Source: Corey Davis, NC CLIMATE OFICE, 8/3/21

Summer heat remained scarce in North Carolina last month, while Elsa headlined a wet pattern across the Coastal Plain. Following Elsa, we look at where the tropics stand entering August.

Cooler Temperatures Continue
Our seasonable summer in North Carolina extended through much of July. The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) reports a preliminary statewide average temperature of 76.8°F, or our 60th-coolest July out of the past 127 years.

With average temperatures about a degree below the 1991 to 2020 normal, it was only our second cooler-than-normal July since 2010. During that twelve-year stretch, we have recorded five of our top ten warmest Julys on record, including the 6th-warmest last year.

The summertime pattern typically at play this time of year sees the Bermuda high pressure system building offshore and stoking hot, humid weather locally. However, since mid-June this year, the prevailing pattern has instead seen jet stream ridging and extreme heat over the western US, while troughing in the east has kept our temperatures in check.

For the full report, click here.