatology. The entire Northeast Corridor and West U.S. observed a top 10 hottest mid-summer. The Midwest States were temperate to cooler than normal.
Nationally, July 2024 was a moderately wet month ranking 30th wettest in the 130-year climatology. Wet regions were the Midwest where Illinois was 7th wettest on record and the Southeast States where North Carolina was 8th wettest on record (Fig. 2). Despite the wet month in North Carolina, nearby West Virginia was 8th driest on record. The East-central U.S. to the northwest Gulf of Mexico Coast were each wetter than normal. Almost the entire western 40% of the U.S. was drier than normal although without extremes.
The May/June/July 2024 seasonal temperature rank was 5th warmest on record inspired by record warmth in New England, New York, and Pennsylvania plus Florida (Fig. 3). Much of the West, South, and Mid-Atlantic U.S. observed top 5 warm 90-day periods for late spring to mid-summer. Only the northwest Great Plains were temperate.
Precipitation was near record amount across the Upper Midwest during May/June/July 2024 (Fig. 4). Wisconsin observed their 2nd wettest July on record. Most of the eastern half of the U.S. was wetter than normal except for a small dry region involving Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and West Virginia. Much of the West was drier than normal especially Nevada (6th driest).
Fig. 1: The NOAA state rankings for July 2024 of anomalous temperature.
Fig. 2: The NOAA state rankings for July 2024 of anomalous precipitation.
Fig. 3: The NOAA state rankings for May/June/July 2024 of anomalous temperature.
Fig. 4: The NOAA state rankings for May/June/July 2024 of anomalous precipitation.