Source: NC CLIMATE OFFICE, 8/3/20


After a cool June, hot weather arrived in July, while generally limited precipitation saw Abnormally Dry conditions return in North Carolina -- but for how long?

A Month of Melting Heat
Our string of three consecutive cooler-than-normal months in April, May, and June came to an abrupt ending last month with the arrival of summer's supreme sizzle. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), the statewide average temperature of 79.7°F made it our 6th-warmest July since 1895.

That continued a recent trend of warm Julys. Since 2010, all but one July (in 2014) has had temperatures above the long-term 1901 to 2000 average. Warmth in our nighttime lows has been a key driver in that trend, and the average minimum temperatures last month ranked as the 5th-warmest of all recorded Julys.

Switching from some downright cool nights in mid-June to some sweltering ones throughout July required a near-reversal of the large-scale weather pattern. In June, jet stream troughing over the eastern US delivered multiple cold fronts and storm systems through the Carolinas.

By early July, though, strong ridging was in place instead, and high pressure to our south acted as a roadblock for any inbound weather systems.

For the full report, click here.